This fall Greenlight will be releasing a 1:24 scale replica of the E85 Ethanol Concept Z06 Indy 500 Corvette Pace Car driven by two time Indianapolis winner Emerson Fittipaldi. What makes this piece truly special is Greenlight’s use of the very same PPG “Gold Rush” paint used on the full size E85 Ethanol Corvette. When viewed at different angles, the paint can appear gold, green and sometimes even purple - and at $4000 per gallon (yes, thats four thousand!) the paint makes for one very special piece of die-cast!

In addition to the amazing paint, the finished product will feature a numbered metal chassis and rubber tires. The production run is limited to just 504 pieces world wide and more than 400 have already been pre-sold! At $99.95 each, this is sure to be a highlight of any collection. Pre-orders are currently being taken at DieCast Alley.

*- Note: The picture shown is of the 1:1 scale Corvette. Pictures of the die-cast model are not yet available, and the final model will not contain the strobe light bar.

[via diecastalley.com]

Its with great pride and pleasure that I introduce to you, the first ever diecastAUDIO VW Drag Bus! This ultra-limited piece is the result of the hard work and incredible talents of Bryan Pope of Pope Designs and had been designed to appeal to diecastAUDIO and VW Drag bus fans alike. Not only is this the first time I’ve ever commissioned a piece of die-cast that will be available to collectors, but its also the official debut of the brand new website logo that was also created by Pope Designs!

The diecastAUDIO VW Drag Bus sports a sun-kissed silver custom paint job, hand painted details and will be mounted in an acrylic case - all for only $80.00! We also couldn’t let these special debuts go by without cranking up the exclusivity of the bus by making sure that there’s a Diamond Edition as well! The Diamond Edition will feature white letter, Real Rider tires to set it apart from the standard edition.

Unlike the traditional offerings from Pope Designs, there will be 2 ways that everyone can try to obtain this exclusive bus. It will be sold ONLINE and LIVE at this year’s inaugural SUMMER SMASH Convention in Rhode Island. There will be a total of 25 buses produced in all, with 20 available for sale. We will hold back (1) Diamond Edition and (4) Regular models for special guests. Here are the details of the sale:

Online
• Date: Friday, August 22nd 2008
• Time: 9PM EST, 6PM PST
• Where: eBay, Seller Name: pope-designs
• Sale Name: diecastAUDIO VW Drag Bus
• Quantity: 8 Standard; 2 Diamond
• Price: $80.00 + $10 S/H

Summer Smash

• Date: Friday, August 22nd 2008
• Time: 10PM EST
• Where: Hotel Room TBA
• Seller Name: Bryan Pope
• Quantity: 8 Standard; 2 Diamond
• Price: $80.00, Cash Only!

Pope Designs guarantees all sales of the Diamond Edition version (both online and live at Summer Smash) to be completely random and fair so that everyone has a chance at obtaining one. Once all the buses are sold, no more will be produced, so we hope that everyone interested will be able to purchase one.

Special thanks to Pope Designs for all the time, effort and hard work that went into making this bus a reality!

Take care and we look forward to seeing you at SUMMER SMASH!

[via popedesigns.net]

Last week mentioned the Hot Wheels Exhibition happening in Mexico later this year and made reference to the official website being written in Spanish. Well, die-cast customizer extraordinaire, Chris Walker (aka Nightstalker) wrote in to mention that there is in-fact an English version of the website! Chris will be attending the exhibition as well, so be sure to stop by and say hi to him if you’ll be there!

Back in June, Jada launched the Vintage Vault Contest Series that gives collectors the opportunity to win free die-cast from a secret stash of original products that have long since left the store shelves. Vintage Vault Contest #4 is currently under way and will end on July 17th The winner will be announced on July 18th. This time around the prize package features a set of (3) 1/64 die cast model kits including a Chevy Suburban, an Astro Van and a Chevy S-10 that were all released in 2001. Click the image to jump over to the Jada site for all the contest details.

[via jadatoys.com]

These spy shots (taken via cell phone) reveal a new 4 car series called “Race Aces” that will be available exclusively at Target at the end of July. Castings in the series include the RD-10, the Chevy 1500, the Subaru Impreza and the Trak Tune. Each car features nickel-plated axels and a chrome finish.

UPDATE: Due to Target’s inability to follow Mattel’s instructions on stocking dates, a few collectors have been able to get their hands on this set already! Collector, hotwheelsfanatic has shared much better images of these cars over on Photobucket.

Diecast goodness is traveling across the border this fall for the first annual Mexico Hot Wheels Collectors Exhibition. The two day event is being held on September 6 & 7 at the Hotel Maria Isabel Sheraton and will feature a mix of Code 3 cars and a drag bus created by Mattel. Be sure to visit the official exhibition site for more information. Unfortunately, you need to know how to read Spanish! Here’s a preview of the planned pieces (click the images to see the larger gallery):

Please contact me via jeff (at) diecastaudio.com if you are planning on attending the exhibition and would be willing to pick up an extra piece or two for me!

[via hwmexicocollectors.com]

Run out to your favorite Johnny Lightning retailer between now and August 31st, 2008 to purchase any 5 1:64 scale Johnny Lightning cars and you can earn a Limited Edition 1:64 scale 1968 Shelby GT500 Lightning Rod decked out in a beautiful Cherry Chrome finish! Be sure to visit the official Johnny Lightning collectors site for all the specifics!

[via johnnylightning.com]