Take Five a Day » Blog Archive » Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Launcher Release Schedule (Fall 2008 Update)

Home » Advertising, Checklist, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, TV, Toys, collecting

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Launcher Release Schedule (Fall 2008 Update)

While it was easy to be initially dismissive of the Pit Row Race Off (launchers) upon first release, in actuality once you opened it - it was quite nice. Sturdy and works well. You can clip them together to form one race line.

As pictured here, you get a CAR and its Pir Row setup including matching color schemes and sponsor logo …

The first release wave was 6 of the PIston Cup racers including: McQueen, King, Chick Hicks, Leak Less & Nitroade - technically, Octane Gain was part of the first six but did not really ship until months later:

Then there was quite a break until the appearance of the blue WM “cube,” (pallet drop) which featured three Piston Cup racers available as a launcher: Trunk Fresh, RPM & No Stall - while only Trunk Fresh was truely new, it was still nice to get a “pit box” for RPM & No Stall also.

Currently, you can also find two launchers together at Target as a “Value 2-Pack.”

Here is the complete photo checklist of racers available as launchers.

What are the next two launchers on the schedule?

They were already listed on our Piston Cup-What’s Next countdown post & chart. Of course, EASY IDLE & TANK COAT.

Well, we have more good news - especially for the the very vocal MOOD SPRINGS fans, yep - you can add him to the list of Piston Cup racers coming as launchers … in fact, another 6 are listed - no specific release date but presumably all in the next 3 to 5 months.

Fiber Fuel, Mood Springs, Retread, Shifty Drug & Vitoline. (Shiny Wax will also be released as a launcher but the Gift 3-pack version should be out first).

So, for those keeping track at home, in 6 months, we should have about 26 of the 36 racers available including these three scheduled but almost certainly NOT launchers …

And of course, these already available separately and or coming in other formats -
just not as launchers (for now) …

A full recap of the Piston Cup racers out and scheduled is in this post.

The trailer/haulers that accompany each racer - preview here! Release schedule & chart on completing your Pit Row setup.

Piston Cup racers coming in the Gift 3-packs are listed here.

« Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Shopping for “Stickers McQueen”

Mattel Disney Pixar CARS: Mini Adventures TREV DIESEL TRAIN-Resistence is Futile »

metroxing

17 August 2008

Advertising, Checklist, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, TV, Toys, collecting

12 Comments

12 Comments »

rock and roll

[Reply]

//gervart-
17 August 2008 at 3:44 am

The new packaging look great! Thanks again Met!!!

My son will be so excited to get the launchers with the new racers. The only one we purchased so far is Trunk Fresh. No matter how much my son begs and gives me those puppy dog eyes, I just can’t bring myself to buy the launchers with the racers we have extras of already, like McQ, King and Chick.

(MET: Oh no, you’re ruining all of Mattel’s master plan - the ‘puppy dog’ eyes are supposed to confuse you into buying it again and again, you’re supposed to be keeping track of flood insurance, transmission filters and the school pickup schedule, not whether you’ve bought 5 or 10 McQueen’s … ).

[Reply]

//fiddleheads
17 August 2008 at 5:30 am

Giddyup

[Reply]

//CarsDude
17 August 2008 at 8:09 am

Is it certain that the packaging shown at the end (where they’re labeled as “Pit-Stop Racers”) isn’t actually the early mock-up rather than something new? Note that solicitations have labeled these “Pit Stop Racers” from the start, the font used for the name tag doesn’t match what Mattel has settled on for The World of Cars releases, and the King tag just says “King” rather than “The King” (as he’s labeled on pretty much all WOC items). That was just my impression the first time I saw those images.

(MET: Yea, you could be right).

[Reply]

//Rich
17 August 2008 at 1:12 pm

I am so excited, maybe I will get all of the SOS racers after all !!

[Reply]

//Mary
17 August 2008 at 7:13 pm

any word on the other 10 racers met

[Reply]

//CARS ROCK
17 August 2008 at 8:41 pm

hi, is the dale jr variant going to remain the happy go lucky one, or are they going to release the new dales with the nitroade casting? thanks!

(MET: Some Mattel insiders claim that the MSOS contains an exclusive and since it’s NOT that certain white car with a logo is never coming back, ‘aggro’ Dale seems like a good bet).

[Reply]

//John
18 August 2008 at 2:10 am

I don’t see Sidewall Shine in the pics….Am I mistaken?

I heard he is part of a 5-for-1 mail-in promo at TRU.

(MET: Well, he’s not officially a launcher yet but should’ve been included in the “others” photos).

[Reply]

//Daniel
18 August 2008 at 10:52 am

Neat-o, now if they would get around to re-releasing Vinyl Toupee in a new format for those of us who didn’t buy the Target set.

I wish the launchers actually ’snapped’ together though, when my daughter is lining them all up to race it’s really easy to have them come unhooked from one another.

[Reply]

//Captain Chunk
18 August 2008 at 10:53 am

met what is the scheduled release for mini or will mini and van come in a 2 pack

(MET: Yea, they seem like a natural MM so you could be right - that Mini & Van will return as a MM - especially since Mini is NOT on any release schedule now but we only have release schedule for Box T - so hopefully soon we’ll know for certain).

[Reply]

//CARS ROCK
18 August 2008 at 12:23 pm

Do you know if it’s the regular dale jr. or the nitroade re-paint dale jr. being released in an launcher officially?

(MET: Nope, nothing yet).

[Reply]

//Lightningleakless
25 August 2008 at 11:40 pm

Daniel, i agree with you, i bought the set for $35 just to get vinyl toupee & no stall, & later that day one of the tires on no stall broke, them 1 month later, same thing happens with my vinyl toupee, HEY MATTEL, NICE QUALITY!

[Reply]

//Lightningleakless
25 August 2008 at 11:43 pm