Barely two weeks have passed since the Matchbox line preview at the Gathering and the Matchbox team is already showing off more upcoming models. This week’s sneaks focus primarily on 5 pack models, though some Collectors and Moving Parts models are included as well.
Let’s jump right in with my favorite paint color on the Bugatti Divo so far. This looks to be based on the last Divo to roll off the production line from Bugatti with this gorgeous shade of blue and a French flag decal on the side. Apart from the flag, the deco appears to be the same as the mainline Divo releases, though there is some additional detailing in the headlights. I’m still not a fan of these wheels, but they work better here than on most models.
Holy bright colors, Batman! After making a surprise return to the Matchbox lineup last year, the Honda Civic Type R is back in the brightest of pinks. I actually quite like this color on the Type R, and there’s an incredible amount of detail in those headlights too! Since we are supposed to get an “MBX JDM” 5 pack next year, I’m guessing that is where this Type R will be released.
The same goes for this Subaru WRX STI police car wearing a similar Japanese police livery to the 350Z we saw recently. I’m glad to see the return of clear/gray windows on this model after the ugly blue ones we’ve seen recently. The headlights are a nice addition as well, though I still would like to see a civilian version of this casting, as it’s an excellent replica of the WRX STI.
The Karma GS-6 is making a return in a rather interesting shade of green, presumably for the “Electric Drivers” 5 pack. I wrote a full piece on the purple version of this casting and Karma’s history with the Matchbox brand, which you can read here.
The Land Rover Defender 90 has proven to be a bit of a pegwarmer here in the US, but this upcoming black version looks positively sinister. This car seems like something straight out of James Bond, and I can already envision a scene with the Hot Wheels DBS being chased by a fleet of these black Defenders. This may be part of the upcoming “British Drivers” 5 pack.
The Mitsubishi 3000GT seems to be a bit of a fan favorite in the Matchbox lineup right now, and it’s making a return in a lovely shade of blue. This is the first time we’ve seen this model on the 5 spoke wheels, and I actually think they might work better than the 10 spokes. They’re very reminiscent of the chrome 5 spoke wheels that were on the 1:1 VR4.
Given Matchbox’s love of the Tesla brand, I’m surprised it took this long to get the Model 3 in the lineup. Obviously, this will pair nicely with all the other Teslas in the Matchbox line, including the upcoming Model S facelift and Moving Parts Model 3. One thing I do notice about this casting is the oddly thick roof rails. Hopefully that’s an issue with the prototype and Matchbox is able to sort it out for the final release.
As good as both versions of the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 have been, this upcoming dark blue color has to be the best one yet. Though I’m not sold on the gold wheels, the blue just pairs so nicely with this casting and I can’t wait to get it in hand.
The blue recolors continue with the Subaru Forester! I’m guessing this is supposed to be Subaru’s Horizon Blue Pearl color, but it looks a bit too light. Either way, this is one of the best SUV castings in Matchbox’s lineup, so I’ll be sure to add this one to the collection.
Speaking of SUVs, there’s a red SUV in the background of one of these pictures that I believe to be the Audi E-Tron. While I don’t mind this casting, the silver seems to have become a bit of a pegwarmer so I question the logic of issuing a recolor so quickly after the silver one.
After a brief disappearance, the Mini Cooper S Cabrio is back in a wonderfully bright shade of orange! I believe this will also be a part of the “British Drivers” 5 pack.
Finally, Lamley Group got their hands on a couple of new recolors as well! Matchbox’s version of the Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody has proven incredibly popular with collectors (not surprising, given its more realistic proportions compared to the Hot Wheels version). Luckily, we’re already getting a third color with this bright yellow version!
Fans of accurate proportions will also be happy to see the return of Matchbox’s Hummer EV casting, now in a dark blue that makes the truck look quite classy. I can’t wait to see it hit the shelves!
As always, the list of upcoming Matchbox models has been updated to reflect this new information.
DiecastLeno 
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