Okay fellow collectors, it's time to start watching your local Walmart stores. My local store got the brand new Hot Wheels Team Transport box. They also got the newest Matchbox basic assortment with the C8 Corvette. Like I always say, you may or may not be able to get what you want. But at the end of the day, it's still worth a look.
Good luck and happy hunting.
Welcome back to the boulevard collectors! Today's review is all about the second half of the Matchbox retro assortment found at Target. If you read my review of the first half, then you'd know that I was very curious as to what the next six vehicles would be. Now that I have them, I can honestly say that I'm pleased with the vehicles that were chosen. With that said, let's get things started.
First up for this review, is the Dodge Viper RT/10. If you're not new to the boulevard, then you might have come across one of my early post that I did last year on November fourth. That post was titled "HISSSS!" In it, I showcased the various Matchbox and Hot Wheels Vipers that I have in my collection. Long story short, the Dodge Viper is my all-time favorite car.
In my opinion, Matchbox nailed it with this release. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better one than this. I absolutely love the decision to make this release metallic blue with white stripes. The very first Viper that I saw as a kid, was a blue GTS with white stripes. And to this day, it is still my favorite theme for the Dodge Viper.
The sides of this model feature "Viper RT/10" and the "Sneaky Pete" emblem. Sadly, the front and rear weren't given any tampo details. This release would have looked so much better if it was given front and rear light details.
The wheels given to this Viper, are the Matchbox five spokes. I do wish Matchbox had a wheel that was similar to the Hot Wheels three spoke wheels. The OEM wheels on this model's real-life counterpart, are three spokes that look identical to the Hot Wheels 3SPs.
The second vehicle for this review, is the Toyota 4Runner. It's a good thing Mattel has the legal okay to use Toyota again. The 2015 release, was the only 4Runner I had before this one. So I'm glad to finally have a second one in my collection, even though it's exterior was finished in the same color as the one from 2015.
Since this release was given a design, I have no issue with white being used for it's exterior. White is ultimately one of the best canvas colors for a design. It allows the designers to utilize a wider variety of colors for a design. And I really like the colors that were used on this model. It's sides feature a design that utilizes light blue, dark blue, and red.
The sides of this model were also given two additional details. Since this is a '85 4Runner, the Matchbox team decided to add "85" to it's doors. The last detail applied to it's sides, is "Matchbox." The top, front, and rear were not given any details. This is fine by me of course.
This wheels used for this release, are the Matchbox six spoke wheels finished in chrome. Although I don't have a huge issue with the wheel choice, I will admit that it would've been nice to see a different wheel used. Especially since this wheel has been used for most of this casting's releases.
This release overall, is basically a copy and past replica of the '09 Superfast release. The paint finish is the only difference between the two. The '09 release was
finished in matte black, while this one was finished in metallic black.
Since this is basically a re-release, the sides as well as the hood, feature the same red and silver stripe design that was given to the '09 release. The sides also feature the same additional details as well. One of those details being the "Cheyenne" fender emblem. Also Like the '09 release, this too was given a red interior and the Matchbox Ringed Disk wheels.
No details were applied to the front and rear of this model. I know this isn't a premium release, but it would've been nice if a tampo coating was applied to the raised letters on the tailgate. But alas, this is just a minor detail that I can easily look past.
A dark metallic blue, was the color that was chosen for it's exterior. Since I like all shades of blue, that is a huge plus for me. But that alone, is not the only great thing about this release. It's sides were given a fantastic design, and I like how it utilizes most of the space along this '33 Coupe's sides. The main section of the design is white.Within it are yellow pinstripes with additional red and yellow designs. "Matchbox" and "Speed Shop" were applied to the center of the doors.
One of the other things that I've liked about these '33 Ford releases from Matchbox, is how they feature a design on the sides of the roof. And for this release, that design is a pinstripe with a small yellow design.
No details were added to the front and rear of this model, and it's the same story with the top half as well. But with everything that was applied to it's sides, this is no issue for me.
This release features the same wheel combination as the other four releases. So that's the Ringed Disk wheels on the front, and the Ringed Gear wheels on the rear. Although it's the same wheel combination, the designers did decide to make them different color. The front wheels are chrome, while the rear wheels are black with a chrome outer rim. While I don't necessarily have a problem with these, I do hope to eventually see a release of this casting that has the same front and rear wheels.
The exterior color scheme and the stripe design, are the two main aspects that I feel make this a cool release to have. This release features a metallic brown and dark grey two-tone color scheme. The main thing that I like about the stripe design, is how it utilizes white, yellow, and orange for it's colors. These three colors go so well with the brown that was used. I also like how the design spans across the entire side of this Porsche. The coolest part of the design though, is the section that's on the back half. Here, the yellow and orange stripes widen.
