I'm going to start with the basic Fast and Furious assortment from Hot Wheels. This five car set, was honestly a real let down. Most of the models in this set have been used before. I do wish they'd make replicas of the other cars from the initial movies. Thankfully, not all is bad with this set, as it does feature one new replica. Now, before I get to the one that's new, I thought I share why I got the '71 Plymouth GTX first.
In case you didn't know, I do have the premium version of this Plymouth. So I really didn't need to get this one. I made the decision to get it because it has two features that make it slightly different. The interior is the first of those. Unlike the premium one, this basic one doesn't have the roll cage interior. The wheels are the next. As you already know, the premium version has bronze wheels. On the other hand, this one has black and chrome wheels. At the end of the day, I just felt that it'd be cool to have a slightly different version of this casting with this theme.
Since it's new, the Dodge Challenger Drift Car is definitely the best one from this assortment. Fans of this car might be disappointed that it isn't the actual off-road car with the bars, but I have absolutely no issue with this casting being used. In fact, I'm quite glad they didn't make a new casting for this replica. You might disagree with me, but I feel this casting looks really good with the theme.
There's really no need to even talk about the other replicas from this assortment, however, I do want to quickly talk about the Skyline. When I found these in Walmart, the pegs were full. But for some reason, Brian's Skyline was the only one that wasn't there. I really can't understand the hype with this year's release of it. After all, it's not even the best version. Once again, Hot Wheels chose to release it without the top stripes. So this is basically the same basic one that's been released a few times already.
(Here's a picture of an older basic release.)
To be honest, it if they're not able to make any of the other cars, then maybe it's time to move on from Fast and Furious. I mean... there are only going to be two more movies. Alright, let's move onto the Matchbox assortment.
The next assortment of the Target Retro Series is out, and there really wasn't that many I wanted from it. I really feel they could have used some better models. Although there were a few I didn't care for, last year's set overall featured many models that I liked. And that's why I was excited to see that we were going to get more of the Retro Series this year. If you read my Retro Series mix 1 post, then you already know how there was only one release I didn't get. Not wanting one release is to be expected from a lot of diecast assortments. I just wasn't expecting to only like a few. Among the seven vehicles in this assortment, there were only two that I really cared for. I ended up getting a third one, which I will talk about last. So let's start with the two I liked.
The main one that I liked from this assortment, is the '71 Pontiac Firebird Formula. I mean... who wouldn't like this Firebird casting. Anyway, this was a must get for me. I only had one other release in my collection before this one. So it's nice to finally have another good looking one.
As you can see, this release was finished in red, and it features a simple design along it's sides. The hood was obviously decorated with the bird, which is a design that will never get old. The only thing I can say about it, is that I wish they incorporated some silver into it's color scheme. This would have made it match the design along the sides.
The Lamborghini LM002, is the next one I liked from this assortment. Like the Firebird, this too is the second one in my collection. On a side note, the red 2016 release was the first one I got. This was right around the time when I got into collecting Matchbox. Anyway, I kind of like this one a little more than my first one. This is due to it's exterior color, which is a shade of blue that I haven't really seen used that much.
The front and rear feature the same details that were applied to the 2016 one that I have. I am a little disappointed with the fact that the license plate section has a similar detail. Although it's a little different, it once again features a white square with "LM002." Honestly, it would have been cool if they created something a little different for this section.
Alright, so like I said, there was one more vehicle that I decided to get. That vehicle, is the '95 Custom Chevy Van. One of the interesting things about this release, is how the sides of it feature "Matchbox vanner." I don't know about you, but I didn't know vanner was a word. As such, I decided to look up the meaning of it. According to various sites, this word means someone who owns and drives a customized van.
As you all know, this casting has a variation. One features a dirt bike, while the other one has a spare wheel. I'm pretty sure this release will also have the variation too. But you'll have to try and confirm this for yourself, since it's not exactly easy to find things anymore. The dirt bike variation is the one I got, and I'm actually glad. It's the one I like the most.
I don't have pictures of them, but the other releases are as follows: '70 Datsun 510 Rally, Jeep Cherokee, Express Delivery, and Wildfire Rescue Truck. The 510 is the exact same as the one that was released in 2019. So there was no need to get it again. I really hope the next assortment is a little better, but only time will tell.
To be fair, you might very well like both of these assortments, and I could totally see why you would. You could be a collector who didn't yet have any of the models that are available in the Fast and Furious one. So you'll definitely have this assortment on your want list. You could also be a collector that absolutely loves everything from Matchbox. So you'll like everything from this Retro Series assortment. I might love both of these diecast brands, but I just simply didn't like most of what was offered. It's like I said in the intro, being an opinion blogger, means that it's my job to be honest with how I feel about a product.
So, how do you feel about these two assortments? Do you also think they could have been better, or do you completely disagree with my opinion of them? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. That's all for today's post. Till next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.
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