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Stock #24394 |
CB's Die Cast Review: October 2, 2000 |
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2000 First Editions #33
This is one sleek design.
Hammered Coupe is one of the latest First Editions to start surfacing on a regular basis.
It is the best concept of the year to this point. For one thing, this two-seater is designed
the way I think they all should be -- all-metal, with the chrome plastic being used as accents
rather than a major component.
The die-cast chassis contains good detail, including some nice front body supports that are
visible from the side. The oil pan, drive train, leaf springs and exhaust pipes have adequate
relief, and look good although they could have been more pronounced. The exhaust pipes flair
up at the end, and protrude nicely from the back of the vehicle. The rear axle mount is set
high in the back to allow for the low-to-the-ground look.
The only negative I see with the car is the interior being part of the same plastic insert as
the other parts. This practice is starting to become the norm unfortunately, as a number of
the recently released First Editions share this feature. If the interior was molded as a separate
piece, it would have added to the appearance if the vehicle if it was black or even dark purple
in color. This is a minor peeve, but a peeve nonetheless.
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The die-cast body has a super-chopped look, and takes little features from a number of classic
automobiles, including the Cord sedans among others. It carries a coat of medium purple
metallic paint, and has no markings except for the ubiquitous Hot Wheels logo on the lower
rear fender on the passenger side. The long pointed neck of the vehicle extends from the
passenger cabin into the shovel-nosed front that curves down in a hawk-like fashion. The
parallel rows of vertical louvers below the half moon rear window give just the right amount
of accents in the back. The body relief also includes the windshield frame, door lines and
taillights.
The chrome plastic insert was designed almost perfectly for this car. The small radiator grill
above and slight behind the front axle and the air intake above the motor stand out beautifully
against the purple body. The engine valve covers and front section of the exhaust pipes
majestically flare out from the sides. The pipes tuck under the body just in front of the
massive rear fenders. A section of chrome plastic also serves and the front axle cover, in
addition to the headlights.
The glass is thankfully formed from clear plastic. Hammered Coupe rides on small standard
five-spoke wheels up front, and the large extra-wide five-spoke slicks in back. Due to its weight
and low center of gravity, this Malaysian-made monster rolls well. It probably will perform well
on the long-distance track sets, but due to its proximity to the ground, may not do well on the
stunt sets. Regardless, this is a fine design, and will stand among the best releases when the
year is through.
