Today on the Bouolevard: Three More Macthbox Superfast

Welcome diecast collectors, to another edition of Today on the Boulevard! I was finally able to get my hands on three more Matchbox Superfast Anniversary vehicles. The hunt for these has been very difficult, and I'm glad that I was finally able to check a few more off my want list. So without further ado, let's speed right into today's feature.

I'm going to start things off right, with the one that was the hardest to find. The model in question, is the '59 Volkswagen Microbus. To be honest, I really thought I was never going to find this particular release at retail. There are a couple of reasons, as to why I wanted this VW Bus. The main reason has to do with the fact that, my garage as a whole, is seriously lacking in VW Buses. Another reason I wanted this one, is due to it featuring opening doors, which are on the other side of this casting.

Just like the first release of this casting, this too features a two tone paint job. Black over white, was not a bad design choice either. Additionally, the lower half of this Bus being white, created a perfect canvas for the design that's featured on it's sides. The Matchbox designers created a design pattern, that is very befitting of this VW. And it's great how they made it span across the entire side of this Bus. I also like the extra designs that were added. Featured on it's sides, before the rear wheels, is the peace logo and some flowers. The sides also have some extra tampo details that I like. It's door handle was coated in silver, and the words ''Volkswagen'' are above the main design pattern.

The front and rear of this Microbus, received some great tampo details as well. The front features a silver tampo for the VW badge, as well as lights. The rear features taillights and the words ''Volkswagen.'' However... that's not all. The rear also features the flowers from the sides. There are two more things that I like about this release. It's interior color is the first of those things. I really like how this particular VW Bus looks with a beige interior. The last thing that I like, are the steel wheels. I like the fact that Matchbox gave this second release different wheels than the first Superfast one.

The next one for this post, is the '18 Range Rover Vogue SE. Like all the current Matchbox vehicles with moving parts, this too is a great casting to have. With this one, I now have all three of this casting's current releases. Like the first two, this one also features a great color. In fact, I like how Matchbox decided to use a brighter color for this release. The first one, was a blue that was on the darker side of the color spectrum, and the second one was black. That is why this release's color, is the main aspect that I like.

Another thing that's great about this release, is how it features all the extra little tampo details that were used on the first two releases. It's sides, continue to feature silver side vents. The front and rear of this model, continue to receive accurate details, which includes all the would-be Range Rover badges. Matchbox may be lacking in the number of premium wheels at their disposal, but I do like how this casting looks with these wheels. As such, I have no issue with them being the same as the initial blue release. The interior color for this release is beige, which is great, since it livens up the interior.

The mighty 2006 Ford Crown Victoria Police car, was the last one that I found. This is one casting that I needed to have in my garage. I mean... who wouldn't want a diecast collectible Crown Vic police car. Between Mattel's two toy car brands, Matchbox always nails it with their police cars. What I like about this particular release, is how it's a replica of the actual cars that are used by the Texas highway patrol. I love that Mattel and their Matchbox brand, are able to use real life police department liveries for their 1:64 scale police car releases.

With this casting itself, there are a few other features that I like. The main feature that I like, has to do with how this casting's body was designed. The headlights, as well as the light bar, are apart of the windshield plastic. This gives this model very realistic looking light features. Like the other vehicles featured in this post, this too has moving parts. The moving parts on this model, are it's rear doors. The only gripe I have with this release, is that it doesn't have tampo details on it's rear. Other than that, this is a really good model to have, especially if you like collecting police cars.

All in all, these Superfast assortments continue to deliver fantastic diecast models. I hope to see many more Superfast assortments in the future. Well that's all I got for today. The hunt continues for the other Superfast cars that are on my want list. Like always, if I find them, I will post about them. Feel free to let me know your opinion on the models that were featured today. Okay collectors, until next time, happy collecting!

White Booth Wednesday #46

It's #whiteboothwed, here's this week’s showcase.

Car: Chevrolet SS

Series: 2012 Hot Wheels New Models

Boulevard rating: 10

What I like most: This car is actually the Chevy Opala SS, which was made for the Brazilian market. I love seeing American branded muscle cars that were only sold in other countries. In my opinion, this release is a perfect replica. Not only was it given a nice shade of green, it also features the actual SS stripes that would've been on the real Opala SS. I also like how it was given the Hot Wheels 5SP wheels finished in chrome. I will never grow tired of these wheels on muscle cars from Hot Wheels.