Since this casting was designed to be a rally car, it features additional decals. Although... the smaller ones towards the front, are basically implied decals. If you take a close look at them, then you'll notice how there is no aftermarket company name within them. This is the only thing that I don't like about this release. If they couldn't use any real decals, then they could've at least used some fantasy ones. After all, their designers usually do a great job at making realistic looking fake sponsor decals. Now this release does feature one aftermarket company, and that's Bell.
The aforementioned decals aren't the only additional side details. A black tampo was placed along the sides of the roof. The number 1185 was placed on the back half next to the windows. The number 85 and a black square with text, were also placed on the sides. And "Matchbox" was placed underneath them. No details were added to the front or rear of this release. Nothing was added to the top either. In my opinion, the top could have at least featured the racing number.
The wheels given to this release, are the Matchbox six spoke wheels finished in white. White wheels go so well with the colors featured on this model's exterior.
For the most part, this taxi themed release is a copy of the one that made it's debut back in 2009. There are however, a few differences between the two. One of those being the casting itself. The 2009 version of this taxi, is the casting that featured the taxi sign on the roof. This version of it, is the casting with the light bar. The next difference is with the color of the base. The 2009 release was given a grey base, which gave it grey bumpers. This release on the other hand, features a base that's yellow.
Now both versions were given the Cut Tri Spoke wheels. However, the Matchbox designers decided to make this version have all black wheels. I don't know about you, but I personally prefer the look of a yellow taxi with black wheels.
No details were applied to the front and rear of this release. Due to the headlights being apart of the windshield piece, I have no issue with the lack of front end details. Rear end details are the only thing that would've made this release better.
So that's all six of the vehicles from this assortment. Overall, this twelve vehicle set turned out to be pretty good. I hope Matchbox decides to continue this retro themed line for at least another two years. In my opinion, there are so many great castings they could use.
Okay readers, what are your favorite cars from this assortment? Feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Until next time, thanks for reading and happy diecast collecting.
Welcome back to the boulevard collectors! Today I'm going to be featuring the 2013 Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro Special Edition Treasure Hunt from this year's case K. I am honestly shocked at how I randomly found it hanging on the pegs. Like the saying goes, "It's better late than never." Since I wasn't able to find it and newer cases started showing up, I ended up removing it from my want list. Frankly, removing it wasn't that big of a deal for me. In case you're new to the boulevard, you should know that I don't make these kind of releases or any store exclusive a priority. Collecting is more fun this way.
The only releases of this casting that I had before this one, are two 2017 Camaro Fifty ones. Before those two, 2015 was the last time this casting saw a release. So I figured that I would try to take the opportunity to add a third one to my collection. This however, is not the only reason that I wanted it. Like with any diecast purchase, there are a few other reasons.
The Camaro Fifty mainline one is black with gold stripes, and the one from Walmart set is white with black/gold stripes. As cool as those two are, it's nice to finally have one that doesn't have gold incorporated into it's overall color scheme. With that said, I really like what was done to this release's exterior. As you all know, this Camaro's exterior was finished in green. And it's a great looking shade of green at that. I might be alone, but I'd say that pictures don't do this release's color justice.
The stripe design on this release, further add to how I feel about it's exterior. The stripes might be the typical ones that you might see on a car like this, but what I like, is how the Hot Wheels designers decided to spice them up a little. This was achieved by adding some additional details to them. The side ones feature a white square as well as a white pinstripe. The stripes on top of this Camaro were given a white pinstripe like the side stripe.
The wheels featured to this model are the Hot Wheels TRAP5s. I always liked the look of this wheel, and I think they look fantastic on this car. As much as I would've preferred for them to be chrome, I can honestly say on this particular release, they don't look to bad finished in chrome green.
Okay collectors, were you able to add this Camaro to your collection? If so, what is your favorite thing about it? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. That's all for Today on the Boulevard. Until next time, happy diecast collecting!
Welcome to Diecast Blvd collectors! Today I'm going to be going over the newest Hot Wheels Target Red Edition releases from 2020 case P. I don't always get all three, but this time I did. This is due to all three being releases that I like. So without further ado, let's jump right into today's diecast review.
Earlier this year, Hot Wheels released a fantastic looking Borla Exhaust themed Sandblaster, and it continues to be one of my favorite pickup trucks from this year's mainline. I absolutely love how the theme looks on this casting. And for me, it's a ten out of ten release. I also feel the same way with this Target Red Edition version.
