Not Wheels? This Limited-Edition Hot Wheels Toy is a Glorified Beater
For $30, you can buy a highly detailed Hot Wheels model of an unfinished project car like something many of us have probably owned.
Hot Wheels is a brand that never needs an introduction, as these little toy cars have inspired all of us since childhood love cars and even reach to build our own dream cars. Often, though, chasing that last dream leads to a project car that sits around, not really moving forward for what feels like forever before we give up and either sell it or let it become permanent lawn decoration. Apparently, someone at Mattel—Hot Wheels' parent company—and MSCHF—an art and media company, as described by the toy giant—were inspired by those failed and lingering projects and more realistic everyday beaters with a Mattel Creations special edition called “Not Wheels.”
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The toy car itself is based on a loose idea of an old-school Japanese car—hinting a lot at Honda Civic EF or Accord CA5 sedans, especially from the sides—but it’s really an amalgamation of many different cars. What really makes the Not Wheels such a special Hot Wheels is the fact it’s not a shiny, pristine vehicle. The wheels don’t match, with the left front being a yellow space-saver spare, no right rear wheel at all, and there’s rust where primer hasn’t been applied, the windshield’s cracked, there's a botched front fender repair, and it’s covered in dirt—with “Wash Me” traced out on the rear window. You better believe it has dents and the hood is even bent out of shape. Heck, the rear bumper is held in by some zip ties.
It’s a car that many of us who have been in the Tuner scene will immediately recall sitting in our driveways while we continue to tell ourselves, “It will get done and it will look amazing.” And most times that project never truly gets finished, settling into a hooptie limbo forever. Not Wheels may not be pretty, but it’s beautiful all the same as a reminder of those early, innocent days of your first or last project car or ambitious daily driver. Most importantly, it’s a car with some unique character that screams at you without a wild, eye-popping paint job or engine sticking out of the hood.
If you want such a unique and one-of-a-kind Hot Wheels, you can get yours at the Mattel Creations website for $30, but you’ll be limited to only buying three. Just don’t forget to find a spare Hot Wheels-sized cinder block to prop up the side with the missing wheel to really complete the look.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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