Just When You Thought It Was Safe to go Back in the Hot Wheels Aisle

I was quite pleased with myself when I first came across the 2010 Sharkruiser. It was a casting I had been hoping to find, and it was the only one our local Toys R' Us had. If there had been five or six of them hanging on the store's overflowing, too-close-together racks, I would have been far less enthused. But finding just one buried in the very back of a box display always leaves me feeling particularly pleased with myself. Since it was never my intention to buy every single car in every single color variation offered, I had decided to focus on models that had actually been built as either production, racing, or concept cars, but as someone who loves the fantasy genre, I can be dazzled by the surreal and far-fetched as well. When I saw this "creature" car's picture posted online, I decided almost immediately that I wanted one (assuming I could find it). But after adding it to my collection, a thought occurred. The reason I have a soft spot for sharks is my brother -- the same brother who first introduced me to Hot Wheels. He loved sharks with a passion and read all he could about the different species. I still remember the day he taught me to correctly pronounce the name of the truly terrifying prehistoric shark Carcharocles megalodon. He had an actual fossilized tooth from one. He also had what was technically a shark in his aquarium. He named it "Jaws". With all this in mind, I began to wish I would find another Sharkruiser to give to my brother (hey, I wasn't going to give up mine!) for his upcoming birthday, just for old times’ sake. According to my dad, my brother didn't show the least bit of interest when he asked him if he knew what had become of our old Hot Wheels cars, and I suppose that's to be expected. But what better way to pay tribute to our shared childhood than to give him a shark that has been fashioned into a Hot Wheels car? The only problem was the car's horizontal caudal fin. My brother, being a stickler for details, would be sure to notice that and lament it. Quite frankly, I wouldn't put it past him to break it off in an effort to "fix" it. But at least on this version of the car, it isn't clearly visible. There was once a version that was painted like a killer whale. That, at least, would have made sense.


While looking for a second Sharkruiser, I came across the Hammer Down color shifters creature car that was inspired by hammerhead sharks. Of course this model isn't as realistic in appearance as the Sharkruiser, but at least it gets the caudal and double dorsal fins right. And the blue version turns a very nice shade of deep purple when cold, the exact color my brother would attempt tirelessly to achieve every Easter when we colored boiled eggs. Not that, once again, that will necessarily mean anything to him now. Of course, if it isn't one thing, it's another. I know the way its eyes are drawn on the front of its face will annoy him. "Why didn't they just put them on the sides?" he will say, and of course, he'll have a point. Despite the potential pitfalls, I was eventually able to buy a second Sharkruiser and a Hammer Down. I hope when I give them to my brother, he shows at least a passing interest in them. As for me, I've seen several Sharkruisers in the stores in recent days. "Pleased with myself" level... falling...