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Unboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race Cars

It was just a few days ago that Mattel announced the new RLC-exclusive 1932 Ford. Strangely enough, after more than 48 hours, that item has not sold out yet. That's not something that would happen with a GT-R or any other JDM diecast, for that matter. But then again, this might be due to the abundance of models that have been recently launched on the market.
Unboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race Cars 16 photos
Photo: Ministry of Diecast
Unboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race CarsUnboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race Cars
Take, for instance, the Car Culture packs. Each one has a different theme going on, and there are two cars included in each pack. These were introduced in 2021, and two mixes were available right away.

The first one included three packs with a total of six items. While most drifting enthusiasts around the world would have heard about Larry Chen so far, we guess that a lot of people got to know him after Mattel's initial 2-pack. That one contained a replica of Larry's road-going R32 GT-R and an HKS version of it.

Borla Exhausts made an appearance with the 1983 Chevy Silverado and the 1991 GMC Syclone. And Mercedes-Benz was the third name on the list, with a 1972 model 280 SEL 4.5 and a 190E 2.5-16.

Opinions are split with Mix 2, but from our point of view, the Porsche 962 pack was the best one in that series. For 2022, we've already seen six different themes: Formula Drift with RTR, NISMO, Plymouth, Knight Rider, Nissan Z, and Group B.

Unboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race Cars
Photo: Ministry of Diecast
And now Mattel has presented Mix E of this Car Culture series. So six more premium cars to hunt for, either in stores or online, depending on your current location. Two out of three themes are aimed at motorsport lovers.

And the assortment is good enough to satisfy fans on at least two continents. Group 5 might just be a distant memory these days, but many think of it as the golden age of racing.

The Motul BMW M1 Procar is the more common casting here. But saying it's common is a bit of an overstatement. While its road-going version has been part of the Hot Wheels line-up since 1983, the Procar was introduced in 2017.

There have only been three variations so far, and a mainline version has yet to be seen. It looks simply stunning in red and white, and the Motul livery might just be the best one yet. And you could say the same thing about the White Real Rider Aero wheels.

Unboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race Cars
Photo: Ministry of Diecast
Still, the Alitalia-style Lancia Stratos will probably be just as successful, with only two previous iterations since 2021. When it first surfaced, it sported the same livery, but the Classic 4-spoke wheels have been replaced with Volk Racing TE37 replicas (Real Rider 6 Spoke Mag).

Two classic NASCAR vehicles are up next, and they're both using V8 engines. The 1969 Ford Torino Talladega has been around since 2008, and we've only seen a select few premium versions of it so far. A quick look at the hood should tell you more about what it's hiding away. The legendary NASCAR-ready 427 ci (7.0-liters) V8 must have churned out over 600 horsepower back in the day.

Mattel has only skipped using this casting in 2009 and 2018, and we'd say that the best version so far was the Super Treasure Hunt that came out in 2010.

Some eBay sellers are charging as much as $175 for one of those! If "Talladega Or Bust" is not your style, then you'll still have the "Bubba's Bearings" 1966 Chevelle. We haven't seen this casting since 2017, and that was just the fourth time around.

Unboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race Cars
Photo: Ministry of Diecast
Only 1,400 units were made back then for the 31st Annual Hot Wheels Convention. Finding one that's up for sale won't necessarily come easy, and it will set you back about $200.

Just like with the Torino, the Chevelle also has 427 ci decals on the hood. Not all of us were around to see NASCAR live back in that day and age. But we can just imagine how the V8 sounded when pushed to its limits on racetracks across America.

There are so many details to behold with these premium cars, and you might as well invest in a rotating display while you're at it. Now, all these race cars are exciting, to say the least, but they're not "road-lega.l. This is where the two Lamborghinis come into play.

We all know by now that the Italian supercar manufacturer will probably switch to hybrids soon, so we'd best enjoy these models while we can. The Aventador LP 700-4 is the oldest of the two castings, having debuted in 2012.

Unboxing 2022 Hot Wheels Car Culture Packs Unveils Impressive Mix of Exotics and Race Cars
Photo: Ministry of Diecast
It may feel a bit boring in this shade of grey called Grigio Telesto, but we've seen plenty of flashy paint jobs on it before. The Huracan LP 610-4 makes up for that, as it flaunts a shiny version of blue called Blu Notte. While some of you might favor the older Verde Ithaca, you can't help but appreciate the new 10 Spoke Modern wheels.

If you're eager to get all six cars, we've managed to trace down a seller in Singapore. So you're looking at having to spend $80 plus international shipping if you can't wait to find it in a store near you.

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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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