Hot Wheels Air Cooled Porsche 356 Outlaw and Fiat 500D




The Hot Wheels Car Culture line continues into 2017 with its success from last year's run and the Air Cooled series gives an impressive look into the world of air-cooled vehicles more than just Volkswagen's (they are there, too).  The most impressive ones are the Porsche 356 Outlaw and the new Fiat 500D










Porsche 356 Outlaw

One of the surprise vehicles from 2016 was the Porsche 356 Outlaw, and in this first release was the introduction to the Urban Outlaw creater Magnus Walker.  His name has also beared on other Porsche models from Hot Wheels recently but the 356 is so far the only one designed directly from him.  For 2017 it joins the Car Culture line in a gorgeous blue color that is not dark or fancy: it's just a typical blue color.  Then it sits on chrome steel wheels with rubber tires and the first metal base for this casting.  Spectacular!  Then the racing decals are nice and original with 356 numbers on the doors and hood and a few real-life sponsors on the front fenders.  The nice touch is the detailed brown hood latches up front.  Adding detailed headlights and taillights complete the overall look of this model.  The classic bathtub fastback coupe look of the 356 still remains with round headlight, signal lights, and trunk latches joining the now metal front bumper vents.  The side profile is elegant and sweeping, leading to the rear with oval taillights, dual-tip exhaust, and engine cover vent.  The metal base shows off the rear engine detailing that uses the flat-six from the Porsche 911 to power this car, an Outlaw trademark.  The interior still has seating for two with simple 3-spoke steering wheel and dashboard layout, oh and don't forget the separate gas cap opening in the front.  Handling seems better with the extra weight of the base and grip of the tires to an already impressive handler.











Fiat 500D

The new kid on the block is one long overdue for Mattel after the Fiat 500 Sport arrived in 2014, the 500D.  The original Italian air-cooled car was powered by only two cylinders and never made much horsepower, yet it was light, nible, and very spacious inside.  As a Hot Wheels model a stock 500 would not fit the bill so here comes a modified version that really screams a "Hot wheels" model!  Painted in white with red graphics it looks aggressive with flared fenders that occupy tan 4-spoke JDM wheels.  The front has round headlights, signal lights, and chrome trim of the standard 500 and then removes the front bumpers for a lower grille insert and brake cooling ducts.  On the sides and top the racing graphics look cool and depict the 500 number.  At the rear things get interesting where Hot Wheels decides to leave the engine cover opening to show off the engine and to act as a spoiler.  The air-cooled V2 motor is nicely done and all the parts are detailed from the intake to the exhaust and drive belt.  If that's not enough the intake for the engine actually starts at the rear quarter windows and continues into the previous rear seat area before entering into the engine compartment.  Up front is two bucket seats and the standard Fiat 500 dashboard layout.  This would've been a casting to disappoint among many, yet the Hot Wheels design team managed to find ways to keep this car interesting after the first-release hype and with that flared body and exposed rear engine they have accomplished their goal of the ultimate Hot Wheels Fiat 500.









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