White Booth Wednesday #64

It's once again time for another Wednesday showcase here on the boulevard. Here's this year's final weekly vehicle.

  Vehicle: Ducati 1199 Panigale

Series: 2017 Hot Wheels Moto

Boulevard rating: 9

How I feel about this release: The design applied to this release might be simple, but it's what I like the most about this release. And there's a specific reason for that as well. After doing some digging on the internet, I found out that this release is basically a replica of the Panigale Tricolore edition from Ducati. I love seeing Hot Wheels models that have design aspects from the real vehicle. So in my opinion, this is one HW Moto that you too should have in your collection.

So collectors, what would be your rating for this release? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. As always, happy diecast collecting!

Looking At: 2021 Hot Wheels Flying Customs - Mix 1

Okay diecast collectors, it's once again time to check out a full assortment from Hot Wheels. The Flying Customs are back for 2021, and the first eight vehicles are the topic for today's review. As you all know, the vehicles featured in this set are usually given flashy designs, and older wheels from a bygone era of Hot Wheels. Those two things are why I'm glad they decided to continue doing these. One of the interesting things about this assortment, is that it's the first one to not feature any Hot Wheels fantasy cars. The first assortment had the Audacious, and the second assortment had the Blvd. Bruiser.

Now if you're a fan of older American cars, then you're in for a treat because this set features some nice models that I'm sure you'll love. I should also mention that one of the vehicles from this assortment isn't American, but it's still a model that is sure to be loved just as much. With that said, let's get things started.

The first vehicle for today's review, is the '71 Dodge Demon. I had to start with this car, as it's the main one I was trying to get. This is because it was given a cool design that consist of stripes and flames. And let me not forget to mention that it's exterior was finished in a great looking orange. Now black and gold might have been the only colors that were used for the design, but I think it's the perfect combination to go with the orange that was used.

As much as I like flame designs, I think it was a great idea to only place the design on the sides of this release. Sure... this set is all about flashy customs, but I think the side design is good enough for this Dodge Demon. Of course that's just me, and maybe you would have preferred for the top to be decorated as well.

The wheels are another reason why I really wanted this one. This is one of the vehicles from this set that was given the old BW wheels. Not all of the vehicles in this assortment got these wheels, but I'm glad this one did. I mean... we might not ever see another release of this casting with these wheels. Now I usually would have preferred for the wheels to be chrome, but I actually kind of like how this release looks overall with gold wheels. Plus, the gold does go with the design.

Remember how I said that one vehicles from this assortment isn't American, but it's still a model that is sure to be loved just as much? Well the next vehicle is the Custom Volkswagen Beetle. This little fenderless Beetle is awesome, and I'm glad they decided to use it for a Flying Customs assortment. As you all know, there are multiple versions of this casting. For this assortment, Hot Wheels chose to use the one with the roof rack.

This is one of the models that features a flashy color and design. In my opinion, it has the looks of being a Hot Wheels release from the '90s. Actually... what I should say, is that it looks like it's straight out of 1989. Back then, Hot Wheels released a cool looking VW Bug. That release's color and design were re-imagined for this Custom Volkswagen Beetle release. So basically, it's exterior was finished in turquoise, and it was given a similar styled design that uses similar colors. 

The decision was also made to add the design to the the hood as well. This is something that wasn't done to the 1989 VW Bug release. Now that release did have a design on it's top half, but it was applied to it's roof.

Like the one this is based on, this too has the old BW wheels. And thankfully, they chose to give them a chrome finish. Any other wheel color would have made it not match the 1989 VW Bug release.

The next vehicle from this assortment, is the '71 Mustang Mach 1. This is one of the other vehicles from this set that features a flashy design. But first, I need to make mention of how I like it's exterior color. For this release, the designers chose to use yellow, which is always an okay color for a Mustang in my opinion. One thing that I thought was interesting about this release, is how it was given a red interior. I actually don't have an issue with this decision. In my opinion, it contributed to the "Flying Customs" look.  

The stripe design created for this Mustang is really cool, and I like how the designers made it span across the entire length of it's sides. The hood of this release was also decorated with the theme from the sides too. Now for it's colors, the designers chose to use black, gold, and red. I'm not quite sure how the diecast community feels about this combination, but I personally think it looks great. 

