Today on the Boulevard: More Hot Wheel 2020 Case H

Hello and welcome to another edition of Today on the Boulevard! After a long bout of sporadic diecast hunts, I was finally able to acquire three more vehicles from case H. One of these said vehicles, was very tough to find. This is one of those times, where I'm honestly glad the hunt for these is finally over. So without further ado, let's get right to it.

The toughest one to find for me, was the brand new '91 GMC Syclone. GMC isn't a vehicle name that you see too often in the Hot Wheels mainline. So this release is like a breath of fresh air, so to speak. Since I wasn't initially too into pickup trucks, I had to do some home work on this model. In doing so, I found some awesome facts. This model was a high performance version of the Sonoma, and there weren't that many of them made. Another awesome fact that I learned, was how it was powered by a turbocharged six cylinder motor.

In my opinion, this first release might just end up being one of the best releases of this casting. There are two key aspects of this model, that I feel make it so. The body color is the first of those two aspects. Since this is the '91 model, black was the best color possible for this first release. This is due to black being the only color that was available for this Syclone model year. The Hot Wheels RA6 wheels used for this release, are the second aspect. Like these wheels, the real life truck had slanted six spoke wheels. The only difference between these and the real ones, is the direction of the spokes. In other words, the spokes on these RA6 wheels, are facing the wrong way on it's passenger side. This is not a problem for me, since they are similar enough to the real wheels, despite the center of them not being chrome.

I absolutely love the Hot Wheels Screen Time mainline set. This assortment allows us collectors to have vehicles from various cartoons. With that being said, the TMNT Party Wagon is the next vehicle for this post. This casting is not the first Party Wagon from Hot Wheels. For those that didn't know, the first one was made exclusively for the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. At the time I thought this would only be a one and done thing. Thankfully though, Hot Wheels decided to make different casting for their mainline. And despite the obvious differences, like not having a visible interior, it's ultimately great that they decided to give everyone a chance to own a version.

I didn't always watch TMNT when I was younger. So just like the Syclone, I had to do a bit of homework. This particular Party Wagon, appears to be the original one from 1987. Based off of the pictures I'm seeing, Hot Wheels was able to get the cartoonish proportions right. Tampo details were applied to the front and top of this model. For this release's wheels, Hot Wheels went with their Aero Disk wheels. Even though the wheels on the Comic-Con version are closer to the actual wheels, I personally have no issue with the ones chosen for this mainline version. 

The last car for this feature, is the new '19 Corvette ZR1 Convertible. I fell in love with this version of the C7, the moment I first saw pictures of it. I personally really like design of the front end. For me, it makes this Corvette have an aggressive look. I would usually prefer the coupe version of a car like this, but I actually like this convertible version a lot. Unlike the other C7 releases from Hot Wheels, this casting features side rear view mirrors. This is always a welcomed aspect, and it's nice to see more Hot Wheels castings designed with them.

For this first release, Hot Wheels decided to go with an orange that appears to be based on Chevy's Sebring orange. Since I haven't seen one of these on the road yet, I'm not entirely sure if this shade is correct. As you might know from one of my previous post, I personally feel that certain colors are a perfect match for certain cars. And that's how I feel about this C7 with this color. The wheels featured on this model, are the Hot Wheels PR5s. Since they are similar to the wheels used on the real ZR1, these were the best wheels they could've used for this first release. This release was also given front and rear tampo details, which are always a welcomed sight.

In all honesty, I feel like we need a premium version of this casting. Having one, would make it so all this car's carbon fiber features could receive a black tampo coating. On the real car, the side vents as well as the wing, are carbon fiber. Despite these features not being black, this is still a really well done 1:64 scale recreation of the new ZR1.

Overall these models turned out great. With the Syclone, it will be interesting to see what the future has in store for it. With the C7 ZR1, I hope we eventually see a coupe version that has the taller wing. Alright racers, before you get back to racing, what are your thoughts on these models? And how do you feel about Hot Wheels making the convertible version of  '19 ZR1instead of the coupe? Feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Okay everyone, back to racing! Until next time, thanks for reading and happy collecting!

