It can be seen in a video with the CEO (Eric Estepp channel) that the original model had dual exhausts on it and an insert would go on the outside of each skirt of the car towards the rear. Later on NASCAR decided to make the exhaust exit the front of the skirt instead of the rear to help reduce the heat inside of the car. Nascar made the decision to have the exhaust position moved to the front about 1 month after the video showing the completed prototype aired and by that time, I dought they could make the change to the model to meet production deadlines.
I think they will probably add the exhaust later on but since NASCAR changed the positioning of the exhaust right before this car went into production removing the exhaust all together probably got them out to the public much faster than reconstructing the mold
Also, something I randomly thought of at the end of the video, we've had roof flaps for all this time, but hood flaps have never been a thing to my knowledge and nobody even talks about that being a possibility.
I took the 2022 HMS Elite chassis & placed it on the 2022 Chase Elliott NAPA ARC... I'm disappointed in quite a few things that Lionel did or didn't do with the new Elite's. To me this was Lionel's chance to hit the reset button & start fresh but noooo... they still stunk it up...like the front end suspension...at least on my Elite version the springs don't even move up or down...I'm literally gonna have to take it apart & replace the springs...& the engine detail is just not there either! Just like previous few years Elites they leave the plug wire holes but no freaking plug wires!! Like at least offer them separately then Lionel...like c'mon!! Then I can't figure out how to take the cab off the ARC or Elite so I can keep the din number for the Chase Elliott ARC. Then at 1st I did like the new box or packaging...but when my HMS Elite arrived it has a mark on the front of the hood where it has rubbed up on the package & been scratched...so nope not a fan of the new packaging either.....I guess truthfully I don't know why I thought that Lionel would improve when all they've been doing is sliding down hill for years now! Especially with the Elites....I mean they're charging more for them but the details become less every year! So yes more ARC's this year for me too...except certain wins & certain liquid color finishes!
These diecasts remind me of when NASCAR started using the 550 package and people on IRacing hated it, but had a hard time hating IRacing for it because they are just simulating the real life style of racing. Same deal here in how the real car inherently blocks out a lot of the cool detail and Lionel was probably salivating at that because of how cheap they could make the car look and reduce detail especially on the ARC. It’s pretty crazy how much more detail the JR Salvino model kits have. Yea it sucks that they’re all plastic but you can really make them look beautiful, and I guess you can do that here with adding some detail to these cars.
I was worried at first about the Elite detail after watching your video of the ARC of this car, but I can safely say I'm really liking the detail of the Elites and will keep buying them mainly for MTJ cars since he's my favorite driver and for races I see in person. Would love the spark plug wires on the engine though, I can't imagine that little bit of extra detail would cost too much to add because these Elites are really solid cars in the detail department
My problem is the box isn’t even a box it’s half a box…and half of the car is exposed but covered in plastic….if someone drops something on that front end it could break something easier imo…idk I guess we’ll have to wait and see
I bought a next gen Kyle Larson at nhms. Had same box and everything. But I got a bunch of other stuff being a Larson fan and the bag ripped from being heavy and the car was fine. But the box is dented pretty bad. I’m not too concerned because I don’t plan on selling but quite frustrating because I like to maintain value.
It's unfortunate, but I can't blame Lionel all the way. Material cost has gone way up. So to keep them at their normal price they have to make cuts somewhere
@@racecraze yup, thats why i don't understand why people are saying material costs more so they make stuff less detailed to keep it at the same price because it is NOT at the same price. Make the price higher, but keep the detail the same. Downgrade the detail and keep the price the same. There is no make the price higher and downgrade the quality. That's just not caring for your customers. All around all i have is negative things to say about Lionel since the end of 2020. - Free shipping goes away on their website. - lack of any sort of deal on anything. - Stickers instead of magnets on authentics. - Price increases in 1:64 and 1:24 ARC and Elite. - Quality and detail decreases. They have already made a million cuts to save money, and it is driving me out of collecting diecasts. I mean I pre ordered ONE DIECAST in 2021 and it came with the seat not connected to the cage. It was clanging around in the car. People think that the new box was to make it look new or cooler. It was because it saved them money. Money money money, thats all they want to get and save. And since they are the only ones making diecasts, they do whatever the hell they want. And people are out here supporting it.
I really don’t see spending that extra money this year,other then maybe raced version’s and dual autograph’s. Not really anything worth that extra sum of cash you might have laying around. But just like that example. If you have the extra sum of cash laying around. why not get a elite. But again you might not feel like your getting your money’s worth. You know. You might feel pretty good when you order it. But you might receive it,open it up and take a few detailed looks at it. And then wonder what you wasted your extra sum of cash on. That’s just my thoughts after watching this video.
Another question dude. Why would u still waste the money on the non elites? They're worth even less. They're worth maybe 10 dollars. U can get a better car at walmart
The windshield does NOT have the opening and the hood in not the same as the real cars. The real hood are a lighter material than the medal. These diecast cars are NOT like the real ones any more!
The old skool arcs from 2001-2002 had more detail than these new elites they had plug wires an way more detail than these new ones even the paint an decals were better they basically dropped the elite made the old arc the elite an the walmart childs toy the arc an charge the same ridiculous prices
I just received my Elite Joey Logan’s #22. It was a big disappointment! I do not know what most of yo are used to. The last NASCAR I bought was Matt Kenseth #17 from a company that sadly does not exist! TeamCaliber!!! There is something very important that was not covered in this review, the brakes! NO BRAKE CALIBER! Seriously! No vent's either. This is just a very expensive toy he can I call it a collectible or even a good Day cast because there is no quality in it there’s no better detail than a $24 diecast you get at Walmart I’m thinking of sending mines back.
There is a small plastic piece that’s protruding into the wheel that looks like what could be considered a brake caliper. Not very detailed though. But, it’s there
NOOOOOOOO!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Man how did we go from a thick leather clam shell style box to this? This is without question the cheapest Elite packaging i've ever seen in my entire life and I own 5 Elites. I remember 4 years ago I brought a 2002 Jeff Gordon Elite Pepsi 400 diecast for $12.99 off of Ebay and was packaged in ARC Styrofoam with the Elite case sleeve and bubble wrap and that looked better then this crap Lionel did I think they are so cheap by 2024 all they gonna pack the Elites in is a brown paper bag wrapped with scotch tape with the words Lionel Racing written with a black Sharpie and a crappy drawing Elite "E" logo drawn with a sliver Sharpie.
Lionel is not selling them to you. Lionel is producing them for NASCAR's okay then and selling to vendors. Those vendors want the un-boxed but plastic covered cars on the table to sell them. Notice how the end consumer's concerns are the lastto be considered'? That's NASCAR.
Lionel has ruined colllecting by making everything cheap & charging much more! Elites are what ARC was when Lionel first bought RCCA & the current ARC is worse than the old Wal-Mart retail Winners Circle crap! It’s a shame! Oh, I’m not even mentioning the Xfinity cars! Terrible! And how you gonna see the DIN when they make a raced version & decide to cover the top with that stupid confetti! I want a raced car that looks like it did right after the burnout! I hate confetti!