I'm so glad the BWs were used for this release. Like the Dodge Demon, these wheels are one of the other things that made me want this Mustang. The last time collectors got one of these Mustangs with these wheels, was back in 2012. Also like the Demon, this one's wheels were given a chrome gold finish.

The '73 Pontiac Firebird is the fourth vehicle from this assortment. I'm actually really glad this is one of the vehicles that got used. I know it had two recent multipack releases, but I don't have those. I stopped paying attention to those packs back in 2016 when I started to notice them being returned altered. It's kind of sad if you think about it, because if you're like me, then you end up missing out on some great multipack only releases. And this casting is one of them. Five packs are the only ones I still get. Anyways... that's enough about it's multipack releases, because today is all about this Flying Customs release.

I think the design team did a good job with this one, and I especially like how it was finished in metallic purple. Compared to some of the other designs from this assortment, this Firebird's design might seem a little subtle. But I think it's more than good enough for this car. I only wish they had decided to decorate the hood as well. So for it's sides, the designers chose to make a simple design that features a yellow and a orange stripe.

I'm a little disappointed with their decision to not use the BW wheels for this release. Instead, they chose to use chrome 5SPs. So far, the 2019 Target Throwback release is the only one that has the BWs. I really can't understand why they picked one of the currently used wheels for a special release like this. Most of the diecast community might not have a problem with this choice, but I just think they should have taken the opportunity to use some old school wheels for this Firebird.

Up next, is the '67 Custom Mustang. I actually don't have that many of these in my collection, which is sad (currently crying a river). Out of the releases that I have, the 2016 Hot Wheels Garage release was the only one that I really liked. That of course is no longer the case, because I now currently like this Flying Customs release just as much.

The exterior color picked for this one is white. Now it might not be as cool as the metallic blue that was used for the Hot Wheels Garage release, but I feel it was not a bad choice. Using this color allowed the designers to utilize red, dark blue, and blue for the design. The design itself consist of multiple stripes that all start after the front wheel arch. The two blues were used for the center stripe, and red was used for the other stripes.

The decision was made to leave the top half of this Mustang plain. I actually have no issue with this decision. Similar to the Dodge Demon, I think this release's side design is good enough.

I guess the designers fell in love with the look of chrome gold BWs, because they once again chose to use them. I'm not saying they make this Mustang look bad, but what I am saying, is that it's interesting how they chose to use chrome gold again. I think this Mustang would have looked just as nice with chrome wheels. But I guess chrome gold does help with the "Flying Customs" look.  

The sixth vehicle from this assortment, is the Custom '67 Pontiac Firebird. This is still one of my favorite Firebird castings from Hot Wheels, and I'm glad they decided to pick it for a Flying Customs assortment. I don't know how you feel about it, but I love how it doesn't have a hood. In my opinion, that is what makes it a great casting for this kind of themed set.

This release's design might be nice, but the blue that was picked for it's exterior color is what I like the most about it. Now I'm sure you all remember the American Steel release of this casting. Basically, the design created for this one is somewhat similar to that one's design. It features a similar styled stripe design along it's sides with a number circle, as well as the number 67. It's worth noting that the number is stylized differently than one on the American Steel release. 

The colors used for the stripes are red and orange. The red is okay, but since the design is similar to the one on the American Steel release, I feel they should have used a different color instead of orange. Now if I throw that opinion out the window doing 100 MPH, then I can say that it's not a bad combination of colors.

Looking past it's similarities, this design overall does have enough things about it to make it different. Instead of starting after the wheel arch, the stripes on this one basically start on the door, and both ends of them are slanted. What truly makes this design different though, is the addition of a slanted checkered design was placed in front of the stripes on the fenders.

Sadly, this is another one of the vehicles from this assortment that was given chrome 5SPs instead of BWs. I'm very disappointed with this decision. Most of this castings releases were given the 5SP wheels. As such, I would have been really liked to have seen one of these with the BWs.

