New Hot Wheels Set of 10 Cars Is a Nostalgic Throwback to the Fast and the Furious

Just the other day, one collector from my hometown pointed out that this set had arrived in multiple stores located in a 500-mile (804 km) radius. I told myself that I should probably go and get one too. But I thought that hundreds of sets couldn't just evaporate in a matter of days. I was so wrong. By the end of the day, the new set of 10 cars was sold-out entirely. And hundreds of collectors were fuming at the idea that several people had bought them all just to list them for up to 700% of their initial price.

With all the hype going around the series and the release of the new Fast X trailer, some people might unknowingly fall into the scalpers' nets. Meanwhile, I've never seen so much outrage in the collectors' community. One can only hope that a restock might clear things up, and everyone can get in on the action. So let's just have a look to see how special the new set is.

The thing you'll notice about this new set is that there's one car inside for each of the Fast & Furious films released so far, and one that's representative of the upcoming Fast X production.

'95 Mitsubishi Eclipse

The 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse is, without a doubt, one of the most special cars in the whole Fast Saga. It's also one of the first ones to appear on screen, as Brian Earl Spilner (the late Paul Walker) took it out for a test drive before the big race against Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel).

Despite its legendary status, Mattel first released this casting back in 2019. Mark Jones handled the design, and the First Edition model was part of the Fast & Furious: Original Fast premium series. While the car was eagerly awaited by Hot Wheels collectors, some people complained about the 6-spoke wheels, which were less than perfect.

Two years later, a new variation came along, and it had Real Riders 10-spoke Modern wheels, which made everything a lot better. After another premium release in 2022, this is the first time you can get a mainline version of Paul's Eclipse! At this point, we can only say: Good luck finding one!

'70 Dodge HEMI Challenger

While the Eclipse felt like a brilliant choice for the first movie, one could argue that the orange Supra or the RX-7 would have been more exciting. But Mattel's choice for the second flick might be even more controversial. We've all seen the R34, Suki's S2000, the brown Supra, and the red RX-7 in a Hot Wheels collection before.

And while the '70s Dodge Hemi Challenger did win against Roman's Eclipse, is it indeed the most representative choice for the new set? Mattel has been using this casting since 2006, and there are over 40 variations to look for if you want the complete collection.

Nissan Silvia S15

If you're a huge fan of Tokyo Drift you'll instantly recognize "Mona Lisa." The Nissan Silvia S15 is certainly one of the highlights of the new Fast & Furious set. The casting made its debut in 2018, and we've never had a mainline version of it so far.

Even though it doesn't have a metal base and Real Riders wheels, it's still going to sell like hotcakes. Mattel used the same 10-spoke wheels that we saw on the Eclipse, and that reminds us of another connection between the two cars. Both of them were destroyed early in the movies they were featured in.

But at least the S15 lived on through an unexpected engine swap. In recent months, the demand for the Silvia has been far greater than that for the Eclipse, so we expect to see at least another premium iteration coming out soon.

'72 Ford Gran Torino Sport

If you stopped watching the Fast Saga after the third movie in the series, this '72 Ford Gran Torino Sport might not be all that exciting for you.

This is a replica of the car that Fenix Calderon drove in the fourth installment of the franchise, and it's not the first time it's been featured in a Hot Wheels collection. The Brendon Vetuskey-designed casting was first introduced in 2011, and there are over 30 variations of it on the market.

Five of those were painted green to remind us of Calderon's car, but it's worth pointing out that the 2020 release was the only premium model on the list. If you're not a completionist collector by nature, you might tend to skip this item altogether.

Toyota Supra

We can't say the same thing about the Toyota Supra. Over the past 20 years, this car has reached a mythical status thanks partly to the Fast Saga and the YouTube craze at the beginning of the 21st century.

Using Hot Wheels and Supra in the same sentence is like mixing Coke Zero with Mentos. You're bound to get a reaction! We've seen mainline Supras selling for up to five or six times their retail price, just days after being introduced in stores across the nation.

Kids are crazy about these cars, and they probably don't even care that the black one used in Fast Five was just naturally aspirated. "Is that a Supra bro?" and "I'd rather have a 2JZ than a Ferrari V12" are pretty much self-explanatory today, even though most Supra fanatics have never driven one in their lives. Expect to have a difficult time finding this casting in stores.

'70 Ford Escort RS1600
You can't deny that the '70 Ford Escort RS1600 is a cool little car, and the fact that Paul Walker drove one in the sixth movie also helps. But it doesn't come close to the Eclipse or the orange Supra, and there's one more thing that is bothersome about it.

The First Edition model came out in 2015 and looked almost identical in Grabber Blue with 5-spoke wheels. You'll find three more similar variations on the market, but at least one of them has Real Riders wheels.

Still, most Hot Wheels collectors will agree that the 2020 Car Culture: Door Slammers edition in Metalflake Black was the best version of the RS1600 so far. Despite this car's legacy, it's not enough to propel it into the Top 5 models inside the new set.

'70 Dodge Charger

Up next it's the '70 Dodge Charger, which Dom drove in Furious 7. Brendon Vetuskey designed this casting, too, and it has been around since 2017.

Up until now, there were only four variations of it on the market, and one of them was a premium model. The one included in the Fast & Furious set seems to be identical to the mainline version that we saw in the Baja Blazers series last year.

If it weren't for the blister card art, we wonder if people would have still bought this collectible. At least it looks pretty good for a basic model, and the Beadlock Off-road rims almost have a premium vibe going on.

Ice Charger

Just like with the franchise, it's all pretty much downhill from this point on. This is the fifth iteration of the Ice Charger since its introduction in 2017. I've never been tempted to buy one, and I don't think that will change shortly.

The only good part about so many almost-identical variations is that everyone can get one for their collection at home, but that's about it. It doesn't make sense to just keep buying these when there are so many different castings to explore.

'20 Jeep Gladiator

Even though the '20 Jeep Gladiator hasn't been around for long, we've already seen three variations of it on the market last year alone. All of these used the BLOR wheel design, and it comes as no surprise that the Fast & Furious release follows down the same path.

While the color for the new iteration isn't all that inspiring, we can at least appreciate that Mattel hasn't ruined it with any unnecessary decals. This is a cool item to have if you're a Jeep fan, but we'd recommend you search for the 2021 Premium collectible for the full experience instead.

'20 Dodge Charger Hellcat

We all know that the Fast Saga doesn't revolve around cars anymore, as "family" has taken center stage in the action-packed franchise. Admittedly, the '20 Dodge Charger Hellcat is the kind of car any automotive enthusiast would love to drive.

But it doesn't have the same presence or aura as any of the previous hero cars. It feels just as empty and soulless as the franchise does.

On the one hand, you could celebrate the fact that this is the first non-premium appearance of the casting. But then again, the First Edition model that appeared in 2021 is the one you need to get if you're all about that HEMI life.