For this exclusive recolor, the Hot Wheels design team decided to finish it in gloss red. This shade of red was not a bad choice at all. There's a specific reason as to why I feel this way about the color choice. As you all know, there have been a few other Borla themed Hot Wheels releases. Two of those releases, are the 2015 Ford Mustang GT and the 2018 Ford Mustang GT. Now the reason that I made mention of those two, is due to both of them having a gloss red release. The shade red that was used for them, is the same shade that was used for this Sandblaster. I don't know how you feel, but I love when Hot Wheels releases themed models that match.
Unlike the black release that featured a multi-colored Borla decal, this release's decal is all white. The design's color still matches the lower half of the logo. One of the things that I liked about the black release, was how it's design was a different color from the decal's letters. With that said, I would've made the lower half of the decal and the design black. This would've gave it's sides some color variety, and it also would've made it match the design on the hood.
The interior color on this release also appears to be different. The black one's interior looks to be dark grey, while this one is black. I feel a black interior was the best color choice to go with the colors featured on the exterior pf this Red Edition.
The Hot Wheels beadlock wheels were once again used, and I like how they are still black. This was one of other the things that I liked about the first color.
The second Red Edition from this trio, is the Custom '18 Ford Mustang GT. There is a specific reason as to why I wanted this one. Since Hot Wheels Race Team releases are usually blue, I sometimes like to get the recolors. And I love how this release was finished in a nice shade of metallic red.
For the most part, the design's colors are the same as the blue release. There are however, some aspects of the design that did receive a color change. The Joey Logano logo, Hot Wheels logo, and the racing number, appear to be a darker shade of red than the red that was used for these aspects on the blue release. The other color change seen on this recolor, is the thin stripe that's above the main section of the design along the sides. For this release, the Hot Wheels designers decided to make it white.
This release's interior color is the next thing that was changed. The blue one featured a light grey interior, while this one features a dark grey interior. To be honest, I personally think a dark colored interior is a much better choice for this racing themed Mustang.
This release also received a wheel change as well. The blue release was given J5 wheels with a yellow rim, while this one was given MC5 wheels with a white rim. Since I like to be honest, I do feel this release might've looked even better if the wheels were given a chrome rim instead. At the end of the day though, this isn't too big of a issue for me. I just think a chrome rim would look slightly more realistic.
As you all know, the '91 Mazda MX-5 Miata, is a casting that made it's debut last year, and has so far had some really cool releases. And this gloss white Target Red Edition has just added to that list. Now some collectors might not completely agree with this being a "Red Edition" since it's not actually red. And I can totally understand this opinion. However, I'm just glad to finally have a white Miata.
Being finished in gloss white, isn't the only thing that I like about this exclusive recolor. The wheel choice contributed to my overall feelings towards this Miata. Featured on this recolor, are the Hot Wheels MC5s finished in chrome red. This body/wheel color scheme is a combination that in my opinion, makes this Miata a great looking model.
Like the yellow release, this one's interior is also black. Since this casting's interior features a roll bar, I have no problem with it being this color. Now if it didn't have the roll bar, then I would say this release might have looked even better with a red interior. This for me would've added some pizzazz to this MX-5.
As far as the front and rear tampo details, nothing was changed. The "HOTMX5" is still red, and it's still within a black square placed on the license plate sections of this model. The front still features this car's turn signal lights, and the rear still features tail lights.
So readers, how do you feel about this Red Edition trio? Do you have a specific favorite among them? Feel free to let me know down in the comments section. Okay that's all for today's diecast review. Until next time, happy collecting!
Welcome to the boulevard collectors! Like the title states, today's in-depth review is all about the newest Hot Wheels Car Culture Power Trip assortment. Two of the vehicles in this set made their debut earlier this year. And three of the vehicles are premiums for the first time. So get your popcorn and bonbons out, because today's post is a bit of a long one.
First up for today's review, is the '87 Buick Regal GNX. As most of you know, this premium casting made it's debut earlier this year in the Hot Wheels Fast and Furious Motor City Muscle premium assortment. And although the basic version with the opening hood is cool, this one remains to be my favorite. This is due to it's overall proportions. I knew this casting would get a second release, however, I wasn't expecting it to be this year.
Honestly, this second release is just as good as the first one. The first thing that I like about this release, is how it was finished in pearl white. I always liked the way this paint looked under a light. As such, I feel this was a excellent choice to make this a great model to have. Since the real GNX only came in black, some collectors might favor the Fast and Furious one more. I don't have a specific favorite, as it's nice to see what the GNX looks like finished in another color.
