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Stock #28749 |
CB's Die Cast Review: February 21, 2001 |
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2001 First Editions™ #10
All right, I'll admit it.
This was NOT one of the new castings I had any hope for. Judging by the photographs of
the prototype, and online jpegs of the car beginning to surface, I thought that Shredster was
a waste of plastic. It couldn't be a waste of die-cast, since it appeared the only metal
parts were the axles. Please. Then, I saw one in person.
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Oh my, a pleasant surprise. The car does contain some plastic, but the majority of the model
is die-cast metal, and not necessarily the components you would think. The body and interior
components are interlocked, and consist of two metal pieces and one plastic piece. The center
of the body is die-cast and painted orange pearl. The fender flares extend out from the center
body and are part of one piece that also is die-cast, and painted deep yellow pearl. The interior
and body sides are formed from black plastic, and also include the hood and grill accents.
The windshield consists of smoked gray transparent plastic. The chassis is gray plastic, and
features moderate detail of the oil pan, drivetrain and dual exhaust. The only markings on the
car are a Hot Wheels logo and the car name tamped on the black part of the body on the passenger side.
The car rides on the new five spoke wheels, which are flush with the edge of the fenders, and is
manufactured in Malaysia.
Shredster is a better-quality model than I thought it would be, consisting of five components not
counting the wheels and axles, one more than the norm these days. The two-color pearl paint
job also helps bring the car to life. While it won't be in my top five at the end of the year,
it won't be at the back of the line either. I guess low-clearance is the theme this year, with
yet another car hulking down low around the tires. The weight distribution should make it a
good track performer for the kiddies, except for those nasty stunt loops. Maybe the kids today
care more about how fast the cars go instead of the stunts they can perform. If so, Shredster
should keep them happy.
