Hot Wheels Speed Machines put to the test

Here at Redline Derby Racing we encourage racing mainline Hot Wheels cars, the $1 cars found on the pegs. But from time to time, Hot Wheels releases special series of cars that claim to be faster and perform better on the track than mainline cars. Last time we looked at the Target Race Aces, this time we’re checking out the Speed Machines series.

Speed Machines standing still

We put the Speed Machines Lamborghini Gallardo to the test, racing against a Gallardo mainline car. Straight out of the package, both cars are clearly from the same mold. Same dimensions, same size, same weight. The Speed Machine is much more detailed in paint and decals, as denoted on the blister pack, so if nothing else it looks a little better. The Speed Machine package also claims the car is equipped with “special wheels”, but before we took this baby apart, we had to race ‘em.

Speed Machines vs. Mainline

Speed Machines on the track

Racing on the official Redline Derby track, after several races and alternating lanes between each one, the Speed Machine Lamboghini failed to show any significant about of speed performance over the mainline car. In fact, the mainline car won a majority of the races but only by a nose in most cases. The Speed Machine may have failed to live up to its name, but the mainline car didn’t burn it either.

If anything, this heads-up test shows that the Speed Machine model performs just as well as the mainline car. So if you’re looking for a top performance car, the Speed Machines may not be your best bet. You might as well just get the same car from the mainline series and you’ll be okay…and you’ll save a few dollars.

Special wheels aren’t so special

Two-Part Wheels

Now lets see what’s so special about the Speed Machine’s “special wheels”. The wheels are plastic as expected, and the axle appears to be stock, not an FTE axle or anything else special. The only real difference in the wheels looks to be how they are constructed. The Speed Machine’s wheels look to be made of two parts: a hub cap, and the tire part, both plastic. Wheels of normal mainline cars are a single piece of molded plastic. Apparently the car doesn’t gain anything from the special two-part construction.

PHOTOS: More photos of the Speed Machine and parts

Overall, the Speed Machine Lamborghini Gallardo failed to impress me when compared to its mainline counterpart. It looks sharp, but didn’t turn out to be the “machine” I was hoping it would be.