Will's Hot Birds.

Hi Woodsy

You recently mentioned Mattel’s Hot Birds.

 Here’s my Air Race Set. 

A bit like an early version of Airfix’s Flight Deck! 

Will O

Anyone else got any Hot Birds?

Yabba Dabba Vegas

Woodsy,

Thanx to Paul Adams in NZ for putting me on to this Flintstones Hot Wheels Monster Truck. 

At first, I wasn't going to get one but then figured it would be a nice companion piece to my Hot Wheels Batman Monster Truck.

 This one comes with a crushed car which can be combined to make obstacles with other crushed cars in the series.

From Viva Rock Vegas

Ed

You like?

Yabadabadoo! Ed's Hot Wheels Flintmobile

 Woodsy,

I know from time-to-time Hot Wheels appear on the blog, and while I'm not a Hot Wheels collector per se, I do have a bunch in the collection. 

Since February I've re-started my Flintstones posts and to that end have recently acquired this Hot Wheels Flintmobile from 2013 still mint on card (until I got a hold of it LOL). 

At only 2" long, it is diminutive but I do have some Mexican cereal premium Flintstones figures which might go well with this.

From Vegasrock

Ed

Did you, do you like the Flintstones? 

Hot Wheels Optimus Prime

Hi Woodsy

In 2024 Hot Wheels released a model of Optimus Prime from Transformers in a series called Mattel Creations Collaboratory. One of their premium lines.

In 2025 Optimus Prime appeared in the Mainline Screen Time sub-series. This being much cheaper than the previous model.

Red metal cab, blue plastic chassis, and chromed underside and grille. Black plastic exhausts, silver stripes, and opaque windows.

The model was part of the 2025 range, but the copyright date is 2024. A model for Transformers fans to look out for.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

A Living Hot Wheels!

Hello Woodsy,

Watch for number 4,

A living Hot Wheels!

5 MOST Rare and Weird Looking Pickup Trucks Of All Time #Automotive #Trucks #Design

Terranova47

USA

Hot Wheels Roller Coaster Car

Hi Woodsy,

You recently posted a link to a model of a roller-coaster ride car. An open, multi-seat vehicle running on rails.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2025/11/snakes-on-train.html?sc=1764218562032#c3627597381108365579

I recalled that Hot Wheels did a similar die-cast model, and here it is. Called Loopster, it first appeared in 2015 (copyright date 2014), and has been released in several colours.

The models have connectors front and rear, allowing a number of Loopsters to be linked together, to create a train. Some models have passengers with their arms down, and some have one figure with arms raised.

Do you like it?

Hot Wheels Wiki page for this model.

https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Loopster

Paul Adams from New Zealand

One More Chomp! Great Bite Monster Truck

Hi,

Here is a new model from Hot Wheels, called Great Bite. Part of the 2025 Monster Truck line, it is either a motorised shark, or a boat shaped like a shark, on a Monster Truck chassis.

It is basically a big grey and white shark, with chrome trim, very big teeth, and blue tyres. The model comes with a plastic car for you to drive over, which is standard with Hot Wheels Monster Trucks.

Four photographs

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Hot Wheels Spectre Set

Hi,

There was a time when Hot Wheels were producing a steady stream of new James Bond model cars. A mix of models for the latest Bond film, and classic cars from past years.

They have been very quiet lately – but they are back, with a gorgeous two-car set in the premium Car Culture series. These have metal bodies, metal baseplates, and Real Rider wheels, at a premium price.

The 2-pack series began in 2021, with themed sets. There have not been many movie-related sets, apart from a Knight Rider set in 2022.

This Spectre set, for the 2015 film, appeared in 2025 and includes the Aston Martin DB10 Bond car; and Jaguar C-X75 villain car. There is a Back to the Future set listed for 2026.

Only ten examples of the DB10 were built, with most being used in the film. The C-X75 was a Jaguar hybrid-powered concept car.

The prototype appeared in 2010, and limited production was planned, with several development cars being made. However the production plans were dropped in 2012.

It then appeared in Spectre, with most of the cars used being specially built stunt cars, rather than real C-X75 prototypes. These had normal V8 engines.

This Hot Wheels Spectre set comes on a large backing card, with the two cars mounted nose to nose inside a clear plastic blister. The header shows the two cars, and has the Spectre title and 007 gun logo.

