Next week I'm going to Saisho Fest, an event that revolves around modified Japanese cars. Last year, we had Fast & Furious songs playing, and I felt like a happy kid there with my RX-7.
It's amazing how many people The Fast and the Furious influenced back then. The franchise still has sentimental value to most of us 20 years later, even though it has moved away from its origins. I'm even writing this story while listening to Organic Audio – Nurega, one of my favorite songs from the first film.
I’ve collected several Hot Wheels Fast & Furious diecasts over the past few years, including Dom’s RX-7, Brian’s Eclipse (and Supra), etc. The series is seemingly a limitless source of inspiration for Mattel, even if the number of hero cars is limited. Earlier this month, we saw a five-car Silver Series mashup featuring DK’s 350Z and Leon’s R33 GT-R.
And now it looks like the final Premium Fast & Furious mix for 2024 is just around the corner. I think it’s the last one, judging by how Mattel has approached this line in previous years. We had five sets in 2019, but only four for 2020, 2021, and 2023. We may see another Premium Bundle, but that’s another story.
Ford F-150 SVT Lightning
Photo: Lamley Group
The Ford F-150 SVT Lightning is just one of many vehicles driven by Brian “Earl” Spilner in the Fast & Furious franchise. It never quite achieved the legendary status of the R34 GT-R, Eclipse, or Supra. But it still played a major role in building the latter.
This Mark Jones-designed casting debuted in the 2020 Fast & Furious: Motor City Muscle mix. Since then, Mattel has released four more variations, including the Ultramarine Blue version we recently saw in the Boulevard series. You might be hard-pressed to find a single difference between the First Edition version, the 2023 Premium Bundle look, and the latest version.
All three use Real Riders Mag-Style wheels, but it's hard to get mad about that. I think it's time to finally add it to my collection, since all the previous ones have slipped by me too many times.
1996 Nissan 180SX Type X
Photo: Lamley Group
You are looking at the oldest casting in this new mix. It is one of the first designs by Dmitriy Shakhmatov who worked at Mattel, and it turned out great! I remember buying several of the early iterations soon after the model debuted in 2015.
The 2018 Nightburnerz variant in the Yokohama livery is still one of my all-time favorite releases! It's crazy that we only got one Premium version of this casting, with the 2019 Car Culture: Street Tuners set. But I guess the folks at El Segundo know its potential in today's market, as we just got a Super Treasure Hunt release with Case M from the Mainline series.
The Fast & Furious look is a throwback to Tokyo Drift, with a Metalflake Blue finish and 5-spoke Modern Real Riders wheels. Anyone remember seeing this car in the movie?
1987 Chevrolet Caprice
Photo: Lamley Group
A new Hot Wheels set wouldn't be exciting without some new stuff inside. Here's the 1987 Chevy Caprice, a brand new model designed by Rob Matthes. It's a replica of the car driven by Ludacris in Fast & Furious 7, a movie I never bothered to see.
I've never cared about the Chevrolet Caprice and I don't know if I'll start now. But some of you probably think otherwise. The Gray finish pairs with the Red Line Preferred Series Real Riders wheels.
It's hard to see anything through those tinted windows and I think I'd rather wait for the next model before buying one of these little cars.
The 2018 Bentley Continental GT3
Photo: Lamley Group
The 2018 Bentley Continental GT3 is the only Ryu Asada-designed Fusion in this mix. I’ve ignored it since its debut in 2020’s Nightburnez, even though that first Metalflake Green variant was decent. Mattel has continued to come after us with five more variants through 2023.
The five-spoke wheel design has given way to a 10-spoke model, but there’s no magic here. Casting is going well in 2024, with three new variants, including the European Car Culture-themed Multipack version. The others are both Premium models, and we’ll talk about the Car Culture: Race Day version at some point.
The Fast & Furious model's red and white livery isn't to die for, but the car gets extra points for its Real Riders 10-Spoke Modern wheels. Some might argue that it's not a true replica of the car in The Fate of the Furious, but I think the Hot Wheels version is a little better overall.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser
Photo: Lamley Group
Fast and the Furious isn't just about sports cars or supercars. And that's okay, we all need a car to use every day to satisfy the family, right? The Toyota FJ Cruiser is the second brand new cast in the new mix, and it's the work of Ronald Wong.
He is the man who designed the Pagani Utopia, the '24 Honda Civic Type-R, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8 and many other cars for Mattel. The FJ Cruiser is not his first Toyota casting, as he also worked on the FJ43 Land Cruiser and the '89 Supra (Team Transport). While I am not necessarily a fan of these big cars, I would say that the FJ Cruiser is the star of the new Fast & Furious mix.
That black-on-black finish looks great with the Real Riders 8-Dot Off-Road wheels, and I’d buy one regardless of its role in Fast X. Overall, this new set has a decent mix of vehicles, and I’d probably give it a 7/10. Which do you prefer?