Okay readers, let me know down in the comments, what your rating for this piece would be.
As always, happy diecast collecting!

Hot Wheels Case J Finds

Okay readers, welcome to another diecast feature. Today I'm going to be sharing some of my recent 2020 Hot Wheels case J finds. Had I found everything that I was looking for, this would've been a looking at post. I'm unfortunately still missing a few cars from this case. Despite this, I'm happy with what I have found. So let's get things started.

There are always a few questions that come to mind, when I think about an exotic car. What makes an exotic car an exotic car? Is it their exteriors, that are flawless works of art? Is it the flashy exterior colors? Or is it simply due to them having their engines in the rear? Well in the case of the 2020 Hot Wheels case J HW Exotics McLaren P1, it's all of the above.

This P1 release was finished in a stunning teal, that appears to have gold flakes in it. This paint alone, turned this release into an absolute jaw dropper of a model. If you're new to the boulevard, then you should know that I love exotic cars with brightly colored exteriors. Bright colors like the one on this P1, help to make the exteriors of exotic cars stand out even more, which in my opinion, is a good thing. For this release's wheels, the Hot Wheels design team decided to use their PR5s finished in grey, which is a great wheel color for this teal colored P1.

The next case J car, is the Jaguar XE SV Project 8. This one is apart of the 2020 Nightburnerz mainline set. This release has two main aspects that I like, and I also feel they make this a fantastic release to have. The paint that was used, is the first of those things. This XE SV Project 8, was finished in a magnificent dark metal flake green. Dark colored flake paints, always look great under a light, and that's especially true for the dark green that was used on this release. Though not exact to Jaguar's British racing green metallic, I do like how this is another mainline release, that features a color similar to the ones that are seen on the real car. The wheels are the second feature that I like. For this release, Hot Wheels decided to use their TRAP5s finished in black, which is great since the real car has black wheels. Replication aside, black wheels will always work on a dark green car.

I was finally able to get my hands on the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento from case J. This release also has a Super Treasure Hunt version, which I suspect most might've wanted. But you know me, I never make these a priority. The only other Sesto Elemento that I had before this release, was the black and yellow one from the 2017 Lamborghini Walmart set. As such, I'm really glad to finally have another one in my garage.

I really like the color scheme that Hot Wheels chose for this release. Light blue and orange, are a flawless color combination for this car. When I first saw pictures of this regular release, I thought the blue was gloss. Unbeknownst to me, was that it wasn't. I would describe this paint as being pearlescent. When a light is shined on it, this paint has the same effect as the pearl white that Hot Wheels uses.

For this regular release's wheels, Hot Wheels went with their RA6 wheels finished in a chrome orange. I don't know about you, but I personally feel that this is one of the best mainline wheels for a Hot Wheels exotic car. The last thing that  is great about this release, is it's interior, which is orange. This for me, gives this model a true exotic look.

The next car being shown today, is the '20 Jeep Gladiator. In recent times, Hot Wheels has given us collector a few new Jeep castings. In 2018, we got the awesome '17 Jeep Wrangler, and one year later, we got the '67 Jeepster Commando. There was also the Jeep DJ-Express that was released in the Hot Wheels id line. It's great to see this vehicle manufacturer getting some love, and I hope it continues. I mean... Jeep's vehicles do make for some great looking diecast models models, and I feel Mattel's brands do a good job re-creating them in 1:64 scale.

I like how Hot Wheels decided to make this first release plain. If your new to the boulevard, then you should know that I like to have at least one plain release of every model that I like. Aside from being plain, I also like how it was finished in red, which is a great looking color for this initial release. I would go as far as to say, that this model's color choice, is based off of Jeep's firecracker red.

This casting also has two body features that I feel, make it a great looking model. The first of those features, are the side rear view mirrors. As I've mention in a past post, I'm glad to see more Hot Wheels castings being designed with them, as it adds realism to the model. The second feature, has to do with the back half. As a adult collector, I love how this casting was designed with dirt bikes, but I also feel a child collector would love this feature as well. Features like this, make the model more exciting.

