Hot Wheels re-enters 1:43 - for perhaps the 5th time?

I just received No. 1 and 2 from this new series. Before describing them, a little history. Mattel's first foray into 1:43 was to acquire Mebetoys in 1969. Many of the existing diecasts were fitted with fast wheels and reintroduced as "Gran Toros". Others followed, but by 1984 the Mebetoys plant closed. About 15 years later they gave it a try again, and I found a few at the old Toys R Us store, but I only bought a '71 Plymouth GTX. These had 5-digit numbers. After that, there seems to have been a partnership with PCT/Ixo. I have a number of Ixo's Ferrari series from 2005 to 2008 that also have Hot Wheels on the boxes. Then Mattel tried going alone again, making a lot of Ferraris and Hollywood type cars, from maybe 2009 to the mid-2010s. The numbering of these is a mix of letters and numbers, 5 characters long.  

This summer Mattel is at it again. Their first two models, a 2022 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 and a 2023 Corvette Z06, are on the shelves and in the warehouse of Target stores (I do not know if other retailers have them). Failing to find them 'on the pegs' at a nearby Target, I went to the website and ordered both, with free shipping right to my door. Cost was about $25 each, and I got free shipping. Mattel has designed the blister packaging to mimic their smaller cars, but via a resealable package. The plastic is a fold-over design (think of the trays at the salad bar of your local supermarket) which encase the model, its individualized protective cocoon, and the info card. Four pieces of tape along the sides prevent tampering. This packaging eliminates the screwed-to-base feature of most other diecast and resin models.

The real Lamborghini LPI 800-4 was made in only two colors, yellow and white, and only 112 were made with deliveries starting last year. See this website: https://www.lamborghini.com/en-en/models/limited-series/countach-lpi-800-4. Mattel has made theirs in Impact White Metallic. I didn't realize it was a metallic until I put it under intense light where all the little sparkles appeared - and reflect blue! Zoom in on my sunshine shot below (last pic). This and the Corvette have some of the most scale-correct metallics I have seen on a diecast. Both cars have a nice heft to them due to diecast baseplates that are rivetted, not screwed, in place. The overall quality reminds me of many other diecasts in the $25-$50 range, but with a bit less finesse since these also serve as toys for children (for example, substantial mirror posts and lack of p/e use). Wheels are accurate (unlike the smaller HW cars) and red calipers can be seen behind the wheel openings. The interior is red and black, but tinted windows restrict a bit of the view. Some engine detail and cross-member structure can be seen through the rear window. A very good replica for the price.

Many of the same comments apply to the Corvette. Again, the color is a good replication of Accelerate Yellow Metallic with extremely fine sparkles only appreciated in sunlight. The brake calipers are yellow and the rotors are made to look like drilled units. Here we get a US-style license plate, from the state of Hot Wheels, wherever that is. The tire tread is very well done, see the underside pic. Again, windows are tinted but the door side windows are open to get a peek inside. But the all-black interior doesn't offer a lot to see. Minimal engine detail can be seen through the back window. 

Comparisons are inevitable, so I pulled out my TrueScale and Ixo versions of the 2020 C8 for some side-by-side pics. There are various differences, but if these are due to three production years or the Z06 option, I have not investigated completely. Perhaps most noticeable is the black spear on the flanks is now a lazy Y-shape. The rear spoiler seems to be higher and more robust-looking, probably a Z06 component.  

At the front the body-colored splitters at the intake grilles have retracted downward a bit. The chin spoiler is more prominent, probably a Z06 addition. Even the Ixo, a $40 model, has p/e wipers, whereas the HW has them cast in, though this is not a big detraction. At the rear note how the exhausts are grouped at the center vs. two pairs near the sides. The Corvette script has given way to a third brake light. The air outlets below the taillights are wider and lower.

 So Target is another website I need to check periodically. Perhaps this is the spur needed to get young collectors into the 1/43 fold. Time will tell.