The seventh vehicle from this set, is the '86 Monte Carlo SS. I know most of you will be happy to see another release of this casting, but I'm a little disappointed. I'm sure you all know that this isn't the only 80's casting that Hot Wheels has. I would have personally preferred the '84 Hurst Olds instead of another release of this car. Besides getting a 2020 mainline release, the '86 Monte Carlo SS was also released in the 2018 50th Anniversary Throwback, as well as the 2019 Throwback. The last release of the '84 Hurst Olds was in 2016. Oh well... maybe one day we will get another one.

Alright, now that I got that little gripe out of the way, it's time to focus on this car. Overall, this release is not too bad. It was finished in a nice bright shade of red, and given a design that's pretty cool. Along it's sides, is a design that features white, yellow, and black for it's colors. I should also mention that the entire theme from the sides was utilized to decorate the hood.

Aside from being a little disappointed with the choice to use this casting, I'm also disappointed in the wheel choice. For some reason, the designers chose to use chrome gold 5SPs for this release. I really wish they would stick to using the less used wheels for these releases. I'm know some of you won't have a problem with this choice, but I call it like I see it.

The eighth and final vehicle from this assortment is the '68 El Camino. I know everyone will be happy to see another release of this casting, and if not, then I guess I'm alone. I have always liked how this casting looked with it's big ol' V8 mounted just behind the cab. Okay... that's enough drooling over the casting, let me get going with how this release looks.

So for it's exterior color, the decision was made to use black. Now this color might not be as eye catching as the colors used for the other vehicles in this assortment, but it was the perfect color to go with the design's colors. The designers doing what they do best, chose the flawless combination of white and gold.

Now the design itself is actually quite similar to the one featured on the '86 Monte Carlo. But there are some various things about it that make it different. Instead of the white stripe being at the top of the design, this one's white stripe was placed at the center of it. The next thing that's different, is the location of the third stripe. It was placed above the other two stripes, and is much thinner than the black stripe that's on the Monte Carlo. 

This top half of this release was also given a design, and I like how it wasn't just the hood that got decorated. Instead of creating a similar styled design, the designers chose to use stripes. These start on the hood and finish on the roof.

Chrome gold 5SPs are the wheels that were picked for this release. Basically, how I felt about them being used for the '86 Monte Carlo, is how I feel about them being used for this El Camino. So I'm not going to say anything else about them. In fact, I'm just going to ignore the wheels since I like everything else about this release.

Despite me not liking all of the choices made for these vehicles, I can honestly say that this assortment was not bad at all. I feel it's one of those assortments where collectors should go ahead and strive to add each of the vehicles to their collections. 

So collectors, are you going to add each of these to your collection? Or are there only certain ones that interest you? Feel free to let me and the rest of the diecast community know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Looking at. Until next time, happy diecast collecting.

White Booth Wednesday #63

It's once again time for another Wednesday showcase here on the boulevard. Here's this week's featured vehicle.

Vehicle: Cadillac Elmiraj

Series: 2017 Hot Wheels Factory Fresh

Boulevard rating: 8

How I feel about this model: In my opinion, white and black are two of the best colors for a luxury car. And I have to say, this Cadillac Elmiraj looks really good finished in white. Now the real car is seen with seven spoke wheels, but these chrome ten spoke wheels don't look too bad on it. I also like the tampo details that were applied to the front end of this release. Having the Cadillac emblem adds a nice amount of realism to this 1:64 scale diecast model.

So collectors, what would be your rating for this release? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. As always, happy diecast collecting!

Looking at: Hot Wheels Car Culture - British Horsepower

Hello diecast collectors! Welcome to another edition of Looking at. In today's post, I'm going to be going over all five of the vehicles from the brand new Car Culture British Horsepower assortment from Hot Wheels. This set overall is pretty cool, and it features some nice looking older vehicles. Now I should also mention that I was a little hesitant about getting one of them, but I will get to that a little later on in this review. For now, let's start with one that I got without hesitation.

The first vehicle for today's review, is the McLaren F1 GTR. As you all know, Hot Wheels has two versions of this casting. The original casting has a plastic wing, while the newer casting's wing is apart of the body. For this Car Culture release, the design team chose to use the original. It's kind of interesting how the newer version of this casting has yet to be released as a premium. Take the Nissan Skyline R34 for example, it's updated version is the only one that gets used for both basic and premium releases. At the end of the day though, I have no issue with the original being used for this assortment.

I want to now focus on how this release was given the Gulf livery. Some of the diecast community might be a little disappointed with this decision, and I can totally understand why. Back in 2019, Hot Wheels gave us a Gulf themed Car Culture assortment, and the McLaren F1 GTR is one of the cars that was apart of it. Now it's worth noting that there are actually multiple versions of the real Gulf sponsored car. In my opinion, it's nice to have diecast replicas of them. But I will admit that it's valid to want a premium one that's different.

The 2019 release was based on the dark blue one with the light blue design. This second release on the other hand, is based on the lighter blue one with the orange design. It also has a few design aspects that are different. Unlike the 2019 release, this one features the Union Jack flag underneath the F1 decal. This was made possible due to the design change of the number box. This detail is now slanted, and it was slid a little further back.

Now with the design, it's too bad they still didn't link the side with the top. Doing so would made the livery look more accurate.

Similar to the 2019 release, this too was given five spoke wheels. For this release though, the Hot Wheels designers chose to use the RR5SPM wheels. At first, I thought the RRE wheels might have looked a little closer to the real car's wheels, but my opinion changed after I took another look at the real car. I now think the wheels used for this release are much closer.

The next vehicle from this assortment, is the Jaguar Lightweight E-Type. I absolutely love this classic, and I'm so glad to see a third release of it. To be honest, it's my favorite car from this assortment. I really like how this one was given a different appearance. As you all know, the first two releases were given racing details. Now I'm not saying those details are bad, but it is nice to see one that doesn't have a number circle.

So for this release, the decision was made to make it white with blue stripes. Now obviously, I haven't seen a real one of these. As such, I once again had to turn to Google Images. Upon doing so, I came across an article talking about how one of these was sold at an auction for over seven million dollars. The one depicted in the photo was white with blue stripes like this release. So basically, I'm going to assume that this release is a replica. Even if it wasn't based on an actual one, I would still very much love this release. I feel white with blue stripes is a very nice color scheme for it.

The additional tampo details that were applied to this release, help to make it a good looking model. The front and rear have light details, while the sides were given some smaller details. I really like how they took the time to add details to the hood latch. This might be trivial for some, but details like this are a huge plus for me.

The Hot Wheels SRR wheels were once again used for this casting. Based on the real E-Type's wheels, this is was not a bad choice. But if the designers wanted to further make this release different from the last two, then they could have chose to use the RRS wheels. 

The next vehicle from this assortment, is the Lotus Esprit S1. This was the one that I was a little hesitant about getting. Now I will admit that this is a okay release of this casting, but there is a specific reason why I was hesitant. In a recent Looking at review, I went over the Fast and Furious Euro Fast assortment. In that review, I made mention of how I'm starting to reconsider buying $5.47 models that are slightly better versions of what already I have.

Back in 2016, Hot Wheels released a Lotus Esprit S1 in the mainline. Like this release, it was also finished in yellow. However, the yellow used for this premium release is a different shade than the yellow used for the 2016 release. But it's still yellow nonetheless. So basically, I feel things are starting to get a little repetitive. It is worth noting that this could be a good thing for someone who wants a yellow Esprit S1, and was unable to get the 2016 mainline release.

Now most of the diecast community might not have a issue with this release being similar to a previous release. It is a premium version after all, and it does have some additional details that aren't present on the mainline version that I've referred to. The front bumper was given light details. "ESPRIT" was applied to the front half of the top, and "LOTUS" was applied to the back half. A black tampo was utilized for some additional details. One of those details for example, is this car's window trim. 

Now the rear end has tail lights like the other yellow one that I have, but the colors used for them are a little darker. It's license plate section was given a black tampo coating with "SERIES 1" applied over it.  

For this release's wheels, the designers chose to use the RREs. As you all know, these are five spoke wheels. This is another thing that's similar to the basic one that I have. The 2016 release was also given five spoke wheels. Now most of you might not care about this, since these wheels are better than the 5SPs. But I just can't find a reason to keep getting releases that are so similar. 

This release's base color is one thing that helps to differentiate it from the yellow 2016 one that I have. The mainline one has black bumpers and a yellow base, whereas this one has black bumpers and a black base. Having a black base means that the lower half of this one's sides are black instead of yellow.

The Morris Mini is the next car from this assortment. What I like about this release, is that it was finished in a nice shade of orange, and given a cool looking racing theme. Now I should mention that it's somewhat similar to a 2015 mainline release that was also orange with a racing theme. However, unlike the Lotus, I feel this release has more than enough aspects that help to differentiate it from the aforementioned release.

The number box, as well as the decal placement, are only two aspects besides the color that make this release somewhat similar to the 2015 release. Aside from those two aspects, everything else is different.

Since this is a premium release, it features real-life aftermarket decals. Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with the fantasy ones featured on the 2015 release, but it's nice to see the decals of real companies. I think we can all agree that real-life decals add a good amount of realism to these little 1:64 scale models. 

With the racing theme, I really like how it's designer kept things simple. In my opinion, a model race car doesn't always have to have a flashy livery. Sometimes, all a model race car needs is a simple paint job to complete the look. And that's what I like about this Morris Mini. It's designer chose to make the roof, as well as the bolt-on fender flares white. What I'm assuming to be a hood scoop is also white. In all honesty, orange and white is not a bad color scheme at all.

Multiple sections of this Mini were given additional details. The front was given headlights. The sides were given silver door details. The rear end has tail lights, and some extra silver details. "MORRIS COOPER" was also applied to the rear.

I really like the wheels that were pick for this release, and I think most of the community will too. The decision was made to give it white RR8SP wheels, which I feel looks nice with the racing theme. Now obviously, eight spoke wheels are a completely different wheel than the five spoke wheels that were used for the orange 2015 release. As such, they are one of the other aspects that helped to make this one different. 

The Land Rover Defender 110 Hard Top is the last vehicle from this assortment. This casting made it's debut the Fast and Furious Furious Off-Road assortment, and this release is the second one in my collection. I don't have the previous two releases due to one being a special Period Correct release, and the other being one that I didn't quite fancy. Yeah... I didn't really care for the search and rescue theme that much.

This Defender overall is not bad, and I think it looks cool with the shade of green that was chosen for it. Further contributing to my likeness of the paint, is the fact that it's flat. In my opinion, these kind of rugged vehicles simply look great finished in flat colors. That's one of the things that I loved about the Fast and Furious release.

The roof being white, is one of the design aspects that I thought was interesting. Yet again, I had to visit Google Images to see a picture of this casting's real-life counterpart. In doing so, I found pictures of real Defender 110s with a white roof. So basically, this aspect seems to be realistic.

Now this release was also given a stripe design along it's sides, and thankfully it's not too wild. It's a simple white and black stripe with "DEFENDER" applied to the door section of it. Now from what I can gather, this stripe is actually the exact stripe that was available for this model's real-life counterpart.

The front and rear details on this model are not bad at all. The front features "LAND ROVER" and headlights. The rear features tail lights and some additional details that helped to complete it's exterior.

Black RR8DOT wheels are what was chosen for this release. All of the previous releases of this casting were also given these wheels too. Now since I like how this casting looks with them, I really don't have an issue with them being used again. 

Alright collectors, that's all five of the vehicles featured in this Car Culture British Horsepower assortment. Like always, if you have any thoughts on these models, feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Okay everyone, that's all for this edition of Looking at. Until next time, happy diecast collecting.

Today on the Boulevard: 2021 Matchbox - Mix 1

Okay collectors, welcome to another edition of Today on the Boulevard. For this post, I'm going to be showcasing the vehicles that I wanted from 2021's first Matchbox assortment. Sadly, I wasn't able to find all of the ones that I wanted, which is why this isn't a My Want List post. Now despite not being able to find everything, I was able to get most of what I wanted. As I like to say, something is better than nothing Especially when you can't hunt as much due to you know what. So with that said, let's get started.

Checked off of my want list first, is the '71 Porsche 914. This is actually the main one that I wanted from this case. Although this Matchbox casting isn't new, it is a new addition to my garage. Before this one, all I had was two releases from Hot Wheels. The first one, was the 2017 Car Culture release with an Urban Outlaw theme. And the second one, is the off-road themed one that was released not too long ago. So I'm glad to finally have a non modified looking Porsche 914.

I can honestly say that I really like what they did to this release, and I'm not just saying that because it's the first one in my garage. What I like, is how the designers chose to make it white with a red stripe. Now this is actually somewhat realistic. In 1974, Porsche decided to make a limited edition version of the 914. One of the color schemes available was called creamsicle, and that's what this release is based on. 

Like the real creamsicle '74 914, this '71 914 is also sporting red wheels. Now since Matchbox doesn't necessarily have a wheel that looks like wheels featured on the real car, they decided to use their 6 Spoke Sport wheels. I don't know how you feel, but I think they were an okay choice. And they honestly don't look bad on this model.

The next car that got checked off of my want list, is the 1962 Plymouth Savoy. Matchbox has done it again! They have given me another beautiful classic car to collect. This release is one example of why I think Matchbox is a good brand for collectors that like older American cars. I really like the exterior color that was picked for this first release. I think these old American cars look great finished in black. Now I'm not saying they wouldn't look nice finished in other colors too, but I just feel black gives them a classier look if you know what I mean.

Aside from the color, I also like the tampo details that were applied to this release. The front end is the only section of it that didn't get any details though, but that's okay. The details applied to this model are seen on the sides, as well as the rear. Both of these sections feature this car's chrome molding. The sides were also given this car's letter emblem. The rear was given tail lights and a red plate with "Savoy" applied to it. All of these details helped to make this a fantastic model in my opinion, and I'm glad Matchbox didn't decided to not add them.

For this release's wheels, the Matchbox designers thankfully went down the period correct route by using their disk wheels. It doesn't get any better than that!

Speeding off of my want list next, is the 2003 Nissan 350Z. This is another new model in my garage. All I had before this one, was a couple of the modified ones from Hot Wheels. So like the 914, I'm glad to finally have a non modified looking version of this car. Now for this release, the designers decided to make it feature a white and gold color scheme. I don't know about you all, but you can never go wrong with white and gold. And it doesn't matter if it's white with gold stripes or gold with white stripes, it all looks good to me.

The overall design on this release is pretty cool in my opinion, and it features multiple sections. A single gold stripe starts after the front wheel arch, and continues to the tail lights. And a small gold triangle was placed above it after the side window. The second section is basically the stripes design from the 370Z Anniversary Edition. I should also mention that the side skirt was given a black tampo coating. This was a interesting design choice, and of course, I don't mean that in a bad way.

Now this release was also given some additional details, and this unfortunately doesn't include the front end. The sides were given the Z emblem, and the rear was given tail lights. It is a little disappointing that the rear wasn't at least given a emblem or a custom license plate. I feel it should have featured something just to make the rear not look so plain, especially since the front was not given any details.

The wheels used for this model, are the 5 Spoke Superfast Sports with a gold finish. Gold wheels complement the theme of this release nicely, but I wish the color used was closer to the gold used for the design. But that's just me, and the color difference isn't that bad.

Up next, is the '56 Jaguar XK140 Roadster. I just can't get enough of this wonderful classic Jaguar, and I like how the collectors in my area always leave it behind. Each time these are released, it is usually the main licensed car that's left. I know we all have our likes and dislikes, but I can never figure out why this one is not loved as much. Anyways, this is another great release of this casting, and it was once again finished in a great color. For this release, the designers chose to utilize the light blue that I feel is a perfect color for these old sports cars.

As you all know, the first three releases of this casting were given different colored interiors. To my surprise, this fourth release was given the same interior color as the third release. I'm not saying black is a bad interior color for this light blue Jaguar, but it would have been nice to see a different color used. Just to throw an idea out there, I think white could have been a cool interior color for it.

Now for the most part, this release features the same front and rear details that were applied to the other three releases. There is however, one detail that's slightly different. The detail in question, is what the license plate says. The other three featured a plate that had the number 56 on it after the letters, whereas "Jaguar" was the only thing that was applied to this one's plate. For me, this is okay because it helped to add some variety among the releases.