Speeding onto the boulevard next, is the Honda S2000. In my book, this casting will never get old. This is because I still really like tuner cars with body kits. For the most part, I have loved every single release of this Hot Wheels casting. And that's especially true for this release. I still remember how excited I was when I found the very first release of this casting back in 2011.

I really like how this release is finished in yellow. Some cars just look better finished in a certain color, and this is one of them. It's similar to how Ferrari's vehicles will always look good in red. Of course I may be the only one that feels this way about a yellow S2K. There is however, one simple reason as to why I have this opinion. A long time ago, my parents took their vehicle in for some maintenance. Up the street from this shop, was another automotive shop. Parked outside of this shop, was a beautifully modified yellow S2K. After seeing this car, yellow became my favorite color for it.

This release also has some other aspects that are cool, and one of those are the wheels. I like how this model features the Hot Wheels Aero Disk wheels finished in white. In terms of custom wheel colors, white wheels are one of the many colors that go nicely with yellow cars. In general, I like seeing these older castings with the newest Hot Wheels wheels.

Though simple, the design that was given to this model is nice. Starting on it's fenders and ending on the back half of the doors, is a black scallop design. Just after it, is another one that's white. There is an additional scallop like design on the back half of the door. This one is upside down. Over the fender section of the design, the Hot Wheels decal was applied in white. I also like how this release features the Greddy decal.

Alright... the last car for this post, is the recolor of the '16 Lamborghini Centenario Roadster. There's just no denying how excellent Lamborghini's cars look. And I'm happy that Hot Wheels still has the legal okay to use their brand. This legal okay, continues to give us diecast collectors some great looking Hot Wheels models, that never disappoint.

This model was given a white and red color scheme, which is based off of an actual Centenario Roadster. It's always nice to see Hot Wheels with color schemes, that were/are available on the real life counterpart. This even includes the black wheels, which for this re-release, are the Hot Wheels PR5s. These also add some realism to this model, since the wheels on the real car, are also five spoke.

Since the first release was silver, and this release is white, I would love to see this casting finished with some of the other great colors seen on various Lamborghini models. In my opinion, this casting deserves a bright color, which would spice things up with this model. I don't know about you, but I know for a fact, that this Hot Wheels casting would look great with Lamborghini's Verde Ithaca.

So racers, were you able to get everything you wanted from this case? If so, which one is your favorite? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. Okay everyone, back to racing! Until next time, thanks for reading and happy collecting!

Today on the Boulevard: More Hot Wheels Tokyo Olympic Games

Hello and welcome to another edition of Today on the Boulevard! As you all know, within the 2020 mainline there exist an Olympic themed set. Each of the cars in this set represents a specific game. Since I came across two more, I decided that I would go ahead and pick them up. After all, this Olympic theme for the mainline might end up being a one and done set. Only time will tell. With that said, let's get started with today's showcase.

The Dune Daddy, which also happens to be a Treasure Hunt, is competing first. This model was finished is a nice looking shade of pink. In my opinion, pink was a great color choice for this Treasure Hunt, since it's not as common as other colors. The Olympic game that it's representing is Beach Volleyball. As such, it features a silhouette of a volleyball player lunging for a ball, with the words Beach Volleyball next to it. Above this is a simple stripe. Tokyo 2020 was applied to the body above the rear wheel.

The front and back halves of the top of this release, also received some tampos. The front features the Tokyo 2020 Olympics symbol, and the stripe from the sides was applied next to it. On the back, is where you'll find the Treasure Hunt logo. In the wheels department, this release was given their OR6SPs. Personally these wheels look great on this casting, and I like how the outer section is chrome. All in all, this casting being a sand vehicle, makes it an appropriate representative of Beach Volleyball.

It's finally back! The Toyota 2000 GT is finally back in the mainline, and is the last car competing in this post. This release was finished in a fantastic looking maroon. Karate is the Olympic game that this model is representing. Underneath the side rear view mirrors, Karate was applied in a nice gold. And featured underneath it, are two silhouettes competing in a Karate match. After this section, a simple stripe design that finishes at the rear wheel arch was applied. Above the stripe, is Tokyo 2020 in gold.

