Cars Toys Blog

Here comes more news on upcoming Cars assortments. This time it’s the Cars 3 pack gift packs that are getting updated. The future for the 3 packs seems to be Piston Cup racers and crew. Looking at the upcoming assortments, we are getting 4 Piston Cup teams, with team Leak Less (pictured at right), team No Stall, team Shiny Wax and team Spare Mint. If you are thinking of passing on the upcoming Motor Speedway of the South set because you are betting on being able to find most of these at retail, this is good news for you.

Case D – May

• Gold Mia Tia & Bling Bling McQueen (2)
• Al Oft Blimp, Tom Race Official & Tow Truck (2)
• Leak Less, Leak Less Crew Chief & Leak Less Pitty (2)

Case E – July

• Al Oft Blimp, Tom Race Official & Tow Truck (2)
• Leak Less, Leak Less Crew Chief & Leak Less Pitty (2)
• No Stall, No Stall Crew Chief & No Stall Pitty (2)

Case F – August

• Leak Less, Leak Less Crew Chief & Leak Less Pitty (2)
• No Stall, No Stall Crew Chief & No Stall Pitty (2)
• Shiny Wax, Shiny Wax Crew Chief, & Shiny Wax Pitty (2)

Case G – September

• No Stall, No Stall Crew Chief & No Stall Pitty (2)
• Shiny Wax, Shiny Wax Crew Chief, & Shiny Wax Pitty (2)
• Spare Mint, Spare Mint Crew Chief, and Spare Mint Pitty (2)

There seems to be good news on the way for Cars collectors soon. The official case P assortment list is out, and Mattel is giving us new Cars in 3′s. New Cars in the P assortment are Kathy Copter, Petrol Pulaski and Tar McQueen (pictured at left) and each are packed 3 per case.

That’s right. Not 1 or 2 but 3 new Cars in this assortment, and they are each 3 per case! Has this ever happened before? I don’t know for sure, but it seems that Mattel is finally listening to collectors and giving them what they want. Here is the list of Cars in case P. Case P is scheduled to be out in June.

• Bug Mouth McQueen
• Fabulous Hudson Hornet
• Fillmore
• Kathy Copter (3)
• Mario Andretti
• Petrol Pulaski RPM Pitty (3)
• Race Official Tom
• Radiator Springs McQueen
• Ramone-Yellow
• Tongue Lightning McQueen
• Tar Lighting McQueen (3)
• Van

I was checking one of the online Cars retailers websites today for the listings of upcoming Cars and noticed something interesting. While most of the listings were removed when Mattel changed their case assortments earlier this year, case assortments M and K are still listed with updated information and release dates.

These assortments are different from the ones on the upcoming Cars checklist, and it looks to me like they are new. And since they are both listed as being released in May, they may be accurate. Anyway, here they are.

HWM1054-K PROJECTED SHIP DATE – May 24, 2008

• Bug Mouth McQueen
• Chuki
• Cruisin’ McQueen
• Darrell Cartrip
• Dinoco Helicopter
• Dinoco Pitty (2)
• Dudley Spare
• Ferrari F430
• Lightning Ramone
• Pit Crew Guido
• Pit Crew Hudson Hornet
• Race Official Tom
• Ramone
• Tongue McQueen
• Van (2)

HWM1054-M PROJECTED SHIP DATE – May 10, 2008

• Al Oft the Lightyear Blimp (2)
• Bling Bling McQueen
• Bug Mouth McQueen
• Charlie Checker
• Chick Hicks
• Cruisin’ Ramone
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Doc Hudson
• Hydraulic Ramone
• Lightning McQueen
• Pit Crew Guido
• Radiator Springs McQueen
• Sheriff
• Stacy (Yellow Pitty Leakless) (2)
• Wingo
• Yeti

This is information will also be added to the upcoming Cars checklist. Here are the assortment listings as Mattel originally released them to retailers.

HWM1054-K

• Anime Chuki
• Bug Mouth McQueen
• Chick Hicks Crew Chief (2)
• Chief Trunk Fresh
• Crusin’ McQueen
• Dinoco Crew Chief
• Dinoco Helicopter
• Dinoco Pitty (2)
• Octane Gain Crew Chief
• Octane Gain Pitty
• Pit Crew Doc
• Ramone – Lightning
• Tom Race Official
• Tongue McQueen
• Van (2)

HWM1054-M

• Barney Stormin’ (Bi-Plane)
• Al Oft Lightyear Blimp
• Bug Mouth McQueen
• Crusin’ McQueen
• Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Doc Hudson
• Kori Turbowitz
• Lightning Storm McQueen (2)
• Mini (2)
• Piston Cup Pace Car
• Pit Crew Guido
• Radiator Springs McQueen
• Ramone – Green
• Ramone – Hydraulic
• Yellow Pitty Leak Less (2)

Has anyone else gotten the feeling that the Cars diecast line is slowing down? I certainly feel that way every time I go into a retail store lately looking for new diecast Cars. Retail stores in my area are certainly not putting any new Cars out. Every store I enter has the same ones week after week. This includes Wal-Marts, Targets and Toys R Us. To me, this is a sign that the line may be slowing down.

Although, while I am not seeing any new Cars, it seems they are geting out there as there are a ton on eBay right now. Check out the eBay listings for Chuki and Lightning Ramone, the 2 most recent Cars to be released. There are 252 listings for Chuki and 132 listings for Lightning Ramone, right now.

Another indication the line may be slowing down, is the fact that Mattel is not putting out Cars as quickly as they were at the beginning of the year. Mattel also revised their case assortments shelving many Cars that were slated to be released this year. In my post from Toy Fair, I told you about Mattel’s plans for the year. Out of 123 Cars that will be available this year, only 18 of them are new, in the single card line. In addition, there are 12 new Movie Moments 2 packs, 6 3 packs and 3 launcher sets. Those however have been mostly comprised of reissues in the past. That to me was a major indication from Mattel that the line was slowing down. At the same time, we keep seeing many pictures of Cars that are planning to be released.

With all the mixed signals from Mattel, what is the collector supposed to think? I think the only thing that collectors can hope for is more information from Mattel, which unfortunately probably won’t happen until San Diego Comic Con later this summer.

Is anyone else seeing the same thing or are you seeing the opposite? Feel free to let everyone know in the comments. Thanks.