Hot Wheels makes some exceptional toys ranging from cars to SUVs, motorcycles to scooters, fantasies toys to track speedsters… you name it they have it! Their newest range (Track Fleet) of track focused trucks are gaining traction in the collectors world because of this Optimus Prime. There is so many collectors who are going bananas for this and scalpers making multi-fold return on investment, so I decided to do a bit of digging and here is my review from a diecast scale model collector’s stand-point!
This Track Fleet Optimus Prime also comes in a blister package just like every other mainlines and premiums from Hot Wheels line up! This is massive and I have seen stores using two mainlines pegs to put one on display, so my expectation is that it will be twice as heavy to but this is light very light for rig this big!
This being a blister package the back-side of the card is used to show all sort of legal disclaimers and stuff. There is dedicated section for showing off the other trucks from this series but unfortunately for me that section is almost covered by a price tag sticker!
Technically there is no special unpacking steps involved… its exactly like unpacking a Hot Wheels mainline and even the blister quality is same as mainlines cars and not in the league of premiums even. As I like to keep the cards, I will not rip open the blister but will cut along the lines so that card is intact and can be stored but for this I am in double mind so will keep it for now.
Out of the box it gives you a mixed bag feel… at some point it feels solid but also feels flimsy! Yeah the flimsy feel is because we expect Optimus Prime to be solid and heavy but this transformer is paper light! And that solid feel take a higher ground when you thing of it as a track racer and that shape and tail heaviness helps.
If viewed in isolation this is a exceptional diecast truck in 1:64 scale at a price that puts other cheap unbranded/unlicended toys to shame. The front of the truck gets some fine details like chrome grills, painted headlamps, and also the legendary white stripe. On closer inspection you could see some beautifully crafted details both on front (wipers, bulbar and more) and rear (detailed container groves and locks) of this truck.
Just like most Hot Wheels mainlines cars, this Optimus Prime truck also looks the best on its profile angle. Yeah you have features like the super detailed container, which scales with the truck and also comes packed with a very clean graphics. The cabin also gets fine details like doors, windows, exhaust finished in chrome so as the fuel tank. even the wheels are cool and spaced well to give that real truck feel as seen in the movie.
How could we let it go before comparing it with some Transformers… Yeah the automobile version not the autobot version! I put this shot on because I liked this mini robot figure that I picked long time ago and has been a buddy to my RMZ Bumblebee Camaro.
This year Hot Wheels got us a yellow Bumblebee in mainline series and that looks cool… But the scaling factor kills it when pegged next to a massive truck! The scaling difference is a buzz kill but if you peg them separately the issue is not that evident even if they sit in the same row.
Let’s bring in the big boys… shall we? For a fair comparison, I brought in a Matchbox Tesla Semi, as they are both are kind of made in the same factory. The Tesla anyways is bit bigger than a IC tucks but in my option this Tesla looks a bit closer to scale but this Prime is not even close.
Sizewise, the Tesla Semi looks longer and bigger but that issue starts coming down as the cabin is the one that lets down the Prime but the height and length are all ok. Even I was surprised till I put them to side by side, yeah Tesla’s container is extra long and that gives it an advantage to Tesla.
As a norm, I always put my diecast car/trucks on a weigh scale and this big boy tipped the scale at 86gms, which is not light nor heavy! This being a track focused truck, I get it it need to fit in a track so the slimmer track but I somehow feel like bringing in this Optimus Prime truck onto a track may not excite me like the way a cars etc.
Overall this is a cool truck and a must have if you are not worried of the scaling defects. This is a overhyped Hot Wheels of the year and I have seen people flicking it like crazy and I picked this just for this review and I may not give it off. I kind of liked it and hold on to this Optimus Prime till a proper Prime comes out from Mattel or Matchbox. So if a good buy or not? I would say it is a good buy buy not a truck that I will sell my kidney for! Hope you guys had fun, till next time… Ciao.