The DB10 model was first released in 2016, and has been re-issued several times. The C-X75 makes its debut in this twin-pack.

I was very lucky to get this set, as it was not out on the shelves with other Hot Wheels models. Instead it was almost hidden away behind the check-out counter, along with other high-value merchandise.

It was only when paying for another purchase that I spotted several of them hanging on pegs, and asked to see it. These sets are likely to move fast – if you see one grab it.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Hot Wheels 1966 Bat Boat

Hi Woodsy

Hot Wheels have been producing Batman models, in several sizes, for the last couple of decades. Mostly in the Mainline series.

Most years there has been a Batman sub-series of five (occasionally ten) models, all depicting actual Bat-vehicles. These are sold individually on cards.

Then there is a 5-pack, containing five different models, only one or two of which are Bat-vehicles; with a Gotham City Police car, and two or three villain cars. The latter are unique to these sets, and not available as individual models.

For 2025 there were four different Batmobiles in the Batman series, from live-action television, cartoons, and films. All were existing models in new colours.

The sole new model for the year is something really special – a small scale 1966 Bat Boat. Overall length is 78mm.

This first appeared in the 1966 Batman movie, which was a spin-off from the TV series, and was based on a modified Glastron motor boat. Aurora did a plastic kit of the boat, to go with their other Bat-models.

Corgi released a die-cast boat at the time, with a trailer, and plastic figures of Batman and Robin. There was also a Corgi Juniors version, again with a trailer.

In addition to their small-scale models, Hot Wheels have a 1/50th scale Batman line, and a Batboat on Trailer appeared in 2009. This has been re-issued several times.

The new Mainline Bat Boat has a metal deck and fin (with cast-in Bat-logo), in metallic blue; with a blue plastic hull; silver-grey seats; and clear windscreens. The tampo printing is excellent.

The model will not float, and runs on three black plastic wheels hidden under the hull – this time there is no trailer. The underside markings describe the model as the 1966 Bat Boat, with various copyright notices, the Hot Wheels logo, and give the country of manufacture as Malaysia, but there is no copyright date for the model itself.

The card is very nice, with an illustration of the boat, but the figures shown are not included. Both the DC comics and Batman Classic TV Series logos appear in the upper left corner, with the new for 2025 logo on the right.

Four photographs.

Like it?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Ed's 2010 Batman 5-Pack

 Woodsy, 

As a follow-on to Paul Adam's 2026 Mattel Batman vehicle 5-pack post, here's my only set. It was a 2010 issue that I bought perhaps ten years ago.

From The Vegas Batcave

Ed

Batman 2026 5-Pack

Hi Woodsy,

Most years Hot Wheels release a group of five Batman models within the Mainline. These are all Bat-vehicles, and come on individual cards.

Then there is a five-pack, which contains a mix of one or two actual Bat-vehicles, a Gotham City Police vehicle, and two or three villain cars. The Police and Villain cars are unique to these sets, and not available as individual models on cards.

This is the five-pack for 2026 – which I picked up in early December 2025. The models are:

Batmobile – 1989 movie car in dark blue with red pin-stripes. Originally released in 2004.

Armored Truck – security van in white Gotham City Police SWAT markings. Originally released in 1997.

70s Van – in green with Killer Croc markings. Originally released in 2003, this being a re-tooled version of a 1970s model.

Blvd. Bruiser – in black with yellow and white trim, and Cat Woman markings. Originally released in 2011.

Batplane, from Batman – The Animated Series – in gloss and matt black, with a stand as there is no undercarriage. Originally released in 2020.

In addition to these regular models, there may be other Batman models in sets or as individual models in other ranges, such as Pop Culture, or Monster Trucks.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Peanuts 75th Anniversary

Hi

I have only just noticed this – 2025 is the 75th Anniversary of the Peanuts comic strip. Written and drawn by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000), from 1950 until his death in 2000.

Peanuts featured the adventures of a boy named Charlie Brown, and his pet Beagle named Snoopy. Snoopy lived in a small kennel, which he often flew in combat with the Red Baron, as he dreamed he was a WW1 fighter ace.

Hot Wheels released a Hot Rod version of Snoopy's doghouse in 2014. The model was metal, with Snoopy in white plastic, with black detail painting, on the roof.