Successful Matchbox Hunt

Okay readers, welcome to another diecast feature. My most recent diecast hunt yielded some great results, and I was finally able to acquire the last few Matchbox cars that I had been looking for. It may have taken me a little bit, but I am finally done with this Matchbox case. So skipping any further small talk, let's go over what was added to the boulevard.

Debuting this year is the '95 Nissan Hardbody, which also happens to be the first one that I noticed on the pegs. Back when I first got into collecting again, I wasn't much of a pickup guy. Of course things are different now, and I'm glad Matchbox continues to give us collectors stock looking pickups. This model features a color and graphic that was available for the actual pickup. After comparing this to pictures of the real pickup, I feel that Matchbox did a great job recreating the OEM side graphic.

The ten spoke wheels given to this release, in my opinion, look way better than the OEM wheels that were used on the actual pickup. One of the things that's cool about Matchbox's pickups, is how their beds sometimes have additional features, which is the case with this Hardbody. This model's bed, has a spare wheel designed into it. What I like, is how it's the same wheel design as the wheels that were used for this release. This model also features a trailer hitch, which is another cool aspect that Matchbox gives their various pickup truck castings. All in all, this is a great casting, and I'm looking forward to all it's future releases.

The Audi R8 was the next car that I pulled from the pegs. At first, I though someone else beat me to it, but no. It was placed on the back of a peg behind a matte purple G-Wagen. This is one release that I'm excited to finally have. Now I do have the black 2008 Hot Wheels R8, and as much as I like that one, I prefer this Matchbox casting more. There are two main reasons for that. As a whole, I feel this casting has better proportions than the Hot Wheels one. The second reason, is due to this Matchbox version having side rear view mirrors. It's always a nice to see features like this, as it adds a extra touch of realism to the model.

I'm really digging the color that was given to this R8. In my eyes, it looks similar to Audi's daytona grey. Even if the color isn't exact, it's still a great looking color for this model nonetheless. With the wheels, I like their choice to make them black and chrome. Since Matchbox didn't use their five spoke wheels, I'd say they were going for slightly customized look with this release. And by slightly customized, I simply mean an R8 with aftermarket wheels. I personally like how this car looks with these split ten spoke wheels.

Pulled from the pegs next, was the 2018 Ford Mustang Convertible. This casting made it's debut last year, and has had three releases so far. Out of the three releases, this particular one has a few aspects that makes it my number one favorite. The color is what made this an instant buy for me. My opinion aside, you have to agree that this Mustang looks cool with this shade of blue. In fact I'd say this release is sporting Ford's lightning blue. It might not be the exact shade that Ford uses, but in my eyes it's close enough.

Like the real car, this model is also has five spoke wheels. This aspect for me, helps to give this model an authentic stock look. As with most Matchbox releases, this model also has front and rear tampo details. One of the cool details that was given to this model, is a California license plate. Aside from it being California's black and yellow plate, I really like how it reads ''WILD STANG.'' Just the fact that it has a license plate, is a huge bonus over the first two release that didn't feature one.

Like the Hardbody, the Polaris RZR is making it's debut this year. It's also the last vehicle that I needed. Having the legal okay to use Polaris, has led to some great castings. The first of which, was the Slingshot, and now it's with the RZR. Since the card doesn't say the model year, I decided to do some homework on the various RZR model years. Based on the shape of the front end, this appears to be the 2018 model.

For this first release, Matchbox decided to make it black with black wheels. This body/wheel color scheme always looks cool on vehicles like this. The sides of this model, were given a nice set of tampo details. The design featured on this model, is one that I feel, is befitting of a vehicle like this. I also like the colors that were used for it. Red and grey always makes a nice color combination over black. The sides also feature all the decals from the real life RZR XP 1000. I do hope we see many more releases of this casting, as there are numerous colors they could do.

This case overall was pretty good, and it featured some nice new models as well. I personally don't have a specific favorite from this case, but maybe you do. If so, go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Okay collectors, until next time, happy collecting!

