Hyundai Ioniq 5’s Factory Mickey Mouse Wheels Are Future Disney Collectibles
They’re like Ronal’s Teddy wheels for Disney Adults.
Just as Hyundai teased back in October, the Ioniq 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition is now going on sale. More importantly, though, it's bringing its Mickey Mouse-shaped wheels with it. And, in a few years' time, these Mickey wheels could very well be must-have collectibles for car enthusiasts that have a penchant for weird rims, or happen to also be Disney Adults.
Hyundai first showed off the Disney-fied Ioniq 5 at last year's New York Auto Show. At the time, the automaker said it would eventually go on sale as a limited-run model. Now to actually see it hit dealerships with wheels shaped like Mickey-freakin'-Mouse is still kind of surprising. And since only 1,000 vehicles are being built, there will only be 1,000 sets of these rims in existence. Given how some folks go nuts for Disney memorabilia, it's not hard to imagine avid collectors chasing them.
Strangely, these Hyundai Mickey wheels aren't the first oddball rims designed in the image of a famous cartoon animal. There was the original Ronal Teddy, which was shaped like a teddy bear and offered on the Mazda 121 in the early '90s. The Japanese manufacturer also once sold a "Goldy" limited-edition 121 in Europe that wore Haribo gummy bear wheel covers. The little hatch even received a special set of koala-shaped wheels, for especially discerning bear-wheel aficionados. And sure—Mazda may have been sniffing some weird stuff in the '90s, but car collectors love each and every one of those cute, peculiar wheels. A set of teddies can easily set you back $1,000 on the used market.
Admittedly, Hyundai's Mickey Mouse wheels aren't nearly as obvious as the aforementioned bear-shaped wheels. It actually took me an embarrassing amount of time to spot Mickey's signature ear silhouette in them. Then again, that might actually be a good thing for collectors, as they simply look like neat, abstract wheels to the untrained eye. If you know, you know. To me, they give off Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio vibes.
In some years, we could see Hyundai's Mickey Mouse wheels become highly desirable among car enthusiasts and collectors, especially if the Disney diehards get involved. Of course, for anyone to nab them, some of those 1,000 Ioniq 5 Disney100 Platinum edition owners will have to part with their electric SUV's original rims. Thank goodness there are still Disney logos embedded in the headrests and floormats. The exclusive EV will retail for $60,775, including destination.
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