I knew I'd eventually find two of the releases, but I didn't think I was going to find all four. I mean, they're all great castings, but the first two I'm going to talk about are obviously the stars of this mix. Although, some of you might feel that way about the other one I found. Anyway, I really thought I'd never see these two, and there's a reason why I was especially worried about one of them.
So what release was I worried about? Well, it's none other than the 2020 Corvette C8. In case you didn't know, I was unable to find the second release of this casting. I had the blue one, but I really wanted to have the red one. Last year, there were many times where I came across full pegs of the mix it was supposed to be a part of, but it was the one release I never saw. In fact, it almost seemed like it didn't exist. So I thought it was going to be the same story with this year's release. Thankfully, history didn't repeat itself.
Maybe I'm missing something, but the C8 seems to be as popular as a Datsun 510, and I really don't know why. Sure, it's a stunning car, but I don't see why they're being hoarded. And I actually still don't know why the 510 is hoarded either. Anyway, Matchbox's version of the C8 is the one I like the most due to its overall proportions, so I'm glad I was able to get another release of it.
For obvious reasons, the debut release of this casting is still my favorite, but I can't deny how remarkable C8 looks finished in black. Now, if it was up to me, I would have given this release black wheels instead, but I can live with the wheel color they picked. I just think this release would have stood out a little more if it had black wheels.
Although I like this release, I do have to admit that I'm disappointed with the license plate they gave it. Once again, they gave this casting a plate that says the name of this car. I feel they could have came up with something better than "C8 VETTE." Other than that, this is a really good release.
I'm sure most of you like when both brands make the same car, and I will admit that I do too. However, I think it's even better when one of the brands makes a different version of the car. That's actually what I thought Hot Wheels should have done with their version of the C8. In my opinion, they could have made the convertible version, or one that depicts the car with its roof panel removed. Anyway, Matchbox has finally created their own version of the Porsche 918 Spyder, and I truly appreciate how they steered clear of making a casting that's the same as the Hot Wheels one.
This Matchbox 918 depicts the car with its roof panel attached, and its windows rolled up. The roof panel isn't the only nice thing about this casting's design, though. There are two additional features that I really like, and one of them is seen along its sides. Unlike the Hot Wheels version, this one features side-view mirrors. I think we can all agree that it's nice to see them incorporated into the overall design of a casting. Having them adds a lot of realism to these little cars.
The second feature is seen on the back half where the engine is, and I think it's a feature that makes this version slightly better than one from Hot Wheels. In order for it to have a detailed engine section, the Hot Wheels version has to have a tampo. Unlike that version, this one's engine section is not a part of the body. I, for one, think this is a much better design because it eliminates the possibility of a release not having a detailed engine section. That's actually the main thing I didn't like about the last release of the Hot Wheels version.
Having the license to use Toyota again has made it so we've gotten some cool new castings from both of Mattel's brands. But that's not the only good thing about the renewed license. Like a few other vehicle manufacturers, Toyota also has a luxury car division, and I'm sure you all know that it's Lexus. Now, there has been a few Lexus releases from both brands, but the division was never frequently used. So I guess you could say that the releases are kind of rare. Fortunately, it looks like that could be about to change, since Matchbox has made the 1994 Lexus LS 400.
This is a very nice casting, and I like how it has a multi-piece design. Sure, the lower half won't be able to have the same paint as the top half, but that's only an issue when they decide to do a single colored release. And it's only really noticeable when a metallic paint is used. Having a multi-piece deign makes it so we can have a release of a casting with a complete two-tone color scheme. Designing it the other way would have made it so they'd have to used a tampo for the second color, and it most likely wouldn't have been applied to the front or rear bumper. Now, some of you out there might have preferred for it to be designed the other way, but I think it's nice to have a casting that's able to have a cool two-tone color scheme.
There are pros and cons to a lot of things in this world, and this casting is not exempt. As much as I like the multi-piece design, I do have to admit that it's not perfect. Due to it being a mass-produced separate piece, the wheel arch section does not line up properly. Now, I can live with the imperfection because it's not that bad, but it might be something you care about. So that's why I'm pointing it out. I suspect that some of these will be better than others, but you'll have to do your own investigating.
The '76 Volkswagen MK 1 GTI Golf is the last one I needed to find, and I didn't just want it because it's a classic Volkswagen. Since its debut, this casting has had some okay releases, but I always wondered why all of them had to feature some type of design. Don't get me wrong, I do still very much like all of the older releases I got, it's just I was expecting to see a plain one. And after last year's Retro Series release, I started to think there wasn't going to be one anytime soon. Well, I was wrong.
It might not have been finished in a flashy color like the debut release, but this is definitely the release I've been waiting for. And to be honest, this car looks pretty good finished in silver. The one thing I don't like is how they chose to leave the rear end plain. If it was up to me, I would have at least given this release tail lights. But not having rear end details is something I can live with.
Hopefully there'll be more plain releases of this casting going forward, but if not, then that's fine because I'm completely satisfied with this one.
I can finally say that I'm done with my mix two want list. Overall, this mix had many great releases, and some of them instantly became candidates for this month's edition of Best On The Block. One of them is definitely going to be featured, but I might just pick another one. So be sure to visit that post at the end of the month. Well, I guess it's time to be on the lookout for the next mix.
So did you have a favorite release from this mix, or were there too many good releases to pick from? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Okay, that's all for this edition of My Want List. Until next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting. And remember, these are just toys.
No comments:
Post a Comment