White Booth Wednesday #43

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

Car: 1936 Ford Sedan Custom

Series: 2020 Matchbox Superfast

Boulevard rating: 10

What I like most: This is the second release of this casting, and it is just as good as the first one. Unlike the first release though, this one takes on more of a company car look. And I like how it features a realistic looking fantasy company logo. It was ultimately the paint job that made me want to add this one to the boulevard. And I'm not just talking about the gold that was used either. What I'm talking about, is the fact that this model was given a two tone paint job. When I got the all green first release, I hadn't even thought of how this casting would look with a different colored roof. Now that I have this one, I can honestly say that it looks fantastic. I also like how this release features the Real Rider wheels from Mattel's Hot Wheels brand. In my opinion, these particular ones always look good on classic cars like this.

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

As always, happy diecast collecting!

Looking At: Hot Wheels Fast & Furious Case H

Welcome back to the boulevard racers! 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 it's the new Fast & Furious assortment from Hot Wheels. And like all of these assortments so far, this one features some nice rides. The only car that's not being featured today, is Dom's RX-7. This as you know, is the exact same one that has already been released. And to be honest, I was a little disappointed when I found this out. However, since the card art is different, I decided to pick one up. Now that little mater is out of the way, let's dive right into the four cars that are new to my collection.

Dom's '71 Plymouth GTX is the main car that I wanted from this assortment. First things first though, I do have a small gripe with this casting being the one used. Despite the car in the movie being a GTX, I personally feel that Hot Wheels should've used their '71 Road Runner casting. If you go back and watch F8, or look at pictures of the car featured in the movie, you'll end up noticing certain aspects of it. And if you don't know what I'm getting at, take a close look at the movie car's hood and wing. Now take a close look at the '71 Road Runner casting from Hot Wheels. If you did that, you'll notice how the aforementioned casting has features that would've made it more of a movie replica than this casting.

Despite the body not having the exact features from the movie, I still love how this casting looks with Dom's theme. Black combined with dark bronze VN427 styled wheels, turned this into one stellar looking model. I also the the stripe design from these cars, and silver ones look great combined with the other aspects of this model. Another reason that I wanted it, was due to me only having one other release of this casting in my collection. One of the things that's different from the basic casting that I have, is the interior. This premium version features an interior that has one seat and a roll cage. As far as I know, the last time this version was used, was back in the 2011 Vintage Racing set. 

Dom's '70 Dodge Charger, is the next car roaring onto the boulevard. I missed out on getting the last premium version of this model. As such, I was delighted to find out that I would have another chance at getting one. This particular version appears to be inspired by the Charger seen in Fast & Furious. Unlike the one in the first movie that had chrome front/rear bumpers, the one seen in Fast & Furious had a black front bumper like this one. The only difference, is that the one in the movie still had a chrome rear bumper, where as this one has a black rear bumper. I personally like how this car looks with black front/rear bumpers. As per usual with premium Hot Wheels Chargers that are based on Dom's, this model features the RR5SP, which are basically Torq Thrust wheels.

The supercharger is one of the aspects that's different from previous releases of this particular model. Instead of being a chrome piece, the piece that was used is more of a brushed like material. I also like the details that were given to it. With the triple intake bug catcher, throttle butterfly details were added in the form of three red tampo dots. Further adding realism to this model's supercharger, is the black section on the front half of it. This gives off the look of a black pulley and belt.

The last two cars are going to be in the upcoming Fast & Furious 9, which is supposed to come out next year. So I don't currently know which scene they will appear in. With that in mind, I decided that I will go over the key aspects that I like from each car. So first up, is the Jaguar XE SV Project 8. Since it's blue, I had to go over this one first. And you know how I feel about blue. Color aside, this model features the exact design from the real life XE SV. So the sides feature the jaguar from their logo, and the top has the SV logo as well as the stripe.

On the real car, the stripe is present on the top of the trunk. However on this model, that isn't the case. The way I see it, the wing being apart of the body, impeded the placement of the stripe. This however, is a small issue as the stripe does still continue down the back half of the car. Body wise, I do feel like this model would've look closer to the real XE SV with a separate black wing. Overall this is still a fantastic release, and movie relation aside, this is now my new favorite release of this casting.

From the images that I'm seeing, it seems like the '17 Acura NSX is going to be driven by Tej Parker. You can never go wrong with a silver NSX with black wheels. This is one of the reasons that I like the Fast & Furious premium set. Though highly unlikely, it is possible that we collectors may have never gotten this car in this color. In the tampo department, there isn't much to talk about with this release. This is due to it featuring the same front/rear tampo details, that are present on all the other basic releases of this NSX. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no issue with how this model was done. And I'm happy to have been able to add this to my garage. Taking the movie aspect out of it, I feel that if you're a fan of Honda's/Acura's NSX, then this release is a must for you!

Okay racers, now I turn to you. Were you disappointed with the RX-7 being re-released in this case? Or did you not have a problem with it due to it featuring different card art? Feel free to let me know your answers to these questions down in the comments section. Okay everyone, back to racing! Until next time, thanks for reading and happy collecting.

White Booth Wednesday #42

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

Car: Sports Coupe (Donkey Kong)

Series: 2020 Hot Wheels Mario Kart

Boulevard rating: 10

What I like most: Give me a banana! So far, I've been loving all the Hot Wheels Mario Kart releases, and there is one main reason as to why this character made today's showcase. For me, it's all about memories. One of my Christmas presents as a child, was a purple transparent Game Boy Color. The first game that I had for it, was Donkey Kong Country.

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

Today on the Boulevard: Wild Terrain the Only Two I Wanted

Hello and welcome to another edition of Today on the Boulevard! Recently, Hot Wheels released  Car Culture assortment by the name of Wild Terrain. Lots of collector might've wanted the whole set, but I on the other hand, just wanted two. So for today's feature, I'm going to be showcasing the two that I just had to have.

Sliding around in the dirt first, is the Porsche 959 (1986). Since this is a off-road rally themed set, this casting is setup for this kind of racing. One of the most noticeable aspects that proves this, is it's ride height. Ride height aside, this release is actually based off of an actual Porsche 959 rally car. The wheels seen on the real car, have seven spokes. For this release, Hot Wheels went with their RR8SP wheels. I personally think these look just as good as the wheels on the real car.

Like said rally car, this too features the Rothmans livery. Due to obvious legal reasons though, Hot Wheels had to make some changes. The biggest of those changes, has to do with the main sponsor decal. On this model, the Porsche decal is in place of the Rothmans decal. The second change, has to do with the race number plate. The top of this detail was altered to not include Vsd, and Naza. Even though this replica doesn't have most of it's decals, it does however have Bilstein, which is one of the sponsors that's seen on the real car. Despite all these changes, this is still a very well done Porsche, and it's one that should definitely be in your collection.

First seen in the Fast and Furious Furious Off-Road premium assortment, is the '67 Off Road Camaro. All I can say is ''Yes!'' Initially, I thought this casting was only going to be used once. Since it was used for this set, it looks like this casting will see continued use. I'm personally excited to see what the future has in store for this casting. This model doesn't appear to be based on any particular real life car. However, the Hot Wheels designers still managed to once again make a fantastic looking race car.

The main sponsor featured on this model, is Lucas Oil. To go along with this decal, they created a simple, but nice looking stripe design that utilizes Lucas's colors. Also featured along it's sides, are Fifteen52, and Borla. Since the wheels featured on this model, are based off of Fifteen52's Turbomac wheels, I feel like their decal was a nice addition. In my opinion, these wheels look fantastic on this on this casting. In fact, I'd love to see another release of this car with them. A stripe design was also added to the top of this model. Usually with a casting like this, I'd like to see some of the decals present on it's top. But I do feel like this particular release looks just fine without them. 

Okay racers, what is your opinion on this set? Did you like all five cars, or were there specific ones that you wanted like me? Like always, feel fee to let me know down in the comments section. Okay everyone, back to racing! Until next time, happy collecting!

White Booth Wednesday #41

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

Car: Pandem Subaru BRZ

Series: 2019 Car Culture Street Tuners

Boulevard rating: 10

What I like most: What's not to like about a Hot Wheels car featuring a Pandem kit. I always liked how this car looked in blue, and it looks even better combined with the wheels Hot Wheels gave it. The wheels are none other than the glorious TE37 styled Hot Wheels RR6SPs in black. One of the main aspects that's cool about this model, is the wing being a separate piece from the body. I especially like when this piece is black. This aspect basically gives the model carbon fiber details, which looks great on a modified car like this. The last thing that I like about this release, is how it wasn't given a design. I am however hoping, that we collectors get a few future releases with nice designs.

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