Man, I love this.
A year-and-a-half ago, Ford debuted three cars in its new performance line at the Detroit Auto Show. Rolled out were the Ford Raptor, Shelby Mustang GT350R, and king itself, the 2017 Ford GT. The cars all debuted in what Ford says its the designated color for its performance lineup, called Liquid Blue. Its a show color, not a production color, which is a bummer, because holy shit that they look good.
Fast forward 18 months, and with the release of the '17 Ford GT in the N Case, Hot Wheels has completed a Liquid Blue trifecta of its own. The same three cars that debuted in Detroit have debuted in the 2016 Hot Wheels lineup, all in the same color. And they are a whole lot cheaper than the real thing.
And in what has been a stellar year for new Hot Wheels models, this trio stands out. Each model is great on its own, but when you put them together it is even better.
Now of course the question pops up of why the Focus RS didn't debut in the same color, but it has an official blue of its own, and my guess is Hot Wheels and Ford wanted to duplicate the Detroit Trio. So I am good with that. Maybe soon we see the Focus in the same color. I wouldn't complain.
So with the trio complete, let's talk the Ford GT. There is no doubt this is a significant replica of a significant car. The debut of the real thing was such an exciting surprise, especially with its amazing looks. It has had a good run since, highlighted by its win at Le Mans.
The Hot Wheels is significant too. It is the first official New Model to debut as a Super Treasure Hunt. (And yes, I am aware the Toyota 2000GT debuted as a Super as well, but it was not an official New Model. The casting was made for the Racing Premium line which was cancelled, so technically its mainline debut was to be its second version. Technicality yes, but that makes the Ford the first New Model Super.)
I don't have the Super, but I sure hope to get it. But even then, the mainline to me is the better model, because you know, Liquid Blue.
The casting? Yes, large-rear-wheel-itis, but that is a hard call. The rear wheel on the real thing is slightly larger than the front, and Hot Wheels has the option of making both the same size or doing what they did based on the wheel sizes they have. Matchbox had the same issue with their 2005 Ford GT casting, and went with the large rear. I have never had a problem with theirs, in fact that casting is one of my all-time favorite Matchbox castings, so I sure as shit don't have a problem with the Hot Wheels. The details on the casting are there as well. And thankfully no up-sloped chin, even with a protruding nose.
So yeah, I am all in the Ford GT. Same with the Raptor and Shelby. Future versions are obviously coming, some I will surely like more than others. In fact we have already seen the Raptor recolor in stores and the Shelby recolor debuts in Batch N as well:
But no matter how good or how bad future versions look, we will always have the Liquid Blue Trio. Happy happy...
