This month we look at quite a few releases from Hot Wheels and Matchbox...with a nice surprise to boot!
First on the left, is the Tesla Roadster from Hot Wheels. Granted, this isn't a true Lotus, but does share the chassis with the Elise. This was a WalMart exclusive for Valentine's Day, and should still be available if you dig around the Hot Wheels bin.
On the right we have another WalMart Exclusive, known as the "Easter Eggsclusives". It's the Lotus Sport Elise, which has seen as many repaint editions as the Esprit. This time it's in an orange/black paint scheme with subtitle eggs on the sides, and some rather nice rims!
Next up for 2009 is the Lotus Evora (now properly named... not just '08 Lotus) from Matchbox. This is #16 in the series, and is painted a nice shade of blue - perhaps a close match of Azure blue?
Number 17 in this series is also a Lotus....a Lotus Exige. If you recall, this was a new release last year in yellow. This time around, we are treated to a nice shade of British Racing Green, complete with gold rims.
Earlier this year, Matchbox started a new line called "Heritage Classics", and we were in for a real treat with this series. Number 3 in the series is a Lotus Europa! The details on the car are very well done, including the painted tail lights. I am sure the rims aren't authentic, but they look cool with the three eared knockoffs! This one is worth scoping out your local toy store for!
All these cars are in 1/64 scale. The next model is in 1/72 scale from Hongwell. If you recall, I had reviewed a Lotus Elise S1 in 1/72 scale before, so it was nice to find another model in this collection. This particular one is an Elan Sprint, and boasts a nice British racing green and gold color combination, along with some nice tampo decals on this. I picked mine up from Triple C, but there may be other vendors that carry this one.
Next month, we'll look at a few more releases from Spark - they just keep the Lotus models coming! Happy Hunting!