Only the hood of this release received tampo detail. Like the Dune Daddy, this too features the Tokyo 2020 Olympics symbol and the stripe from the sides. The wheels given to this release, are the magnificent Hot Wheels DD8s. On a side note, I knew this car would look good with these wheels, and I hope we eventually see another release with them. The design given to this model, isn't one that I would personally put on one of these. However, it still made a perfect addition to this Olympic themed mainline set. And for anyone that loves Toyota's cars, this is definitely a release that you should get.

With the thought of an Olympic theme for the mainline possibly being one and done, I may or may not try to complete the set. As usual, if I add more to the boulevard, I will showcase them. Alright racers, if you have an opinion on any of the cars featured in this post, feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Okay everyone, back to racing! Until next time, thanks for reading and happy diecast collecting!

White Botth Wednesday #45

It’s that day of the week again! Here’s this week’s #whiteboothwed weekly showcase!

Car: '82 Datsun 280ZX

Series: 2020 Matchbox Superfast

Boulevard rating: 9

What I like most: This is one mad cool 280ZX, and I like how it has a wild stripe design. The red that was used, due to it not being too bright, is one that goes great with the various gold stripes. With the wheels, there are two things that I like about them. The first of those things, has to do with how they are BBS styled lace wheels. These wheels look great on this car, and I feel they complement it's sporty look. The next thing that I like about them, is the fact that they are white with a gold lip, which matches the colors used for the design. This Datsun is ultimately a wonderful addition to any Z-Car collection.

Okay readers, let me know down in the comments, what your rating for this piece would be.

As always, happy diecast collecting!  

New Matchbox Retro Assortment

Welcome back to the boulevard racers! It's once again time for another diecast feature. This time, it's something new. The folks over at Mattel's Matchbox brand, have created a brand new set for us car collectors. Over the the years, Mattel's Hot Wheels brand, has released various retro themed assortments at Target, and it's great to see Matchbox following suit. Based on the back of the card, there are going to be a total of twelve vehicle in this set. As usual, I only got the ones that I wanted. This time, it was five out of the six from this first assortment.

Featured first, is a 1968 Ford Mustang GT CS that has some nice design aspects. For this Mustang, the Matchbox team decided to use metallic purple for it's exterior. I used to not like purple as much, but as time went on, the color has grown on me. I now like it almost as much as I like blue. And I have to admit, that I was stunned at how good this model looked with this paint.

This model also features some subtle, but nice looking stripes. A white stripe runs along the top half of it's sides. A red stripe, starts on the fenders, and then runs along the sides until it get to the side scoops. It then runs down and around the side scoops. I have honestly never though about how a purple car would look with red stripes. The color scheme might not be for everyone, but I have personally come to like it. There are two additional details on this model's fenders. The first one, is a Mustang decal in white, and the second one is a red horse.

The top of this Mustang has some stripes as well. Unlike the sides that have white stripes, the top only has red stripes. These stripe were only given to the hood, which is fine by me. The wheels are one of the other aspects that I found interesting with this Matchbox Mustang. For this release's wheels, the Matchbox team decided to make them black and gold, instead of chrome. To be honest, this color choice is actually pretty cool, and gold does combine well with purple.

The next car is a Mercedes-Benz S 123 Station Wagon. I'm glad Mattel and it's diecast brands have gotten the license to use Mercedes again. This has allowed them to give us car collectors some great looking models like this one. This release doesn't feature any flashy designs, but it was given a nice color. For this release, the Matchbox team decided on a fantastic shade of orange. In fact, this is the reason that I like this release better than the first one.

Despite not having a flashy design, this release does feature front and rear tampo details. The front was given headlights, which is always a welcomed sight. My favorite details though, are the ones that were applied to the rear end of this release. Aside from the would-be chrome features like the Mercedes badge, and the taillights, this model also features California's blue and yellow license plate. As you might know, I love when 1:64 scale diecast cars feature license plates.

The last aspect that I like about this release, are it's wheels, which are same ones that were used on the first release of this casting. Out of all the basic wheels that Matchbox has at it's disposal, these are the best ones for this casting. These wheels have a somewhat similar appearance to the wheels used on the real car. As such, they give this model a period correct look.

Up next, is the 1989 Chevy Blazer 4X4. This one has some interesting design choices, which by all means, aren't that bad. But before I get to those, let me start with the paint, which is the main reason that I got this release. For this Blazer, Matchbox gave it a marvelous shade of gloss purple. With the wheels, I like how Matchbox decided to make them black with a chrome lip. Even though all chrome wheels would've worked on this release too.

Now then... as far as the overall design goes, there are multiple themes going on. It's doors feature a orange rectangle with a somewhat wide black outline. Within this rectangle, are three black squares that have orange squares within them. These orange squares are offset to the side a little. Over the rear wheel arch, is a orange rectangle. It's hood also features multiple themes. The driver side of the hood, has a red stripe with a white number 90 over it. The passenger side of the hood, has a black stripe with multiple designs within it.

The next car that I got from this set, is the 1966 Lamborghini Miura P 400. This Lamborghini is still one of my personal favorites. I mean... you know how I feel, nothing beats the timeless look of classic sports cars. One reason that I wanted this release, was due to me having only one Matchbox Miura in my garage. You can never have too many versions of this awesome car, and it's too bad they don't use it more often. The last time this casting was used, was back in the 2017 Best of Matchbox set.

This Miura release, has a couple of features that I feel, make it a cool model to have. Like the other cars in this set, the exterior color is the first of those features. This Miura's exterior was finished in a fantastic mint green. Now I may be wrong, but as far as I know, no actual Miuras were painted with this color. This is why I feel the way I do about diecast brands like Mattel's. Because of these brands, we get to see how our favorite cars would look, with colors that weren't used on the real life counterpart.

Out of all the releases of this casting, this is the first to feature a design, and I like that it isn't too wild. The design applied to this model sides is rather simple. It consist of two thin lime green stripes, with one wide white stripe in-between them. This model also features a white racing number, within a lime green circle. Next to the racing number circle, is a decal version of the Miura's badge. With the white stripe, it was designed to have a section that wasn't filled in. This section, is what created the decal.

Aside from this being the first one with a design, it is also the first one to feature Matchbox's disk wheels. Unlike my first one, this one wasn't given any rear tampo details. It does however, have the front end details, which includes the headlight section, Lamborghini badge, and the hood vents.

The last vehicle that I got from this set, is the Jeep 4X4. I really like this lifted Jeep casting. There is one reason that I feel this release special. This release, is basically a replication of a 1997 mainline release. As such, I feel that it is right at home, in a retro themed assortment like this.

Like that release, this too features a great shade of blue, as well as the ''COOL MUD'' decal. There is one detail that I feel makes this one better though. Just like the original, this one also has a black design along it's sides. This modern version's design, has more of a mud splatter look. The way it was designed is very fitting, especially when you consider the ''COOL MUD'' decal.

The rear end is another thing that's different from the 1997 mainline release. Back then, this casting had a longer rear bumper. This version of the bumper, featured an antenna on the driver side. This modern version however, lacks this detail. As far as the wheels go, the current ones used for this casting in my opinion, are much better than the ones used back in '97.

Based on these first vehicles, this set looks like it's going to be a cool one to have. I can't wait to see what the next six vehicles are, and I hope they're as good as these ones. So racers, how do you feel about this set so far? Did you get all of them? Or did you do like me, and only get the ones you wanted? Feel free to let me know all this down in the comments section. Okay everyone, back to racing! Until next time, thanks for reading and happy collecting!

Looking At: Matchbox Moving Parts Case F

Welcome back to the boulevard! It's once again time to take a look at another set of diecast cars, that have been checked off my want list. This time, I'm going to be going over the four vehicles from the newest Matchbox Moving Parts assortment. This case does feature five different cars, but one of them is the '83 Buick Riviera Convertible. That model, won't be featured in this post due to it being the same as the 2019 release. The only thing that's different is the card art.

The star of the show from this case, is undoubtedly the Lamborghini Centenario. You can always count on a company like Lamborghini to make stellar looking cars. And I feel the Matchbox team did a wonderful job recreating this model in 1:64 scale. Words can not describe how happy I am, to see that Matchbox made a Moving Parts version of this marvelous Lamborghini. Being in the Moving Parts line, allowed them to make us collectors a fantastic model with scissor doors.

Aside from the scissor doors, this model has another aspect that I like. Unlike the Hot Wheels casting, this casting showcases this cars active spoiler in the up position. The color scheme is the next aspect that I like, as it's one of the exact colors schemes that's available for the real car. This model also has the usual smaller details that are seen on Matchbox's releases. My favorite of those details, are the ones present on the rear of this model. Aside from the tail lights, I really like how they added yellow to the diffuser. Also adding realism to this model, is the fantastic looking exhaust tampo detail. At the end of the day, this is one Lamborghini that should definitely be on your want list!

Making it's way onto the boulevard next, is the 1932 Ford Pickup. As you might know, I am a sucker when it comes to vintage vehicles like this. This has to do with the body styles from this bygone time period. This casting saw it's debut one year ago in the Superfast 50th Anniversary set. And so far, both releases have been fantastic. Like the first one, this second release is also plain, which is great since Mattel's other brand releases a lot of shop truck theme pickups.

The gold that was given to the first release is awesome, but I won't deny how much I like this pickup finished in black. I also like the wheels that they gave it. For me, they give this truck a period correct look. The front end features some nicely done tampo details that help to liven things up. The headlights have additional little details that give them a realistic look. Completing the front end details, is the grill tampo. My personal verdict on this release, is that if you are a fan of old Fords, then you should absolutely add this to you collection.

Did somebody say ''Got Milk?'' Well get your cereal bowls ready, because the Matchbox team has given us collectors a DIVCO Milk truck. For those that didn't know, DIVCO stands for Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company. Before this casting from Matchbox, all we had was a casting from Hot Wheels, that was basically a modified version of this truck. With that said, it's nice to finally have a licensed DIVCO milk truck casting.

I personally like the way this model was painted. And after a quick image search, it appears to be inspired by how some of them were actually painted. In other words, blue fenders with a blue stripe that runs along the sides, is period correct. The wheels being white, is also period correct. Lots of these trucks appeared to have painted wheels that either matched the body or the stripe. Color scheme aside, I really like how this first one features the DIVCO logo. I do hope Matchbox eventually releases another one of these with a fantasy milk company logo. And I also hope they do a completely different color scheme for it.

Taking a casual drive down the boulevard last, is the 2000 Nissan Xterra. I ended up not getting the light blue 2019 release of this casting. So when I saw this one, I took the chance to go ahead and add one to my garage. It all came down to the color, which in my eyes, is a nice shade of yellow. And if not exact, it does appear to be inspired by Nissan's solar yellow. Solar yellow was one of the colors that was offered on the real 2000 Xterra. The color of the roof rack, as well as the bumpers, are all also realistic. While the real OEM wheels for this SUV are four spoke, I have to say, that I like how these six spoke wheels look better. 

Well that's a wrap for this assortment. All in all, this was another great Matchbox case, that featured some fantastic models. I honestly don't have a specific favorite among these four. In my opinion, they are all great additions to any collection. However, if you have a favorite from this case, go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Okay everyone, back to racing! Until next time, happy collecting!

White Booth Wednesday #44

It's #whiteboothwed here on the boulevard, here's this week’s showcase.

Car: '74 Dodge Challenger

Series: 2020 Matchbox Superfast

Boulevard rating: 10

What I like most: This is one fantastic looking American classic, and I'm glad the hunt for it is finally over. Minus the Superfast logo on it's trunk, I personally like how this release doesn't have any designs on it. A nice color was all this model needed, and I feel the Matchbox team nailed it with their color  choice. Not only did they give it a nice red, they also gave it a cream roof. This detail on a real '74 Challenger, is basically a vinyl top. Another thing that I like about this casting, is how it features an opening hood. I hope Matchbox continues to use this casting, as it's nice to finally have a new Challenger model to collect. 

Okay readers, let me know down in the comments, what your rating for this piece would be.

As always, happy diecast collecting!