However, 1972 and 1973 were slow years. Only seven new models were made in 1972. Of the 24 models appearing for 1973, only three were new models. Also the cars changed from Mattel's in-house Spectraflame colors to mostly drab, solid enamel colors, which mainstream Hot Wheels cars still use today. Due to low sales, and the fact that the majority of the castings were not re-used in later years, the 1972-3 models are known to be very collectible. Carlos Contreras Makes NASCAR History". Motorsport.com. February 2, 2000 . Retrieved December 12, 2016. a b Gerber, Alison (November 10, 2014). "Coffee Break Design History: Hot Wheels". Apartment Therapy . Retrieved December 28, 2016.

On September 28, 2023, Netflix announced Hot Wheels Let's Race, a new animated series adaptation which is set to premiere in 2024. [25] Hot Wheels Legends Tour [ edit ] Mayhew, Ash (November 19, 2019). "Hot Wheels Infinite Loop is Out Right Now on Android". Droid Gamers . Retrieved May 11, 2023.a b Kroll, Justin (January 30, 2019). " 'Hot Wheels' Live-Action Movie in the Works With Mattel, Warner Bros. (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. The year 1970 introduced " the Snake and the Mongoose", a manufactured 'rivalry' between two professional drag racers calling themselves "the Snake" and "the Mongoose" for the purposes of publicity. This was notably drag racing's first major non-automotive corporate sponsor, and the beginning of the NHRA’s booming popularity with large-budget teams and championships. 1970 also introduced the first 'Silver Series', which contained three silver-painted models: the Boss Hoss, the Heavy Chevy, and the King ' Kuda, which were only obtainable through a mail-in offer that included a membership to the Hot Wheels Club. These three cars featured " supercharged" engines (featuring large Roots blowers) without hoods, and open exhaust headers, after the style of drag racing cars of the era. Popular among children, these 'Silver Cars' were considered faster than the rest of the Hot Wheels lineup, because they were supposedly heavier than the other gravity models, but the accuracy of this claim has never been tested under scientific conditions.

On February 18, 2021, the Hot Wheels Mars Perseverance Rover was released; a die-cast scale model latest vehicle in its Space mini-collections inspired by the NASA-launched Perseverance rover. [21]Ha, Anthony (March 11, 2021). "Gamefam aims to be the first big gaming company built on Roblox". TechCrunch . Retrieved March 1, 2022. Epyx Presents Hot Wheels for the Commodore 64 - The Retroist". 1 September 2011. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015 . Retrieved 13 August 2012.