Hako!

Lamley is contractually obligated to show the Hot Wheels Hakosuka Skyline whenever a new version comes out.

Its counterpart, the Kenmeri, will be out soon, with the same racing livery, only reversed, so we will give both the full treatment when we have both.

For now, our obligations have been met.

First Look: Hot Wheels Road Trippin' Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-X...

Here is the thing I hate about that Lamley Blog:  (Or is it Lamely?)

They are all about JDM, and they hype that sh*t out of it.  No one liked Japanese cars until the Lamley Group started hyping them.  It is all their damn fault.  Datsun 510's hung on the pegs until Lamley started blabbering on about them.  And that is all they talk about.  They have never done anything about Camaros or Corvettes or Mustangs, just JDM.

That is why there is no doubt that after hardly covering the Road Trippin' Series, I am sure they will take a ton of photos of the new Hakosuka Skyline in the series, together with all the Hot Wheels Hakosukas, and go on and on about how cool it is, and how it remains one of their favorites.

They would say something about how the deco on the Road Trippin' version is better than they thought, and that the shimmery red really stands out.  And while "Kaido Racer" might not be the most subtle reference to Japan Car Culture, it still looks cool, and the simplicity of the design and colors works really well.

Of course all that Lamley hype would push the prices on eBay into the stratosphere, and all those damn scalpers would pick up all of them and sell them for crazy prices.

I used to be able to get all the models I wanted until Lamley screwed it up.  That hype machine could really tone it down a bit.

Bastards.


Hot Wheels Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-X (2015 Road Trippin')

Just Released: The Hot Wheels Road Trippin' Nissan Skyline H/T 2000 GT-X is now out in Australia...

This is a model that many of us are anticipating, and we are happy to report that our friends in Australia get first dibs.

The Hot Wheels Road Trippin' Nissan Skyline H/T 2000 GT-X has appeared at some small stores in Australia, and our friend AnMinh To (@minh427 on Instagram) was able to snag one.  He sent over pics of the card (front and back), as well as some fantastic photos of the model at all angles.

We like what we see.  While a plain Hako is better than an overly tampo'd Hako, that is not what the Road Trippin' series is about.  And considering that, it looks really nice.  The deco is simple and very Japanese in style, and the color and wheels look nice.

Many in the States have found the Road Trippin' R34 Skyline, and the Hakosuka should be following soon.  In the meantime, you Lamley Readers from Australia can just make us jealous...

Thanks Minh.

Just Unveiled: the Hakosuka Skyline joining the R34 in the HotWheelsInternational Road Trippin' Series...

It is hard to keep secrets, but equally fun to let the cat out of the bag.

Hot Wheels collectors will see two Hakosuka Skylines this year.  We already know one will sit on Redlines as part of the Heritage Series, but now we can pass along pics of the upcoming Hako in the Road Trippin' Series.

We aren't huge fans of the overtly obvious graphics on the side, but that is expected from the Road Trippin' line, and we will never complain about another Skyline.  Plus, it might compell a few folks to Google "Kaido Racer" and learn something new.  It might make them want to see the EF Civic get the same treatment as well.  

This will be available soon at Walmarts in the US.  We don't know exactly what stores in other countries.  Who is in on this one?

Lamley Case Report: Opening the Kyosho Skyline & GT-R Neo set...

If you read this blog regularly, you have to know that we have been a tad excited about the release of the Kyosho Skyline & GT-R set.  It is the first Skyline set Kyosho has released in some time, and is most welcome since most models from the previous set have become near impossible to find.

The just released Neo set is not that much different than the first set, as the same castings have been used.  Obviously the colors on many are different, and in this set Kyosho is using what you could call "after-market" wheels.  Some collectors in Japan have said this set is just a repeat of the old, but we know of enough collectors outside of Japan that would love to these at more affordable prices than what the first versions are demanding.

That is why we are very happy that our friends at Japan Booster have made a good number of these available at their store.  You may not want them all like we do, but there are enough Hakosukas, Kenmeris, and GT-R's for all you Skyline nerds.

Of course there is a lot more to the Skyline than just those signature models, and that is why we acquired the whole set from Japan Booster.  Today, we will show you each model as we open it.  Over the next days and weeks, we are going to give each model its proper due on the Lamley Blog.  These models deserve it, and hopefully many of you Skyline-obsessed folks will see the joy in the less popular Skylines.  You might even buy one or two.

So here is our case report, as we open each model.  Keep in mind that Kyoshos come in blind boxes, meaning you don't know what you get until you open the box.  That is why the set of 24 came pre-opened by Japan Booster, so they could ensure all 24 models were coming, and why only 20 come to a box.  You buy these individually, not as a set.  Not all 24 come in every case.

Enough about that, here is the Kyosho Skyline & GT-R Neo set, model-by-model as we open them, and after that, a little preview of the posts to come...

Enjoy: