Today On The Boulevard: 2022 Matchbox Moving Parts Case "D"

Hello, and welcome to another edition of Today On The Boulevard here on the Star Boulevard of Speed. It feels like it has been forever since I was last able to talk about any of Matchbox's moving parts. It's not like some of them haven't piqued my interest, it's just I haven't really been able to find them like that. Now, even though my chances of finding them are extremely low, I do like to keep a mental note of what's in each assortment. That way I'll know what to keep an eye out for whenever I'm out looking for diecast cars. After all, there's always a small chance you could come across that one elusive release. I mean, just last month I chance upon the AE86 from the Mountain Drifters Car Culture assortment. So that's why I don't completely ignore the Moving Parts series.

Once I got to the pegs, I immediately noticed one that was full. Initially, I though there'd be one or two releases that were missing. But no, the whole assortment was there. After I took some time look at each of the releases, I made the decision to only get certain ones. It's not that they are terrible releases, it's just I didn't feel the need to have them. And I'll briefly talk about why that is at at the end of this post. Now, before I get things started, I'd like to take a moment to apologize for some of the pictures you'll see in this post. I prefer to keep my diecast models sealed, and the Moving Parts releases are not packaged in the best packs ever. Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let's go over what I got.

The release that's considered to be this case's highlight will vary depending on the collector you talk to. But I'm sure many of you will say that that releases is the Henry J. Gasser. And you know what? This time I'm going to agree with the masses.

There were many great castings used for the 2021 Matchbox Collectors Series, and this was one of the ones that left me speechless. Not only did it feature an opening hood and a metal engine, it also featured a very beautiful design, and it was finished in a nice version of orange, too. So I really wasn't expecting too much from its next release. But I have to say, the designers have once again exceeded my expectations.

I knew they'd most likely give the next release a livery, but I didn't think it was going to be one that's based on a real-life aftermarket company's theme. I also didn't think it would feature any additional real-life sponsor decals, either. In my opinion, this release looks like something you'd see from Hot Wheels, and it shows how they are more than capable of rivaling them when it comes to decorating a release. So even though I love this brand for their plain releases, I have to admit that I'd love to see more releases like this from them.

No matter what brand you're into, there is always a car for someone, and that's especially true for people who like vehicles from Porsche. Over the year's, both of Mattel's diecast brands have released many cool 1:64 scale models of the manufacturer's various vehicles. I especially look forward to Porsche releases from Matchbox because they give us castings like the Carrera Cabriolet and non modified versions of Porsches like the 914. But most importantly, they give us the lower trim models, and that's exactly what they gave us in this case.

Now, I'm not Porsche expert, so that's why I took to the internet to see what I could learn about the Carrera. And from what I can gather, the "4S" in this releases name means that it's the turbocharged all-wheel drive version. Furthermore, according to the technical specs I found on Porsche's website, this release has two turbochargers. I also learned that it's a few steps down from the recent 911 GT3 that we got from Hot Wheels. 

Although I don't have a huge issue with both brands using the same color, I do have to admit that I'm glad this release wasn't finished in blue like the GT3 from Hot Wheels. I know it could have something to do with the licensing agreements, so I can't really complain about some of the color choices that are made for certain castings. But I do think it's better to do something different. Now, I know for a fact that there's going to eventually be a red Hot Wheels GT3. I mean... why wouldn't there be? I just hope it'll be finished in a slightly different version of red, but I'm sure some of you would welcome a release that matches this one.

Back in 2018, Matchbox put a huge smile on my face with the release of the '16 BMW I8, and I was really hoping to see many basic releases of it going forward. However, things haven't exactly gone the way I wanted them to. So far, there's only been four releases of that casting, and the third one was simply a re-release of the first one. There was a white one, but I have no idea where they sold the series it was in.

One year after the casting was released, Matchbox gave us a different version of the I8 that featured accurately opening doors. Once again, I was in awe, but I still wanted to see more releases of the other casting. Of course, I'd still be happy with an occasional Moving Parts release of the I8, but I thought the basic version was going to be the main one that I added to my collection each year. But to my surprise, the Moving Parts version is the one I have multiple releases of, and now I have third one.

I'm not going to say that I'm mad about them choosing to use this version again, but I do think dark grey would have worked better on the other casting. You won't be able to see it in my pictures, but the door is a slightly different shade of grey, and it's a very noticeable when a light is shined on the area. The previous release also had this issue. That's why I still like the basic version of the I8 more. 

I decided to take a picture of the previous release to give you a better example of what I mean. If you take a close look at the door, you'll notice how it is a slightly different version of orange. 

Despite my issue with the doors, I still appreciate this release. I mean, they could have stopped using both versions of the I8 all together. And that wouldn't have been good at all. So I'm happy to see a continued use of at least one version of this awesome car.

There are many times where I won't initially have my sights set on a release, but I end up getting it when I finally see it. Sometimes, it could be because I want to own at least one example of the vehicle, while other times I'll get a release because of a specific design choice that was made for it. And when it comes to the new 1961 Jeep FC that's in this case, both of the aforementioned reasons are why I chose to get it.

I actually didn't even know this vehicle existed, which is why I didn't know what to make of it when I first saw pictures of it. After all, it doesn't have the typical Jeep shape that so many of us are familiar with. In my eyes, its grill is the only Jeep-like feature, and its overall cab design reminds me of Ford's C-series trucks. So I had to once again turn to the internet, and sure enough, I found many pictures of Jeep's various Forward Control vehicles. Seeing the actual FCs made me want to have a diecast version, and I'm very pleased with how Matchbox chose to create one with a bed that lifts up.

So what about the design choices that were made for it? Well, as you know, I like plain releases, and I figured this could be one of the only plain ones. I mean, just look at it. A casting like this is bound to have many future shop truck themed releases. Of course, there's nothing with that. After all, I said that I wanted to see more decorated releases from Matchbox. 

Okay, those are the four releases I chose to get from this year's Moving Parts case "D." Although I consider the Henry J. to be the highlight of this case, I have to say that all four of these are equally nice. Now I'm going to briefly talk about the two I left behind.

One of the releases in this assortment is a blue C8 Corvette. So why didn't I get it if it's finished in my favorite color? Basically, I didn't feel like adding another blue C8 to my collection. I know it's a different blue, but I feel they should have taken the opportunity to use a different color for it. Especially since it's the first Moving Parts release of the car. Now, I do want to have at least one example of the casting in my collection, but I'm going to wait for a future release.

The second release of the Toyota FJ Cruiser is the other one, and I chose to leave it behind because I was simply not impressed with its color. For this year's release, the designers chose to make it silver with a white roof. It's not a bad looking color scheme, but I just didn't feel the need to have a silver FJ cruiser.

So what is your favorite release from this assortment? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Alright, that's all for this edition of Today On The Boulevard. Till next time, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.

White Booth Wednesday #153

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

Vehicle: Custom '01 Acura Integra GSR

Brand Or Series: 2016 Hot Wheels Night Burnerz

Boulevard Rating: 9

How I Feel About This Release: A lot of the releases that came after this one (minus the 2020 release) are cool. However, this one is still my favorite release. So why do I like it so much? Well, its exterior color is basically "Phoenix Yellow," and I have always thought the Integra looked superb finished in the color. Besides being a great color for this casting, it also makes this release stand out the most because it's currently the only yellow one. Also helping to make it stand out the most is the fact that it's plain, and it's one of the only plain releases, too. In fact, the recolor of this release is the only other one that doesn't have a design on it. But that release doesn't stand out as much because it's white, and there are three other white releases of this casting. So I feel this is one of the best examples of this casting. And if things continue to go they way they are going for it, then this release will most likely be my favorite one for many years to come.

 

So how do you feel about this week's featured vehicle? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. Till next time, happy collecting.

My Want List: 2022 Matchbox Mix 4 - It's All About The Classics

Hello, and welcome to another edition of My Want List here on the Star Boulevard of Speed. The latest Matchbox mix has finally landed in my area, and as usual, there were a few releases that I couldn't find. Now, I knew it was going to be difficult to find two of them, but what I didn't know was that it was also going to be difficult to find the '18 Dodge Charger. I guess using Dodge's "Plum Crazy" for its exterior was enough to make the release popular. Anyway, this mix has a few beautiful classic cars, and they are the ones I cared about the most. And thanks to the popular castings, I was able to get all of them. So with that being said, let's get this post started.

Three of the classics that I got are American, while the fourth one is European. The latter is very cool, but I was truly thrilled to see three classic American cars. Now, it's not like we don't also get those from Hot Wheels, but we just don't see certain classics from them. And even if we did, they'll most likely have a modified appearance. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that. After all, this year's release of the '59 Chevy Impala left me speechless. But Matchbox is currently the brand I look to for plain releases certain American classics, and the Plymouth Savoy is one of them.

To be honest, white is not the color I would have picked for a second release of this casting, but I'm not mad at their decision to use it. I mean, it's no lie that these old American cars also look nice finished in white. I just think they could have taken the opportunity to use a color that's a little more exciting.

So what color would I have picked, then? Well, there's many different ones to choose from, but the color they used for this year's release of the '60 El Camino is the one I would have picked. We don't typically see releases that are finished in that color, so using it would have really made a release of this casting stand out. And it would have definitely been one of my favorite releases for many years to come. Now, that's not the only color they could have used. In my opinion, cream yellow and seafoam green are also perfect colors for classics like this.

I know there's going to be more releases going forward, so hopefully they'll consider using colors like the ones I made mention of. And hopefully they'll think about picking different interior colors, too. Alright, let's move on to the next release.

There's been many times where Matchbox will make the same car as Hot Wheels, but it'll be a different trim. Then there's other times where they'll both make the exact same car, but one is a different model year. And the latest example of the aforementioned is seen with Matchbox's new '66 Dodge Charger, which is one model year older than the first generation Dodge Charger from Hot Wheels.

Among the releases that I wanted from this case, this is the one I was the most excited for. Hot Wheels first released their version of the first generation Charger back in the year 2000. And I missed all of its releases. After a while, I decided to turn to the secondary to see if I could find one for a reasonable price. Eventually, I found the 2010 Muscle Mania release, and it was listed for a price I was willing to pay. 

Although I was happy to finally have one, I still wanted more examples of the first generation Charger in my collection. But I wasn't willing to get anymore of them off of the secondary. That's why I'm glad Matchbox is able to make this casting. Thanks to this brand, I'll now have a chance at owning a many examples of the first generation Dodge Charger.

The one I got off of Ebay is deep in my collection, and I really didn't feel like trying to find it for this post. So I don't know if one casting is bigger than the other. However, in my eyes, this casting's proportions are just fine.

Besides the casting itself, I'm also very pleased with their decision to use a nice version of orange for this first release. I really don't have an issue with the usual colors they use for classic American cars, but it's nice to see a different one used. And orange is a perfect color for this car.

The '41 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe made its debut two years ago, and it has had consecutive releases like I wanted it to. Sadly though, I wasn't able to get two of them, and it's because they were a part of a set that was only sold at the worst store for diecast cars. And in my area, the set never really made it to the pegs. In fact, the '55 Cadillac Fleetwood is the only one I was able to find. At the end of the day though, that's just two releases, and it's not like there hasn't been any other nice releases of the casting. And this year's mix four has another nice one.

The only bad thing about missing the special release is that I missed my chance to own an example of this casting that's finished in blue, and it was a cool version of it, too. But that's fine because it's not the only vehicle color I like. And when it comes to certain cars, there are certain colors that I prefer over blue. One such example if that is orange, which is my preferred color for the McLaren F1. Anyway, in my eyes, this red is just as cool as the blue that was picked for the one I missed. I'll even say that it's the color I'd pick for a real-life version of this car.

Although I like this release, there is one thing I would have done differently, and it has to do with the color of its interior piece. Now, don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a classic car that's red with a brown interior. But if it was up to me, I would have given this release a white interior. Doing so would have made it stand out from the other releases that also have brown interiors. Alright, let's move to the last classic car I got.

Over the years, there's been some noteworthy releases from Matchbox as well as Hot Wheels. Sometimes, it's because of the casting itself, while other times it's because of a design choice that was made for it. So with that being said, the next release that I got is the '64 Austin Mini Cooper, and I feel it's a noteworthy release because of the exterior color they picked for it.

There's been many different releases of this casting since its debut, and a few of them are finished in the same color. So I'm glad they finally chose one that had yet to be used for this casting. Doing so has led to the creation of a very special release, and I feel it deserves a nickname. So I'm going to call it "Cotton Candy Coupe."

I also like how the designers chose to add white to this release, and I'm not just talking about the color of the stripes, either. As you can see, they also chose the color for its base and its wheels. For some, this might be the worst release, since it's not something you'd typically see driving past you. But it's not like it's an unrealistic example of this car. Look up "pink Mini Cooper" on the internet, and you'll find pictures of some that are finished in the color. Some of them even have white stripes as well.

So what about the interior piece? Well, for some reason, they chose to give this release a light grey interior piece instead of a white one. And the decision kind of makes me scratch my head. I mean, since this release is already on the wild side, why not just go all out? So not having a white interior piece is the one thing I don't like. 

Okay, those are all four of the classic cars that I had on my mix four want list. Now it's time to move on to the one modern vehicle I was able to get.

When you go down the diecast row, many of the pegs will usually have replicas of vehicles from the same few manufacturers. However, Matchbox's pegs will sometimes have a vehicle from a manufacturer that's not typically seen on any of the other pegs. One such manufacturer is Polaris, and they're currently able to make the RZR and the Slingshot. Now, to be honest, I'm not really impressed with the RZR. I don't know if it has to do with the licensing agreement, but for some reason, all three of its current releases are black. I know they have different colored designs on them, but that still doesn't change that fact that they are black. Thankfully, it's a different story with the Slingshot. There's already been three releases of it, and they are all different colors. And now they've given collectors a fourth one that's also a different color. 

I really like how another vibrant color was picked for this casting. I might love the blue one, but this color is something else! And I might just end up liking it more since it's not a color that's used often for licensed vehicles. 

Another thing I like is how they chose a different looking stripe design for the top of this release.The other three releases might have also had different stripe designs, but I feel they are somewhat similar to each other. In my eyes, this one is completely different.

The wheels are the one thing I don't like about this release, and it's because this is the fourth one with the 5-spoke wheels. Now, I'm not saying they are a bad looking wheel for this casting. However, I do think it'd be nice to see some variety between the various releases. So for the next one, I feel they should consider using the 6-spoke wheels or the split 10-spoke wheels. In my opinion, this casting would also look great with either one of those. 

Well, those are all five of the releases that I found. Hopefully I'll be able to get the other ones I wanted, but if not, then I'm satisfied with these. After all, the classic cars are the main ones I wanted.

So how do you feel about the releases that are available in this year's mix four? 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.  

My Want List: 2022 Hot Wheels Case "L" - Still Need More But That's Fine

Hello, and welcome to another edition of My Want List here on the Star Boulevard of Speed. It's a new month, and a new Hot Wheels mainline case has finally landed in my area. Now then, like the last few cases, there were once again many releases that I wanted to get, and I was able to get most of them. But as usual, there were a few I couldn't find. And as you probably guessed, they are the JDMs. At the end of the day though, they were not at the top of my case "L" want list. Yeah, that's right. I'm sure many of you think the new Honda casting is one of the stars of this case, and I'll admit that I'm looking forward to having it in my collection. But it's not why I was excited for this case.

So if it's not the Honda, then why am I excited for this case? Well, this case has three beautiful European rides, and they are the releases that I had at the top of my want list. And thankfully, I was able to find all three of them. In my opinion, they are the true stars of this year's case"L." So to start this post off, I'm going to talk about them first, then I'll get to the other ones I wanted. Alright, let's get started.

I don't know how things are for you in your area, but for me, the Hot Wheels id series basically doesn't exist. When they first came out, I would see the trays sitting for many weeks if not months. But that's no longer the case, and it's obviously due to Hot Wheels using better castings for the series. That's why I'm extremely pleased with their decision to use some of the id castings for the mainline. Doing so has given more collectors access to some of the awesome castings like the Automobili Pininfarina Battista. And it wasn't the only one they've decided add to the mainline, either. To my delight, they also chose to give collectors a mainline version of the '71 Lamborghini Miura.

The Miura might not be as stunning as today's Lamborghinis, but its styling will never get old in my book. It truly is a timeless classic European sports car, and that's why it'll always be one of my favorite vehicles from Lamborghini. So yeah, I'm definitely going to take the opportunity to have one on display. I just have to find another one.

As you all know, Matchbox has their own Miura casting, and I've missed almost all of its releases. Fortunately, I was able to get both of the newer ones, so it's not like I didn't have at least one example of the car in my collection. It's just I've spent many days wishing I had some of its early releases because I really like the colors they picked for them. And the 2011 release is one of the ones I really wish I had. That release was finished in orange, and like blue, I feel it's a great color for the Miura. So that's the other reason why this Hot Wheels release made it to the top of my want list.

Now that it's in the mainline, I hope to see many more releases of it going forward. As I've already said, the id series doesn't exist in my area. So it would be a real shame if this ended up being the only mainline release of this beautiful classic. Okay, let's move on to the other two stars of case "L."

The Miura wasn't the only Lamborghini from this case. Making its debut is the stunning Lamborghini Sian FKP 37, and I have to say, seeing it truly left me speechless.

As time goes on, Lamborghini's vehicles become more majestic. And in my opinion, the Hot Wheels designers did an excellent job re-creating this one's exterior features in 1:64 scale. This is absolutely an impressive diecast model, and I'm so glad they chose to make it for the mainline. Like you, I also came across pictures of the pre-release model, and I thought it was going to be a premium. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Being in the mainline makes it so more collectors have a chance at getting extras to have on display like I did.

When you look up this car on the internet, you immediately get pictures of a green one with gold wheels. I, for one, happen to think it's a great color scheme for the Sian, so I really glad they chose to use it for this first release. Now, I don't know if this green is an exact match, but I feel it's an accurate portrayal of the color Lamborghini used.

I'm also very pleased with how they chose to add tampo details to its front and rear. In my opinion, this model just wouldn't look right without them. Alright, now it's time to move on to the third one I had at the top of my want list.

When the Aston Martin V12 Speedster made its debut in last year's case"Q," I decided to do my usual internet search. That's when I came across an article that talked about three open-top super cars. I believe it was a Top Gear article, but it was late at night, so I don't quite remember. Anyway, the three cars depicted in the article were the V12 Speedster, the McLaren Elva, and the Ferrari Monza. Now, in the 2021 case "Q" post that I made, I said that I was hoping to also see McLaren's Elva. Well, I had no idea that Hot Wheels was in the process of making it.

Overall, this is a very well done casting, and I think it's great how it has the same proportions as the V12 Speedster. Oh, and like the aforementioned casting, this too has side-view mirrors. Looking at the two cars together makes me really wish they could also make Ferrari's Monza.

Now, I might really like plain releases, but I happen to think the real Elva looks awesome with the designs I've seen on it. So I'm actually glad the designers chose one for this debut release. I'm also pleased with the color they picked for its interior piece. It's not everyday that we see a black Hot Wheels car with a brown interior. As such, I feel it makes this beautiful model stand out even more.

I honestly can't wait to see the next release of this casting. Hopefully they'll create another nice design for it. Although, I won't be mad if they choose to give us a plain one instead. Okay, let's move on to the other releases I wanted.

In part one of my 2022 case "K" want list post, I talked about how there were four mainline sets that were all off to a great start. One of them was the Muscle Mania set, and I was thrilled to see it return for this year's mainline. Currently, Japanese and European cars are all the rage, and I feel that makes it so we don't get as many American cars as we should. So the Muscle Mania set makes it so we're guaranteed to get at least a few releases of America's hottest muscle cars each year. And I really like when they choose to use the older ones, too. Sure, the newer muscle cars are great, but they still aren't as appealing as the older ones. There's just something special about cars from a bygone era.So with that being said, I was very happy to see a new release of the mighty '69 Dodge Charger 500.

This right here is truly a fantastic release of this casting! Like the first two Muscle Mania releases, it too features a cool stripe design that's not too wild. And it's great how the stripes were also applied to its trunk. The sides of it also have a black scallop styled design, and seeing it for the first time made me scratch my head. Basically, I thought it was a pointless addition to this release because there's an orange stripe that runs along the lower half of its sides. But it doesn't stand out too much since it's black. So I don't mind it.  

Now, I'm not someone who would think about putting gold wheels on a classic muscle car. However, I'm not completely opposed to the idea because it can lead to the creation of something that's a little different. And it's always nice to see something different when it comes to diecast models. That's why I think it was a great idea to use gold Aero Disk wheels for this release.

The Dodge Challenger Drift Car first drifted into our collections back in 2011, and it has had some pretty cool releases since then. It was also used for a Fast and Furious assortment, too. In fact, that release is still one of my favorite ones. Why is that? Well, it's because it's currently the only one that doesn't feature a drift livery. Sure, this is a drift car, but it is nice to have an example of it that's a little different. Of course, the ones with a livery are still the best releases.

Now then, as you all know, this year's mainline has a set that's called "HW Drift," and the decision was made to use the casting for it. And I honestly think they've created a great livery for this year's release.

There's a saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words," and this release's livery says it all. Basically, it tells you what's under the hood. You see that elephant next to the rear wheel? That elephant is actually the logo for Dodge's Hellephant engine, and it's a rare crate engine that makes 1000 horsepower. I, for one, think it was a great idea to use engine's logo for a livery, and I feel the design choice has led to the creation of a very cool $1 mainline release.

I also appreciate the additional decals that were added. They didn't have to add any, but it's nice to see them. Now, if it was up to me, I would have also added the Sparco decal. In my opinion, that would have been a great addition to this release, especially since it has a red interior piece.

Sometimes, they'll create a drift themed release with two different colored wheels, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, I do like how that wasn't done for this this release. 

Ultimately, this is now one of my favorite releases of this casting due to all of the design choices that were made for it. Alright, let's move on to the next one I got.

The Rod Squad mainline set is actually starting to be one of the sets that I look forward to each year. Since its creation, there's been some interesting releases, and that continues to be the case with this year's set. So far, my favorite 2022 Rod Squad release is the '47 Chevy Fleetline, but that could change because there's still a few more releases to come. And the '68 El Camino that's available in this case is just as cool as the aforementioned casting.

Not only was this release finished in a nice color, it was also given a cool pinstripe design. And it wasn't just applied to its sides, either. For this release, the designers chose to also put pinstripes on its hood and roof. For a mainline release, it truly has an excellent amount of details. 

The designers also chose to give this release some rust details. Now, to be honest, depending on the overall design, rust details can sometimes be a hit or miss for me. But this time I feel they are a hit because they don't stand out too much. I mean, you can clearly see them, but they're not as noticeable as the pinstripes. 

If they continue to create releases like this, then yeah, the Rod Squad mainline set will definitely be something I look forward to each year. I guess you could say that its starting to be like the Muscle Mania set. In other words, its making it so we're guaranteed to have nice releases of some cool American cars.

Okay, those are all of the releases I was able to find. I might not have been able to find everything, but I can't complain because I was able to get all of these awesome releases. And as you saw, my display has two new beautiful exotic cars in it.

So what's your favorite case "L" release? Is it one of the ones that's featured in this post or is it one of the JDMs? 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.

White Booth Wednesday #152

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

Vehicle: '05 Dodge Viper SRT 10

Brand Or Series: 2016 Hot Wheels Gran Turismo

Boulevard Rating: 10

How I Feel About This Release: No matter what model year it is, the Dodge Viper will always be my all-time favorite car. And my preferred color scheme for it will always be blue with white stripes. But I have to say, black with red stripes is not a bad looking color scheme for the '05 Viper. So I'm glad they decided to give us at least one example of it with the color scheme. I also think it's great how they chose to go with metallic black instead of gloss black. For some, the latter would have been a better choice, but if you're like me, then you also like how the former looks when a light is shined on it.

 

So how do you feel about this week's featured vehicle? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments. Till next time, happy collecting.