When it comes to Dodge Viper developments in the diecast space, things can be painfully slow. Take the Gen 5 Viper ACR for example: It wasn’t until a year after the car was out of production that we’d see the first diecast recreation. That particular one wasn’t even very good either (one of a few GT Spirit models where they dropped the ball sadly). Then, two years later, AutoArt would finally showcase their rendition of the 13 track record-setting beast. Clearly more faithful to the real deal, the AutoArt benefited massively from being able to roll back and forth, having exquisite attention to detail (which you can read more about here), and opening everything. Good craftsmanship does take time after all, even if the work should’ve been done a good bit sooner…
Regardless, this sort of delay isn’t limited to high end models or the 1/18th scale world more broadly either. Maisto has yet to produce a Gen 5 model beyond the GTS (in 1/24th or 1/18th scale), Bburago is in the exact same boat, and exceedingly few brands have produced a Gen 4 ACR bigger than 1/64th scale. When it comes to the Dodge Viper, many brands –much to my chagrin– prefer to take their time in regards to replicating the various iterations of the snake.
Hot Wheels, however, has a slightly different problem. One that is the true focus of today’s post. Their problem has not to do with selection (or a lack there of), but with accuracy…
This is the Gen 1 Dodge Viper RT/10 casting we’re all likely familiar with. It’s a bit over two decades old now (nearly as old as its full-size counterpart) and something about it is… off. Don’t get me wrong, it still looks cool (and I’m beyond glad it exists), but many people will tell you that the proportions don’t quite fit. I’ll go more in-depth into these discrepancies when I compare this casting to its successor, but in short, it’s too bulbous and chunky to properly portray the real car.
Enter the new Gen 1 Dodge Viper RT/10 casting from Hot Wheels! Noticeably more accurate, slimmer, and lower, this new design stands head and shoulders above the old one. ‘Bout time Hot Wheels…
So where can you acquire yours? Pretty much all the places you’d expect: Some Grocery Stores, hobby stores (not guaranteed but worth a look if you’re down that way), diecast car stores (a rarity in the modern world but some like this one in Colorado still exist), and basically anywhere else that happens to have Hot Wheels available. Or, if you have hermit tendencies, you could always turn to the myriad of places that sell diecast cars online. Ebay, numerous model car retailers, etc. Wherever you shop, this model should cost around the same as any other Hot Wheels. That is to say, you can get this car for under $15 dollars if you look around a bit. Happy hunting!