Diecast

• Avant Garde - Hot Wheels of the week

  Avant Garde is a model that embodies the creativity of post-war French car design. In fact, looking at it closely, the silhouette is reminiscent of the Citroën DS designed by Italian industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni in 1955.

  

  

  The body consists of a gilded metal upper part and a pearly plastic lower part. The passenger compartment is topped by a transparent plastic ‘dome’ screen-printed in white to give the roof a ‘bodywork’ effect.

  

  

  The transparent plastic part extends under the bodywork until it pops out at the front in the form of headlights. The interior is made of a silver metallised plastic element that also incorporates the rear bumper.

  

  

  Finally, under the front of the bonnet is the metal radiator. On the bonnet there is a blue, white and red screen-printing in the colours of the French flag. The wheels are OH5 (Open Hole 5-Spoke), which differ from the classic SP5 in that they have holes around the 5-spoke design and have a lowered ‘tyre’ profile. This version is part of the new models that debuted in 2009 (New Models).

  

  

  Another style reference of this Hot Wheels can be found in the Renaul Mégane second series (2002) and the Renault Avantime designed by Patrick Le Quément.

• Double Vision - Hot Wheels della settimana

  Modello iconico di fine anni '90, Double Vision, come suggerisce il nome, è caratterizzato da una doppia carrozzeria collegata nella parte centrale da due alettoni. Questa versione (2006 - Mainline), presenta una scocca inferiore in plastica nera e superiore in metallo verniciato bianco perlato.

  

  

  Sul lato sinistro troviamo riprodotto un imponente motore formato da un doppio V8 di plastica cromata, mentre sulla destra, l'abitacolo, che ricorda una cabina da pilota di caccia della II Guerra Mondiale, realizzato in plastica trasparente arancione.

  

  

  Ai lati della carrozzeria disegni di fiamme tra i 2 assi delle ruote e loghi di fantasia in coda, il tutto serigrafato a 3 colori (giallo caldo, rosso e bordeaux). Le ruote sono le PR5, una linea di ruote a 5 razze (con serigrafia cromata) disegnate da Phil Riehlman nel 2000.

  

  

  Stilisticamente il modello, sembra ispirarsi alle forme del caccia Lockheed P-38 Lightning, all'auto di fantasia Hayabusa dell'anime Ken Falco e non ultima la Renault Etoile Filante, auto francese protagonista sul lago salato di Bonneville nello Utah, luogo leggendario dove si tengono i record di velocità su terra.

  

  

  
• Double Vision - Hot Wheels of the week

  An iconic model from the late 1990s, Double Vision, as its name suggests, is characterised by a double body connected in the central part by two ailerons. This version (2006 - Mainline), features a black plastic lower body and pearl white painted metal upper body.

  

  

  On the left side is an imposing engine consisting of a chrome plastic double V8, while on the right side is the cockpit, reminiscent of a World War II fighter pilot's cabin, made of transparent orange plastic.

  

  

  On the sides of the bodywork are flame patterns between the two wheel axles and fancy logos on the tail, all screen-printed in three colours (warm yellow, red and burgundy). The wheels are the PR5, a line of 5-spoke wheels (with chrome screen printing) designed by Phil Riehlman in 2000.

  

  

  Stylistically, the model seems to be inspired by the shapes of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane, the Hayabusa fantasy car from the anime Ken Falco, and last but not least the Renault Etoile Filante, a French car starring on Utah's Bonneville Salt Lake, a legendary location where land speed records are held.

  

  

  
• Hyper Mite - Hot Wheels of the week

  This week sees the arrival of Hyper Mite, one of the shortest Hot Wheels models ever created, by Mark Jones. Practically a city car with the features of an insect.

  

  

  Seen from the front, thanks to the shape of the headlights and radiator, it is reminiscent of an ant's head, emphasised by the two side arches in the bodywork that resemble antennae. This 2009 version (HW Designs) features a metal body painted in pearl orange, with yellow flames screen-printed on the sides and white Jones RC lettering on the rear mudguards.

  

  

  The single-seater cockpit features a bicycle handlebar topped by a transparent yellow plastic canopy. This is followed by two large metal cone-shaped exhaust pipes that engage with a twin-cylinder V-twin motorbike engine made of chrome-plated plastic.

  

  

  

  The underside is black plastic with chrome parts located in the protuberances that form the headlights and central radiator. The front wheels are from the Micro sp5 (5-spoke micro) with chrome serigraphy and the rear wheels from the PR5 (Phil Riehlman 5-spoke).