Vehicle Review: Wind Raider from Hot Wheels Premium: Masters of the Universe by Mattel

    Other than a number of Batmobiles and the odd Ecto-1 every now and then, I don't really pick up Hot Wheels releases too often. That changed, however, when I learned that Hot Wheels was releasing a Wind Raider in their Hot Wheels Premium range. It seems like we may see more vehicles in the future as well, as the PowerCon 2020 teaser acknowledges a Hot Wheels exclusive item there, too. Now there definitely have been random cars with Masters of the Universe related art on them before, but so far as I can recall this is the first actual vehicle from MOTU to be released in the Hot Wheels range. The Wind Raider was one of the original 1982 vehicles from the first series of the vintage line, so it's definitely one of the most recognizable vehicles in the line (even if it's far from one of the most unusual). I never had one as a kid, though. In fact, I only acquired a vintage Wind Raider last year. While it's not the most expensive vehicle out there, it can be hard to find because the wings break at the drop of a hat. This one's made of metal, though (well not the wings) and seems a bit more durable. Let's check out this smaller scaled Wind Raider after the break...

 The Facts:

Series Number: DMC55

Length: 2 5/8ths inches

Non-Scalper Price: $5

 The Packaging:

* The figure comes on a standard blister card with the MOTU logo and featuring art from the original vintage packaging by Rudy Obrero). It has seemingly been flipped around, however. Still, it's a cool look and definitely is much cooler than pretty much any other packaging art you'll see in the toy aisle.

 The Positives:

* The Wind Raider is definitely recognizable here, though the detail makes this look more like the Masters of the Universe Classics version. That's OK, though, as it's still clearly the Wind Raider. The body is die-cast metal while the orange parts (wings, rudder, etc.) are all plastic.

 * The Wind Raider is quite colorful with lots of excellent printed on details. You've got the stripes along the sides, the details on the rear fin, and even the controls on the dashboard. This seriously looks pretty impressive.

 * There is even a little bit of articulation here, too: The wings can rotate and the hood ornament (it operates the winch on the toy versions) can fully rotate. The winch doesn't actually work, but I don't think any of us expected it too, right?

*There are also three translucent wheels on the bottom to give it the illusion of floating along the ground.

 
  While I'm still not sure what truly differentiates a $5 Hot Wheels Premium vehicle from a standard $1 Hot Wheel, I do like the Wind Raider quite a bit. It's always amazing to see MOTU stuff pop up in random places, so finding them in the Hot Wheels aisle is a pretty cool find. This is a Great little pickup that should easily find a home in your MOTU collection. Heck, how could would it be to have the MOTUC or even the Mondo He-Man playing with this thing on your shelf?




If you're a fan of the Wind Raider I've also reviewed the M.U.S.C.L.E. Wind Raider from Series 3, pack E and the Mega Construx Wind Raider Attack.