Hot Wheels 2009 Audi TTS and Fiat Ritmo

Here's a couple of Hot Wheels vehicles based in Europe and its lifespan was really short for these two castings.  In fact, one of them was part of a small group of European cars made by Hot Wheels not destined for U.S. sale.

Fiat Ritmo

The Ritmo was introduced in 1978 as a replacement for the 127 hatch and utilized distinct styling that helped it stand out from other compact hatches that would appear when the car was released.  The name was Italian for "rhythm", while other markets got the Strada ("road") name.  The black front and rear bumpers were made of plastic to help absorb impacts better than a chrome metal bumper, with round styling touches from the headlights to the door handles and even the hood scoop.  The interior was typical European layout with easy to use controls and offered in three door or five door setup.  The front-wheel drive powertrain is the 1.8L I-4 that produced 78 horsepower through a 4-speed manual transmission.  In its decade of service the styling updates became more mainstream that led up to the replacement with the Tipo.

This Ritmo was one of a few Hot Wheels cars in the 1980's specifically designed for Europe and never meant to be sold in the U.S.  Still, some would end up here anyways, like my silver example.  The front end has the black bumper, part of the metal base, with the round headlights part of the window trim.  Below that you can find the grille, mail slot intake, and signal lights.  The hood has the unique fork-style fins, while the door handles have that round look.  I added black trim to spice up the hatchback side profile joined by basic wheel design.  At the rear the rear spoiler is attached to the hatchback, taillight are detailed on the rear bumper, and the base support tab also doubles as the license plate area.  The metal base underneath shows mostly the exhaust and suspension components; note the Made in France indicating that these Euro-only Hot Wheels were made in France.  The interior has a nice brown flavor to it and features seating for four and a visible dashboard design.  The steering wheel is part of the dashboard unlike the floating circle found in most other Hot Wheels cars.  There are many diecast replica's of the Fiat Ritmo in various bodystyles, so if you want a three-door and a sought-after Hot Wheels car this Fiat Ritmo is the one.

2009 Audi TTS

Or maybe you can go for a more modern ride that was sold in the U.S., but in limited numbers.  That would be the Audi TTS.  This is Hot Wheels first Audi TT and one nicely done car that did not get any use in the mainline so far and while it was plentiful back in 2009 the casting is in high demand.  Offered in blue, orange, and the more rare silver color it is a treat to own.  The TTS was the high-performance model of the TT line when it was introduced in 2008 by offering lower ground effects, dual exhaust, and a bolder front grille.  It is not the top-dog version as that went to the TT-RS.  The second-generation TT went for a smoother look of the famed first-generation that was better-integrated with the car and with other Audi models as well.  The interior gets cleaned up with a smaller stack of central controls and a steering wheel, gauges, and shfiter aimed toward the driver focus.  The engine is a 2.0L DOHC turbo I-4 that produces 268 horsepower through a six-speed manual transmission and to all four wheels by the Quattro system.  The TT still carries on today as a styling icon, though less popular, and with it the TTS and TT RS carry on as well.

I made the mistake by not getting the orange and blue versions when I saw them aplenty back then because they were expensive at $3.00.  Today that would be considered a bargain as the price has tripled and quadruple the amount when new!  The smooth round body looks great on this car and I love the orange and blue paint jobs.  The front end has detailed projector headlights with LED running lights below the projectors, lower grille in silver with foglights, and the large Audi grille with Euro plate that is part of the interior piece.  The side profile shows off the sleek roofline with flared fenders mated to the Co-mold wheels that look great on this car.  At the rear the fenders hike up a bit to end the roofline and the taillights are still flush with the body and are joined by another Euro plate and dual exhaust tips.  The base underneath shows off the multilink suspension setup and Quattro all-wheel drive, while the interior has seating for four (though the rear seats are rather small), nice dashboard layout, and shifter on the center console.  The car handles great with excellent precision.  Hopefully with the Audi license back at Mattel the TTS can make a comeback with its first mainline entry, but for now these Speed Machine versions are the best that come.