New Releases, Hot Products & Breaking News Page 3

One of the best things about working on Die Cast X is seeing the uncommon models that companies come out with. There are many examples of the usual suspects—the ’57 Bel Airs, Boss Mustangs and Hemi Chargers—but the real interest is in the atypical. Highway 61 is a good source of pleasant surprises, and one is its Onyx Black over Colonial Creme 1957 Chevy 150 Sedan. Some may be thinking that this is another Bel Air reproduction, but a closer look at the door posts, roofline and trim reveals this as the base 150. Mechanically identical to the Bel Air but without the luxury items, it weighed less, so it offered excellent performance with the top engine choice—a 283 V-8—that this model features.

Another overlooked classic is the 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T. Overshadowed by its flashier brother, the Charger, and by its cousin, the Plymouth GTX, the Coronet packed the same punch when spec’d with this model’s 375hp 440 Magnum V-8. No company is more committed to crafting quality Mopar die-casts than Highway 61, so if you dig unusual classic-era Chrysler muscle, start with this Coronet—but don’t stop there.

Highway 61; distributed by Supercar Collectables (763) 425-6020; ffertl3.com; supercar1.com.

Tonkin Replicas has a new line of classic AHL trucks in 1:64 scale. Shown here are the Clauson’s Bakery box truck and the Freightways Trucking trailer rig. The detail on these trucks is pretty sharp for 1:64, but the real highlight is the exceptional paintwork that depicts authentic vintage vendors. The trucks make great props for a classic-era display scene or, on their own, a celebration of trucking history.
AHL; distributed by Tonkin Replicas (206) 542-6919; tonkinreplicas.com.

Now that Hot Works has exclusive rights to do the D1 Grand Prix drift series cars in 1:24, they are really ramping up production. Here are two of the latest, the 2004 APEX Mazda RX-7 piloted by Youichi Imamura and Nobuteru Taniguchi’s 2003 to 2004 HKS Nissan S15 G28. Like other Hotworks cars, they feature adjustable camber, ride height and track width, and the new graphics are even wilder than before. Drifting is the biggest trend in Japanese motorsports, and with the D1 series teaming up with the Japanese Grand Touring Championship for U.S. exhibitions, expect it to catch on here. Five-hundred-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive sportscars burning rubber and hanging it all out in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans—how can Americans not love it?
Hot Works USA; distributed by Sunrich Toy & Hobby (909) 595-1888; hotworksracingusa.com.