The Scale Inception: How Hot Wheels and Drifting Collide
|
What’s the difference between the world of Hot Wheels, Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles, and drifting? The only real difference is the scale with which we play. Most people think of Hot Wheels as a simple toy, however, to the car enthusiast it means something totally different.
It all started in 1968 with cars designed to be sleek and fast; inspired by the hot rod and American muscle car culture of the time. Hot Wheels were a huge hit and have remained popular for over 50 years. Over time, one particular subculture has grown rapidly within the world of Hot Wheels: JDM vehicles and drifting. The crossover is more than just a few flashy designs, it’s an homage to the culture, motorsport and customization. Attending a drift event, it’s not uncommon to see kids playing with scale models right alongside adults geeking out over a full-size version of their own favorite castings.
The JDM craze gained global momentum in the 1990s and 2000s. Media like ”The Fast and the Furious” and “Initial D,” and video games such as Gran Turismo and Need for Speed introduced another generation to the world of underground racing and touge. At the same time, the internet allowed fans to explore tuning culture and its growing global community. While JDM imports were already known for their performance and tuning potential, drifting was pushing these cars to higher levels.
Seeing this growing subculture, Hot Wheels began releasing scale models of iconic vehicles from the JDM world. There are countless models and they are now some of the most sought-after castings. What makes the JDM and drifting crossover within Hot Wheels so compelling is the reflection of a broader cultural shift. Kids who grew up watching street racing and drift videos on YouTube or playing video games can now see their favorite cars created in diecast. Adults who once raced their 240SX or AE86 are now hunting to find 1:64 versions. Hot Wheels began incorporating the full-size features into the 1:64 scale world by adding bright liveries, massive wings, widebody kits, and flashy wheels that help give the castings an authentic street-ready appearance. Some models even replicate specific drivers’ cars from Formula Drift and D1GP, complete with liveries and sponsors. The accuracy appeals to casual fans and hardcore collectors alike, many of whom customize their own diecast cars. The fascination with JDM vehicles may have originally seemed like a fad, but it has cemented itself into car culture history.
The world of customizing Hot Wheels is vast. Influencers and artists on Instagram and YouTube have built a massive community around JDM-themed customs. You can keep it as simple as a wheel swap or go hard with an extreme build. Just like full-size builds, you can attempt your own custom or you can have a ‘professional’ create your build. Almost anything you can think of is available in 1:64 scale. Whether you want a set of TE37s or Work Meister wheels, specific livery decals, a widebody kit, or maybe even a 3D-printed RB26 to swap into your S14, the options for customizing are endless. Those are just a few of the items you can purchase, but the real craft comes into play when building accessories from scratch. Making your car a roll cage, intercooler, exhaust, or bold body styling can all go a long way toward making a build that much more lifelike. The process mirrors the real-life tuning scene and allows people to create their versions of a dream build. Just like with a real car build, the trick is finding the time and motivation to install all those parts.
As adults with a little more disposable income, it’s nice to indulge from time-to-time in buying the unnecessary things that bring joy to our lives. Hot Wheels collectors and car enthusiasts are no different; everyone collects for their own reasons, and everyone's collection is different. Sifting through the pegs at your local store trying to find a specific casting is like scrolling through FB Marketplace trying to find your next project car.
Take a peek into any enthusiast’s garage, and odds are you will find some Hot Wheels displayed. How you display your collection comes down to personal preference; premade options are available, from mirrored shelves to dioramas that resemble a scene from a Japanese tuning shop. Some even build a one-off diorama to accompany their custom car builds. You can be the casual collector buying things that interest you or the dedicated hunter trying to find a Super Treasure Hunt (STH). STHs are highly sought-after variants of mainline Hot Wheels. They feature premium details like Spectraflame paint, Real Riders wheels and tires, and more extensive graphics compared to regular releases. One of the more popular models is the Nissan Skyline, aka Godzilla. Hot Wheels has over 20 different Skyline models with different variations of paint, wheels, and decals, creating an abundance of models. The S-chassis platform, too, has been extremely popular amongst enthusiasts, and that has trickled down to the scale world.
Even with Hot Wheels being one of the most popular and accessible scale brands, other brands, like Pop Race or Tarmac Works, offer models with a more accurate scale aesthetic. Hot Wheels has a level of exclusivity to some of its releases, and these other brands have very limited runs and sell out almost instantly. The second-hand market for all of these different models, Hot Wheels or other brands, has been growing and collectors are willing to fork out some serious cash. Regardless of scale, everyone knows not to ask how much they’ve spent on their collection.
In recent years Hot Wheels has done several collaborations with drivers and influencers. The man himself, Larry Chen, has a couple of different models. His MK5 Supra, used as a track camera car, has been scaled down as well as his recreation of the R32 GTR Hot Wheels Pack HKS Group A Car. Collete Davis has had her FC RX-7 replicated right down to the same bright, bold colors. Chris Forsberg and Ryan Tuerck have each had their FD cars immortalized in 1:64 scale. Attending events with the chance to meet and greet icons can make your collection that much more complete with a signature and a selfie. Icon Ken Block’s preferred driving discipline may have been different, but he also had a couple of cars from 2011; two versions of his iconic Ford Fiesta with the drip livery. His influence on the car culture as a whole is still felt to this day. Liberty Walk and Pandem also have multiple different models representing their styling and liveries. Very recently, 7-Eleven announced a collaboration with Hot Wheels which includes some apparel, fingerboards, and the MK4 Toyota Supra. Inspired by old-school spirit, the Supra has a 90s-era racing vibe decked out with 7-Eleven’s iconic imagery. Collabs like that make for exciting additions to any collection.
If it’s the passion, determination, desire and thrill that drives us, we all have common ground and a special connection with each other. The process by which each of us collects, builds or admires may be different, but the root of it all is the bond that’s created within the community. There is a mutual respect between the 1:64 and 1:1 worlds and the crossover between fantasy and reality is very much blurred. As kids, we always dream of owning a legend of the motorsports world. Now as adults, we get to make some of our wildest childhood dreams come true. Growing up I wanted to buy and save Hot Wheels for my future kid. As it turns out, I am that kid.