This release's exterior wasn't given any designs. I feel this was a great choice made by the Hot Wheels designers, because in my opinion, this model doesn't need any. It did however, receive the usual tampo details that are given to these kind of Hot Wheels releases. The front of this model was given Headlights and grill details that include the GNX emblem. Tail lights as well as the GNX emblem were applied to the rear. The word "Buick" was placed over a black square on the license plate section.
The sides of this model were only given two details. The fender louvers received a black tampo coating. This for me was a nice touch, as it makes each section of the vents look open. The last detail on it's sides, is a silver tampo that was applied to the door handles.
Once again the Hot Wheels RR8DOTs were used for this model's wheels. Aside from liking how they look on this model, I also like the choice to make them gold. As nice as theses are for this casting, I do hope the next release is given a different set of wheels.
Featured next, is the 1991 GMC Syclone. As you all know, this casting made it's debut this year in the Hot Wheels mainline. Like the GNX, I wasn't expecting to see another release of this casting in it's debuting year. I especially wasn't expecting to see a premium version either. Having a premium version of this casting, could ultimately lead to some exciting releases down the road. I just hope they continue to give collectors basic releases as well.
In a recent review, I showcased the last three vehicles that I wanted out of this year's 2020 Hot Wheels case N. One of the vehicles in that post was the red GMC Syclone. In all honesty, this red one is much better. And there is one main reason for that. For those of you that didn't know, there were ten special versions of the real Syclone that were red. These ten, were apart of a Marlboro giveaway promotion. And that's what this release is based on. That is why I feel this one is much better than the red basic one.
Now the real life Marlboro version of the Syclone, featured a targa styled roof. This casting on the other hand does not. I might be alone with this opinion, but I feel it might have been cool if this premium casting was designed with an open roof. This for me, would've made this premium version a little more special. Not having a targa styled roof though, is absolutely no issue for me. This is just something that came to mind.
Since this is based off of the Marlboro Syclone, it features the exact stripe design that seen on the hood and sides of that edition. Accurately placed under the side stripes is the Syclone decal. Since Mattel is a primarily into making toys for children, the various Marlboro details seen on the real truck are not present on this release, which is totally fine by me. Besides... the only details that are missing, are a window banner and a small Marlboro decal that would've been on the sides as well as the tailgate.
One of the main issues that I had with the first two basic releases, was the lack of front end tampo details. Thankfully this is no longer the case with this premium release. The rear features the Syclone decal as well as "GMC" placed over a grey square on the license plate section. It's too bad a custom license plate wasn't created instead, as that might have made this model look even better.
Since Hot Wheels doesn't have a premium wheel that looks anything like the wheels used for the real Marlboro Syclone, they decided to use black and chrome RRLW5 wheels. In my opinion, you could never go wrong with five spoke wheels. Especially ones that look like these. As such, I feel this was a great choice of wheel for this release.
I do still have one small issue with this release. It's the same issue that I had with the red mainline release. As you all know, the base of this casting fill in the center of the rear. Like the mainline release, the base on this model is black. I still feel like both of these red releases should've had red bases. But like I mentioned in that review, this is something that I can ignore.
The Plymouth Barracuda Hemi, is the next car for this review. Over the years, this casting has had a few premium releases with Real Rider wheels. The only one of those that I have, is the yellow one from the Phil's Garage premium assortment. So I'm happy to finally have another great looking premium release of this Fastback Barracuda.
Like most collectors, I really like the Mopar theme that's featured on this release. And I feel gloss black was a great exterior color choice to go along with it. I like how the overall design on this model utilizes most of the space that is available on it's sides. Spanning the entire length of this Barracuda's sides, is a stripe design that appears to be based on the classic Mopar logo. Applied to the doors of this model, are nicely sized Chrysler and Mopar decals.
As I've mentioned in various past reviews, I really like when race themed diecast models feature additional sponsor decals. It's also nice when the decals belong to actual aftermarket companies. So aside from the Chrysler and Mopar decals, I really like the additional ones that were applied to this model's quarter panel. The sponsors featured on this release are as follows: Edelbrock, Holley, Bell, and B & M. "Plymouth" was also applied to quarter panel as well.
The top of this model was given some tampo details too. However, these details are only on it's hood. The red, white, and blue stripe design was only applied to the hood scoop. This is actually a cool idea if I do say so myself. Finishing off the hood of this Barracuda, are would-be hood pins.
