You can check out part 1 HERE and part 2 HERE.

It’s been pretty amazing so far and we haven’t even opened the box yet … it’s not just comes with a high end classy cloth “furoshiki” covering wrap with sweet graphics … the box itself is first class thick stock with glossy patterns … and it has a magnet flap so the box display is 100% collector friendly. And yep, so far we are JUST on the outside of the box …

Under bright lights, opening it is already very, very nice … especially with a magnet under the front panel so it’s 100% collector friendly as you can display it and “play” with it without having to remove anything and can close it up – it displays as it without having to hide extra flaps or rough edge pieces.

The backdrop is gorgeous and detailed – even if this thing did not light up, it would be great.

In demo mode, the backdrop lights up first, then the bottom of the CARS and then the CARS headlamps. Even the demo is freakin’ great.

You can see some of the glow in the dark elements.

How great? Freakin’ great. It not just lights up but it’s designed that when it lights up, it seems like there is depth.

Even the side guard rails are translucent neon plastic so they glow.

As noted, there is actually a light up sequence from background to CARS underneath to CARS headlamps in about 15 seconds.

The artistry, design technology detailing and attention to detail is astonishing and 100% great.

WOW.

I am impressed. It’s not easy to dazzle cynical me but I am dazzled.

Here’s your stylized filtered version.

But wait, there’s more.

How much more can they astound us? Gorgeous outer wrap, excellent outer box design, amazing light up features, great looking diecasts that not only glow but light up! … there’s more?

Even the typical instructions are higher end and better looking than the typical lawyer creative designed instructions … but that’s just the start!

There is an anime illustration of how to put everything back together printed on vellum!

This is an outstanding set and in many aspects, the best designed box set Mattel has ever created – not just for CARS* … It was already cool they wrapped this in cloth … if they had just put in a nice black box with a window, that would’ve been decent enough and with light up CARS and a glow in the dark striping, any background would’ve been “good enough,” but they took it to the next, next, next level kind … kind of like the Monaco Grand Prix level compared to a go-cart race.

All I can say is WOW.

You want this set.

You need this set.

This is a showcase set.

To sum it up. It’s a 3D effect Tokyo backdrop with a light up box that in demo mode flashes up in sequence along with glow guard rails – it comes with two diecasts that glow in the dark and lights up from underneath and light up headlamps. The box is all classy and is 100% collector-display friendly that clicks closed with a magnet. It comes with instructions on vellum on restoring it to original shipping state. AND it’s wrapped in a cloth wrap that has full illustrations of the racers.

It’s a tour de force, dazzling showcase triumph of artistry in design, technology, attention to details and fun … all in a 7″ box.

Impressed, amazed, surprised and now full of mirth, I am.

It’s just great. Totally great.

Yes, it’s $50 but really, it’s only $50.

Don’t regret not buying it.

The ONLY quibble is now we need 9 other WGP racers like it. That’s the only thing wrong with this box set.

* Okay, you can argue the MSOS set but while the MSOS wins on depth and breath, this easily wins on creative design, technology and presentation.

Give yourself an early Christmas gift.

You will not regret it.