The wheel choice is one of the other things that I like about this release. The first two releases were given the Matchbox ten spoke wheels. Thankfully, the designers chose to use the disk wheels like they did for the third release. These look way more period correct than the ten spoke wheels in my opinion.

The next car from my want list, is the 2018 Dodge Charger. This cool American car made it's debut in 2019, and is now on it's third release. Since the second release was finished in blue, that one should obviously be my favorite right? Well not this time. This third release was given a color that I think makes this car look just as great. Grey is the color that was chosen, and it's a grey that does appear to be based on Dodge's Destroyer grey.

The front and rear of this release received the same details as the first two, which is fine because detailed lights are always a welcomed sight on any diecast model. There is one detail that I wish was changed or altered. The detail that I'm taking about is the license plate. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this release has one, but I wish the plate had different text. It's basically the same plate that was applied to the green release. "Charger" is what the plate says, and I think they could have taken the time to come up with something different.

For this release, the Matchbox designers chose to once again use their 5 Spoke Superfast Sport wheels. Now what's nice, is that they made them black. I'm so glad they went with this wheel color. In my opinion, real cars from Dodge that are Destroyer grey with black wheels look cool. And I feel black wheels make this diecast version model look just cool.

Next up, is the Mercedes-Benz S123 Station Wagon. I'm still glad Mattel has the legal okay to use Mercedes again, as it's leading to some fantastic models for us to collect. And over on Instagram, Hot Wheels showcased a brand new Mercedes-Benz casting. But that's a story for another time and post. For right now, it's all about this fifth S123 release.

Once again, the Matchbox designers chose a nice color for this model. And I'd describe it as being based on Maple yellow, which was a color that appears to have been available for the real car. Even if it wasn't, I'd still think it was a great color for this classic Mercedes.

Aside from the exterior color, I also like the interior color. For this release, the designers chose to give it a maroon interior. As you all know, the last two releases of this casting were given a grey interior. Now that is okay, but I think maroon is a much better looking color than grey, and it combines nicely with the exterior color. So I'm glad things were switched up for this release. 

As far as the front and rear details are concerned, they are basically the same as the other basic releases of this casting. Although the same, the license plate does feature different text. This time, "M-B WGN" is what was applied to the plate. In case you didn't know, this basically says Mercedes-Benz Wagon.

Now for the wheels, I really don't have to make mention of them, as they are obviously the Ringed Disk. In all honesty, this is the only wheel for this casting as it's the closet to the real car's OEM wheels.

The last one that I was able to get, was the 1968 Dodge D200. This mighty truck made it's debut back in 2019, and has now had four great releases. What I like about this one, is how it doesn't feature any of the same colors that were used for previous releases of it. With that said, I love how the designers chose to use a very cool shade of light blue for it's exterior. Now I'm not sure if the real truck had a similar blue available, but in my opinion, the color used for this release looks like one that might have been used for vehicles back then. Of course I might be wrong, as I'm no expert.

Similar to the Mercedes, this D200 has an interior that's not black or grey. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing bad about releases with those interior colors, I just feel those colors are more common. Plus, having a different colored interior can ultimately liven up the model. And I feel that's what this releases interior did. So for this release, the designers chose to give it a light brown interior.

Like most Matchbox releases, this release pretty much has the same details that were applied to the previous mainline releases of it. So basically, that's the side trim and fender emblem. To be honest, I like this truck way too much to care about it's mainline releases not having front or rear tampo details.

The 2 Ringed 8 Dot wheels were once again used for this casting. Now most of you might disagree with me, but I think the entire wheel or just the rim should have been left black. This would have made it look closer to the one depicted on the card. Aside from the card art, I personally like how light blue vehicles look with all black wheels.

Okay collectors, that's all of the vehicles that I was able to get from this case. Now obviously the Divo is the one I was unable to get. If your not new to the boulevard, then you'd know that I was able to get the first release of it. So if I'm perfectly fine with the possibility of not being able to get the new one. 

So did you have a favorite from this case besides the Divo? If so, go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Welp... that's all for this edition of Today on the Boulevard. Until next time, thanks for reading and happy collecting.