Hot Wheels X-Pandables Garage

This Wal-Mart exclusive has a 2012 date on the box, so it's nothing new to you experienced drivers out there, but I liked the spinning turntable and magnifying glass features. Another novel feature of this X-Pandables Garage is it's extreme portability, folding up into self contained case not much larger than a Walkman- much smaller than the HW City Pit Stop Station I reviewed earlier. It's size limits it in some ways, but it was cheap enough for me to pick up for use in my Hot Wheels photography as a backdrop for future car posts...

As I said, it doesn't occupy a great deal of table real estate, but one can display two or three cars at a time on the garage, pictured here with my X-Raycers Hi-Tech Missile up top, and the set's included orange Nerve Hammer...

I have several X-Raycer Series Hot Wheels already in my collection, so the orange Nerve Hammer fits right into the Super Fun Hot Wheels fleet...

Along with rooftop parking, cars can be inspected on the dial operated turntable below, then rolled onto the diagnostic platform for a tune-up using the robotic arms...

Cars can be launched off the diagnostic platform using the spring loaded parking arm, onto the retractable ramp hidden in the case body...

The garage rooftop is propped up by a foldout kickstand, which could could have been improved by a tighter clip that actually locks into place, but I do like the sculptural details on the back wall of the playset...

The magnifying glass is somewhat small, and armature features are somewhat limited in their articulation range, but I like the dynamic colors and sculpt of this set overall. While I assume there were other sets in this"X-Pandables" line, I've only seen this one, which makes a nice, inexpensive display for my photography.

Make It FAST- Make It FUN!