Final Lap Collection

The Final Lap Collection series logo, featuring Dexter Hoover waving a white flag.

"It's the final lap and a race to the finish! Collect 40 new characters from the CARS movie, but don't speed by any classics you missed the first time around!"

—Original tagline

The Final Lap Collection was a limited series of die-cast Character Cars by Mattel, that was exclusively sold at Target stores within the United States. Following the switch to "Lenticular" mainline cars late in Race O Rama and into the Drifting Series, the "classic" fixed-eye models were relegated to store-exclusive items and collections, with the Final Lap Collection designed to continue releasing lesser-known characters and appease longtime collectors.

The series was first released in October 2009, with its final assortment appearing in early 2011; beginning in April 2011, Cars models a whole were temporarily discontinued as marketing shifted focus to that summer's Cars 2 film.

History

Unlike all other store-exclusive collections in the line's history, Final Lap models included the character's respective collector number just as the mainline Drifting singles did, though it omitted the logo and label color to represent the character's segment designation. Final Lap singles featured a unified, brown nameplate, similar in shape to the "normal" one. They also maintained that year's core "Drifting" motif.

The cardback notably teased a total of 40 exclusive, never-produced characters from the Cars film, while encouraging collectors to look out for re-releases from previous series. While the first four shipping assortments contained low quantities of long-time models like Lightning McQueen and The King, boxes from "E" onwards exclusively contained new characters; no "new" model appeared in more than one case.

Starting from "Case G" onwards, the cardback bio was slightly modified:

"It's the final lap and a race to the finish! Collect 40 never produced, 1:55 die-cast vehicles of characters from the CARS movie, but don't speed by any classics you missed the first time around!"

A final total of 34 new models were ultimately released, five of which were initially featured in the 2009 Collector Guide and poster but never distributed - these were joined by ten older re-releases.

Vehicles

Cars Classic Assortment (R1948)

Photo	Toy no.	Col no.	Model Name	Segment	Notes	Carded photo	Edit
Image needed	0 R1955	103 103	Skip Ricter NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R1957	002 2	Radiator Springs Lightning McQueen	—	–		edit
	0 R1958	010 10	Fabulous Hudson Hornet	—	–		edit
	0 R1959	019 19	Brand New Mater	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R4359	138 138	Antonio Veloce Eccellente NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4360	106 106	Polly Puddlejumper NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4361	139 139	Dexter Hoover with Checkered Flag NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4362	001 1	Lightning McQueen	—	–		edit
	0 R4362	123 123	Lightning McQueen with Shovel NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4364	020 20	Mater	—	–		edit
	0 R4372	107 107	Muddy Lightning McQueen NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4376	099 99	Blowing Bubbles Mater NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4383	141 141	Donna Pits NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4384	142 142	Nick Stickers NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4387	038 38	Fillmore	—	–		edit
	0 R4394	116 116	Pit Crew Member Sarge NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4395	140 140	One Eye Mater NEW	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R4405	143 143	Wet Lightning McQueen NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4406	119 119	Vern NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4409	024 24	Chick Hicks	—	–		edit
	0 R4413	046 46	Sheriff	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R4416	122 122	Jay Limo NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4417	149 149	Artie NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R4425	047 47	The King	—	–		edit
	0 R8658	098 98	Costanzo Della Corsa NEW	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R8661	154 154	Timothy Timezone Truecoat NEW	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R8662	150 150	Valerie Veate NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8665	152 152	Jonathan Wrenchworths NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8666	126 126	Marlon "Clutches" McKay	—	–		edit
	0 R8667	144 144	Race Damaged Mood Springs NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8668	127 127	Lightning McQueen with Cone	—	Fixed eyes		edit
	0 R8669	155 155	Marilyn NEW	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R8671	133 133	Duff Wrecks NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8673	157 157	Coriander Widetrack NEW	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R8674	158 158	Swift Alternator NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8676	017 17	Ramone	—	–		edit
	0 R8677	160 160	Derek "Decals" Dobbs NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8679	162 162	Hooman NEW	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 R8705	156 156	Milo NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8706	153 153	Matthew "True Blue" McCrew NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8722	151 151	Marty Brakeburst NEW	—	–		edit
	0 R8725	165 165	Matti	—	–		edit
	0 R8727	147 147	Bert	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 T0646	145 145	Johnny NEW	—	–		edit
Image needed	0 T0647	146 146	Jamie NEW	—	–		edit
	0 T0648	148 148	Flo with Tray NEW	—	–		edit
	1 TBA	–	Wilmar Flattz	—	Fixed eyes		edit
Image needed	1 TBA	–	Bertha Butterswagon NEW	—	–		edit

Mildred Bylane, Cora Copper, Percy Hanbrakes, Bennie Caliper, Dan Sclarkenberg, Kit Revster, Wilmar Flattz, and Bertha Butterswagon were also scheduled for the series, but never saw a release. According to reputable blogsite TakeFiveADay.com, listings for "Leafy" Lightning McQueen, Race Damaged Leak Less, and the Rev N Go Pitty at one point appeared in early plans.

References

	This article is part of the Diecast Project, a PCW project that aims to report on every aspect of Mattel's Disney Pixar Cars toy line.
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