Thanks, “Mark T.” for the nice photos.

As with any CAR with a attached accessories, it’s natural a production many years later would be slightly different. 2022 is on the left.  They probably added the eyelid line but hard to tell with tires attached.

For casual observers who don’t have a Spinout Lightning, either one will do at first glance.

The base is now black but hardly that noteworthy as a variant reason to collect BUT …

If you look closely, Lightning seems tapered at the hood like a 1990’s Camaro … just my imagination?

NOPE.

If you compare it another CARS 1 Lightning with his hood, he is definitely tapered which sort of makes sense as the “barbed wire” is not a tampo decal but an actual raised surface addition so they needed a new sculpt and whoever they assigned it went a little with Lightning should be more aerodynamic … so, DEFINITELY a VARIANT. And arguably, it’s a smidge shorter …

Collect ’em all.