Review – Hot Wheels Buzzerk

Line: Hot Wheels * Manufacturer: Mattel * Year: 2011 * Ages: 3+

I’ve said before how it’s the stranger of the Hot Wheels toy cars that capture my attention (and dollars!), so I’m sure it’s no surprise at all that this new Hot Wheels Buzzerk screamed at me the instant I saw it hanging on the peg in the store. A brutal, fast-looking machine with a giant saw? Mine!

Translucent Red Plastic and Metal

For not loving clear toys I sure find myself more and more attracted to the various translucent colored plastic that’s used in both designer toys and mass market releases. I can’t explain it, but there’s something about getting just a hint of light through the toy that makes my eyes light up; maybe I’m more attracted to “shiny” than I ever realized. Anyway, the Buzzerk’s body is a dark translucent red plastic that’s not even totally noticeable at first. And with such a massive portion of the plastic covered in the various warning signs — all appropriate when you look at the size of that buzzsaw — it’s no surprise that it took me a moment to realize that the red wasn’t solid plastic. A very cool effect.

The Blade Moves!

The rotating blade sits just barely above the surface so it doesn’t interfere at all with the toy’s movement; in fact, Buzzerk rolls just fine and is pretty fast . . . as you can see for yourself in this post at The Toy Museum. Hey, I also notice that the Buzzerk in that post uses different colors of plastic than mine. Nice, I love how Hot Wheels cars come in a variety of colors. I just have to not fall for the trap of wanting to collect every variant . . . so far I’m safe.

But now I see there’s also one with yellow in place of the gray plastic . . . NO! Stop looking at the different colors that are already out there.

A Killer Design

There’s just something purely fantastic about this Hot Wheels Buzzerk toy car. And I don’t just mean the huge blade. The long, mean look, the driver sitting in the very back (enlarge some of the photos and take a look for his crash helmet way in the back), and the huge pipes sticking up alongside the blade are all great details that help make this one of the cooler Hot Wheels cars I’ve seen in stores. And it’s got enough metal in the chassis to give it the heft that we expect from Hot Wheels cars. This one’s a winner for my collection and makes it all the more painful that I don’t have a good way to display toy cars.

Philip Reed is a little shocked at how many Hot Wheels toys have found their way into the house over the last few years. He blames the low price on each individual car. $1? Sold!