The front and rear of this model received some great details, and I especially like the details that were applied to the front. Aside from the headlights, this model was also given this car's grill. This was achieved by the application of a black tampo.
One of the other things that I like about this release, is how it was given a red interior. I don't know how you feel about this choice, but I personally like it. A black car with a red interior, is a combination that will always work. And I feel this interior color goes great with the overall theme of this release.
The wheels given to this Barracuda, are the Hot Wheels RR5SP. Torq Thrust wheels on a Mopar themed fastback Barracuda, is a perfect combination in my opinion.
The fourth car for this review, is the '18 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. As you all know, this casting made it's mainline debut back in 2018. And to be honest, I had been eagerly awaiting a premium version of it. Now that it's been made, this means we could end up seeing some very stunning releases in the future.
One of the aspects that's interesting about this particular release, is how it was given the same exact theme as the Barracuda. At first I was a little put off by the decision to make it similar to the aforementioned car. At the time, I felt like it should've been given a different design. After looking at it long enough though, my opinion started to change. And now I can say that I really like the decision to make this Demon's exterior/interior match the Barracuda. On a side note, it might be cool to get a Team Transport hauler that also has this theme. Having one would be great for those of you that like to make garage dioramas.
Since this release is sporting the same theme as the Barracuda, I like how it was given most of the same sponsor decals. Holley is the only sponsor that wasn't used for this release. The extra sponsor decals on this model, weren't placed on the quarter panel like they were on the Barracuda. Instead, they were placed along the lower half of this SRT Demon's sides. The SRT Demon logo was also placed on the lower half of it's sides. "Dodge" is the only decal that was placed on this model's quarter panel.
There are also a few other differences besides the sponsor decal placement. One of those differences has to do with the Mopar logo. As you saw, the Barracuda featured "Mopar" next to the Chrysler logo. For this release, the Hot Wheels designers chose to use the Mopar logo that features a large M. The hood is where the next difference is. Unlike the Barracuda's hood scoop that just has the stripe design, this Demon's hood scoop features "SRT" next to the stripes.
Front and rear details are one of the great things about this casting finally being in the premium line. And I really like the ones that were applied to this model. The front was given detailed headlights, and the SRT letter emblem. The rear was given detailed tail lights, the Dodge letter emblem, and the SRT letter emblem. All these details added a lot of realism to this release, and I feel that's some of what makes this a fantastic model to have.
The wheels given to this release are the RR5SPM. This wheel was first used on the Ford RS200 that was released earlier this year in the Car Culture Thrill Climbers assortment. At the time, I was excited at all the possible future Hot Wheels releases that could have them. And I can definitely say that I am very happy with how this casting looks with them.
The last vehicle from this set, is the Custom '72 Chevy LUV. I'm actually surprised at how this casting hadn't had a premium release before now. Each year I look forward to a Hot Wheels Chevy LUV release. The reason for that has to do with all the cool multi-colored stripe patterns that are created by the Hot Wheels designers. And now that we have a premium version, I can't wait to see what the future has in store for this casting.
Like all the previous releases of this casting, this too was given a nice stripe pattern that utilizes multiple colors. And to be more specific, this design utilizes a total of five different colors. Pink, orange, light orange, yellow, and white are a great mix of colors for a pattern like this. I absolutely love how this design spans across the entire side of this model. The only thing that might've made it look better, is if the stripes were applied to the hood as well. Not having stripes on the hood, is no issue for me though.
With this release, we finally have a '72 Chevy LUV model with front and
rear tampo details. Aside from the detailed headlights, this pickup's grill section was given a black tampo coating. The Chevy emblem also received a tampo coating as well. The Rear features tail lights, a tampo coating over the
raised tailgate letters, and a personalized license plate. The plate appears to be California's blue and yellow one.
Now... as I'm sure you all know, you can have a great looking design that is ruined by a poor exterior color choice. Thankfully, that hasn't been the case with any of the releases of this casting. And that holds true with this release as well. The color chosen for this LUV release, is a very nice shade of metallic purple that combines marvelously with the colors used for the design.
The RR10SPs are the wheels that were chosen for this release. I don't know how you feel about these wheels being used, but I feel they were a great choice for this first premium LUV.
Okay readers, that's all five vehicles from this Hot Wheels Car Culture Power Trip assortment. All in all, I like each one of these vehicles equally. So readers, did you have a specific favorite among these five cars? And how did you feel about Hot Wheels making the SRT Demon match the Barracuda? Feel free to let me know your thoughts down in the comments section. Okay everyone, that's all for this edition of looking at. Until next time, happy diecast collecting!
