Ten years ago, a Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) legend made its Hot Wheels debut. It's been produced as a mainline or premium casting over the years, but never at the Red Line Club level – until now! We're revved up to reveal the RLC Exclusive 1972 Skyline H/T 2000GT-R, launching on October 5, 2021 at 9am PT.
Designer Brendon Vetuskey gave us a preview of how he and the Hot Wheels team leveled up this version of the casting to make it a must-have for any serious JDM fan. "The RLC quality tooling gives it crisper details, and the design of the grille is more stock, which separates it from the mainline and premium versions. There's also a higher piece count to create the vehicle." (Note for those new to collecting: The $1 Hot Wheels cars you see in stores are made with just four pieces. RLC Exclusive and HWC Special Edition castings are built with 12-24 pieces, allowing for greater design flexibility, quality, and attention to detail.)
What really makes this version stand out, though, is the new two-stage opening hood mechanism, and what's underneath. "We developed the front hinged opening hood function using bent wire instead of a conventional diecast hinge," Brendon reveals. "This allows for a more realistic open hood position, and takes up less space in the engine bay."
The solution was inspired by the inclusion of the engine as a separate piece in the casting. Considering the history of the S20 engine, it deserved the unique and faithful detailing it receives in our RLC Exclusive. The S20 powered this car to more than four dozen consecutive Japanese Grand Prix racing wins back in the day!
Meanwhile, graphic designer Steve Vandervate took an approach that's simultaneously low-key and attention-grabbing to the look of this edition. "The Spectraflame Shadowchrome paint was developed for this casting to represent the iconic silver paint used on the originals," Steve explains. "We wanted to give it something new and special."
As for the deco – or lack thereof, in this case – Steve says, "The go-to deco for this car is the Hakosuka PMC-S race livery, but we’ve done it every way we can in the retail lines and didn’t want this to be 'just another.' The silver is so good, it stands on its own."
Nicknamed "Hakosuka" (which roughly translates from the Japanese as "Boxy Skyline"), the 1972 Skyline H/T 2000GT-R is an iconic car, and an aspirational one. Anyone who's into JDM cars would love to own one of these, but they're exceedingly rare in the 1:1 world. So take this opportunity to land a legend for your collection!
Specs:
- Features: Opening hood
- Body Color: Spectraflame Shadowchrome
- Deco: Matte black-painted mirrors and rear spoiler; authentic logos
- Body Type: ZAMAC
- Wheels: Real Riders racing wheels with warm gray-painted hubs
- Base: Full-metal, matte black-painted chassis and engine with painted details
- Window Color: Light smoke-tinted
- Interior Color: Black
Packaging:
- Packaged on an RLC Exclusive blister card, packed in a Kar Keepers clamshell case
- Each vehicle features an individually numbered sticker (xxx/30,000)
Availability
- RLC members only: Offer opens 10/5/21 at 9:00 a.m. PT
Pricing and Purchase Limits
- Priced at $25.00 plus shipping and processing each; extra charges may apply for express shipping or special handling (customers shipping to Canada may be required to pay additional shipping charges or taxes)
- We do offer international shipping to other countries – please see shipping costs and details here (international shipping availability subject to change)
- Limit of ONE (1) per club membership; limit five (5) per household
- Refunds only, no exchanges
Items and dates subject to change. Production items may vary from the photos shown. Mattel reserves the right to modify the color, decorations, scale, body, and wheel type. Product subject to availability.
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