It is about time...
After teasing us about an Alfa Romeo 8C in the Speed Machines lineup back in 2010, we finally get a Hot Wheels Alfa.
We don't know how close the 8C was to being done for the Speed Machines line, but it was close enough for Hot Wheels to announce it as a new tool in the lineup back then. But two things happened:
First, the Speed Machines line was discontinued before the announced lineup was released. Two existing tools slated for the line never were made - the Aston Martin DBS and Ferrari 458 Italia (we know the 458 was to be black with racing livery, but that is all we know). Maybe one day we will see the designs that were meant for those two.
Second, and far more important, Mattel and Alfa Romeo hit a bit of a licensing snag. We have already documented the strange history of the Matchbox Giulia Sprint GTA, with Alfa licensors requiring the model to only be done in red or white, the only factory colors for that car at the time.
Things got strict, maybe a little messy, Matchbox put the model to bed, and maybe somewhere lost in there Alfa no longer allowed the 8C to be done by Hot Wheels.
Things are very different now. Talking to those in the know, I have heard that working with Alfa lately has been a dream. Evidence will be seen soon in the Matchbox range, with the 4C coming, and the Giulia Sprint casting returning in a slightly modified form. We have even seen a tremendous Alfa set from Kyosho. But for now let's focus on the stunning 8C, the first Alfa Romeo from Hot Wheels in a very long time.
The 8C might be old news by car standards (the last of only 500 made came off the line in 2010), but with its looks, captured nicely by Hot Wheels designers Fraser Campbell and Ryu Asada, there is never a bad time for it to join the Hot Wheels ranks. Jeremy Clarkson famously dubbed the 8C one the best looking "evehr maaayde", right before panning just about everything else about it. But in Hot Wheels land we don't need to worry about how it handles corners, it just needs to look cool. And cool it is.
Mattel seems to be capturing "small" better than they have in the past. Like Matchbox's BMW 1M, the 8C is small. And while there are limits to adhere to size-wise, this model looks small. It isn't that much smaller than any other Hot Wheels car, but it looks like it is. Credit the designers.
Of course we hope to see this model in red, and I am sure we will. I assume recolors are on the way. But I love this in black. Yeah, black hides some detail, but black also highlights curves. Everyone needs a little black dress...
(Find the Alfa 8C on ebay before it is out in stores
Hot Wheels Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (2014 New Models):
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