There have been numerous Mainline and premium versions since then. The finish of the model is always the same – black and white Snoopy, red doghouse, and green base, with a silver V8 engine.

While the finish remains the same, the type and colour of the wheels does differ. Those at the rear are larger than the front wheels.

For 2025 there are Anniversary models of Snoopy in both the Mainline (Screen Time sub-series), and the Pop Culture premium range. The Mainline card carries a small 75 Years logo next to the Peanuts name, in the upper left hand corner.

Two photos of my carded Anniversary model, and  this shot of an earlier version.

Do you like Peanuts?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Hot Shelf

 Well I made some more room in my cabinet and got my Hot Wheels out and onto their own shelf (my handful of Redlines are on the shelf above).

It's not all of them but I'm pleased with how they look. Are you?

Have you got any Hot Wheels?

WHAT GOES ROUND: Shelby’s Turbines

 

On a recent holiday excursion to the Peak District, I found a great little shop selling vintage toys and just outside was a basket of die-casts. 

After ferreting through the Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Corgi junkers, all labelled £1 a go and all in serious need of restoration, I spotted a plastic model, about 3" long, which I recognised as a Shelby Turbine. 

Digging deeper into the box and holding up foot traffic on the pavement as I sprawled on the floor, rooting about - I found another two, in similar beat up condition. A quick check underneath showed 'Made in Japan' but no other trademark. Nevertheless, all three went in my bag and came home with me. 

The models were pretty scuffed and had the remnants of stickers on them and all three had the cockpit windshield pushed down inside. All three were also missing a front spoiler. They were all freewheeling, being too small for a standard sized friction motor and seemed to date from the late seventies.

My principle interest in these odd shaped cars, was that Hot Wheels had released just such a car in their lineup in 1969. The Shelby Turbine was a real life race car, owned by Carrol Shelby and designed to steal the 1968 Indianapolis 500. 

Shelby had previously shown his expertise in car design with the Ford GT40 and had seen the potential in turbine powered race cars, with a rival entry almost running away with the win the previous year, until an engine fault had put paid to its finishing. As a result, Shelby procured the services of race car engineer Ken Wallis to build a turbine based car and Bruce McLaren and Dennis Hulme to drive it. 

With a massive budget, Shelby set to with Wallis to install a General Electric T58 aircraft engine in a car, which Shelby was aggressively confident in its success.

 However, after building the car and experiencing 200mph record breaking speeds and 'terrifying' acceleration, the Indy race directors and governing body at the USAC reviewed and changed the rules for the upcoming race, having seen the potential of turbine powered race cars over standard piston engines.

A turbine powered engine is reliant on the amount of air that can be fed into the engine and the intake for the Shelby car needed to be 24" or more wide, but concerned that aircraft engine powered cars would render other cars obsolete, the USAC dictated that the maximum intake diameter be just 16". 

As a result, the maximum achievable speed for the Shelby Turbine would only be around 160 mph, way below the speeds reached by standard Indy cars and nowhere near the STP Turbine car that had almost nailed the win the previous year. The regulations eventually led to Shelby giving up on his attempts to create a turbine based car.

Hot Wheels also made a model of the 1968 Lotus Turbine car as well as a standard Indy race car.

So, given that the three plastic cars were in pretty poor shape and did not appear to be particularly valuable or rare, I decided to customise them a little and make them a little more road worthy again.

The green car was in the worst condition and the plastic had become brittle. When I slipped a knife in to separate the two body shells, the side cracked by the cockpit and split in half. It was difficult to reset the windscreen, as I couldn’t separate the two pieces, so it had to stay in place as is. I added a roll bar on each one and for this one, dropped in a bit of chrome engine greenly. 

As all three were missing a front spoiler, I removed the remaining one from the other two and used one to complete one model. I hand painted the body with Revell acrylic paint, to cover the cracks and added orange accents like the classic Gulf Oil livery. Some hand made decals finished it off.

What had been the red car, got two new aerofoil wings on the front, courtesy of a Kinder Egg aircraft, a spray finish of lime green and a coat of lacquer. The windscreen sat a little higher and the chrome parts were touched up.

Finally, I left the cream coloured car as is, cleaned it up and removed both front spoilers for a more classic ‘Shelby’ look. Some white accents and laser printed decals completed the look.