New Hot Wheels Multipack Has Six JDM Cars Inside, Mazda RX-7 Takes Center Stage

Today we're taking a look at the upcoming 2023 JDM Multipack. The 2022 version featured the '88 Honda CR-X, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the Subaru Impreza WRX, the Toyota Corolla AE86, the Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo, and the '95 Mazda RX-7.

So you could say that it was a pretty good distribution of manufacturers. And now it's time to see what the new set has in store for us. Naturally, there are also six cars inside of this one, but this time Mitsubishi has been left out of the equation.

Starting with the Custom Datsun 240Z, some of you may remember that this casting is a replica of the car owned by actor Sung Kang. You may remember him driving a Mazda RX-7 in Tokyo Drift, but it's his Fugu Z that inspired the creation of this model car.

Jun Imai was in charge of designing it for its release back in 2017. We've seen seven variations so far, and the black-on-black look is fantastic even though it's just a Mainline version. Mattel has kept things simple here with just a few sponsor decals, and it's nice to see that the car also has painted tail lights.

Up next, it's the 2018 Honda Civic Type R. This Ryu Asada-designed casting was used in the Super Treasure Hunt series back in 2021, and we've also seen it in the Honda Civic line-up earlier this year.

The Honda logo on the roof is a nice touch, but we can't help but feel that the livery looks a bit crowded. The whole thing isn't as appealing as the 240Z, but it's not like you can have one without the other. The third car takes us back in time again, and this '70 Toyota Celica is the fourth one to be released within the past two years.

This is the oldest casting so far in this set, as it was introduced back in 2013. Back then, Mattel painted it Metalflake Dark Green and it had a much cleaner look to it. Still, most people will probably prefer this over the Honda, but it won't dethrone the Datsun.

Chances are that the fourth car on the list is going to be a strong opponent for the 240Z, but we might be biased given our relationship with RX-7s. This is the 20th iteration of the SA22C casting, even though it was only introduced about 10 years ago.

It has been used as a Treasure Hunt and a Super Treasure Hunt before, but strangely enough, Mattel never featured it in a Premium series. But all that might change for 2023. After all, we've just seen the FC graduating to that level with the new Ronin Run set.

And a Group B replica would probably be gobbled right up by collectors all over. The fifth car inside the Multipack is the Subaru WRX STI. The hatchback wasn't quite successful in the real world, and people are kind of getting bored with the 1/64th scale version of it too.

To make things even worse, this variation seems to be identical to the First Edition model from back in 2012. That's not going to affect someone who is just starting a collection, but people who have been in the game for several years won't probably feel any attraction to it.

And it seems like things are the same with the last item in the JDM Multipack too. The '82 Nissan Skyline R30 is the result of Ryu Asada's vision and has been around since 2018. We have seen nine variations of this casting so far, but this new version isn't quite new at all.

You're looking at the same design from the First Edition. Granted, the Red/Black combo was simple and effective, but seeing the same thing again isn't all that enticing. Still, if someone is going to give you this set as a gift for Christmas, there's no chance you'll be mad about it as you've still got two great cars to add to your display.

And you can always trade the other four for something that will be a better fit for your collection. Either way, if you want to place an order for the Multipack yourself, it will set you back about $20. But it might take a few more weeks until it gets delivered, so you might want to get a backup plan for Christmas just in case.