Really Hot Wheels

 I'm currently on holiday in Cyprus and enjoying some serious sun, with daily temperatures in excess of 30 degrees, which for an Englishman is really a foreign country. As a tourist destination, there are lots of gift shops, with toys and souvenirs, the majority of which are cheap tat, but most shops have a good showing of Hot Wheels and occasionally Majorette cars. Prices vary quite willfully from just under two euros to as much as six for a single model. I saw a colour change version of the Dream Mobile for €6 but decided to pass.

On the plus side, most mainstream models are quite current and I was pleased to spot a special release from earlier this year, which doesn't seem to have made it to Blighty yet.

'Flippin' Fast' was designed for World Autism Day and is a variation on a car that HW have made previously, which is a double sided vehicle with a rotating driver figure. The deep wheelbase and slim body mean that even if the car overturns, it will still roll and display an alternative livery.

The flat body and big wheels remind me of the Scramble Bug in some ways and also of the old PlayStation game 'Rollcage' which was remade for new consoles as 'Grip'. The basic idea used double sided cars for high speed racing, which were difficult to crash.

I think there are two distinct versions available, but I could only see one, so I bought two of the same, to display both sides. Looking forward to running them when I get home on my vintage Hot Wheels track!