Mercedes sure seems to be having a moment with the Mattel brands. Whether it’s the 500E, C63, and 560SEC from Hot Wheels, or the GT 63 and CLA wagon from Matchbox, we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to Mercedes models. That doesn’t mean I’m not happy to see a new Mercedes casting though, especially a modern one like this SL 63. I always love when Matchbox does an updated version of one of their old models, and this SL 63 serves as a wonderful modern counterpart to the old SL55 casting.
Of course, the big news with this model is the new wheels. Matchbox has relatively few wheel designs, so it’s quite rare to get a new set added to the lineup. Ironically, these new wheels look like a modernized version of the old lace wheels that were used on many of the old SL55 models!
When pictures of these wheels first appeared online, I thought they looked tragically similar to the premium “Eurospoke” wheels that Matchbox uses to ruin so many of their premium models. Luckily, these basic wheels are executed far better than those premium wheels. The face of the wheel is relatively flat, rather than the odd convex style of the premium wheels. I still wish the spokes stood out more from the black backing that provides the actual structural support for these wheels, but at least there’s more depth than the Eurospokes. I suspect these wheels would look absolutely amazing in silver or chrome, so I hope we see that soon (a black recolor of the SL 63 is coming with a chrome lip, but it still has black spokes).
The wheels aren’t the only thing worth being excited about, as the casting for the new SL 63 is excellent too! The proportions look perfect, and the paint – at least on my model – is applied very well, with minimal orange peel or thin spots. This blue color looks very dark in the shade, but it really pops in sunlight.
The front end looks suitably AMG-aggressive, with crisp printing on the Panamericana grill and odd-though-accurate dual Mercedes emblems. The headlights are very detailed, with the DRLs and both headlight bulbs visible. The base on my model is just a little loose, which causes the lower part of the fascia to sag a bit, but it’s still a handsome car!
As a result of its convertible top, the SL 63 has a bit of a hump on its rear decklid, which Matchbox has faithfully reproduced here. I’m also glad to see wing mirrors, even if they’re a bit too small to be accurate. The real highlight is the brake lights, which curve wonderfully around to the sides of the model. It’s really impressive to see printing like that on a $1 model, and just goes to show matchbox’s skill when it comes to tampo application. Remember when Hot Wheels tried to make an AMG GT with wrap-around headlights?
The rest of the detailing on the back of the SL 63 is similarly excellent, with crisp silver badges and a printed license plate. While I always appreciate the added detail of a license plate, I do prefer when they look more realistic, so I’m not a big fan of this trend of putting the name or brand of the car on the license plate. I love Matchbox’s use of the black base to create the color break of the rear bumper, and AMG’s trademark square quad exhausts are well rendered. Someday, I’d love to see a premium version of this casting with those exhausts printed silver!
Matchbox interiors have been noticeably cost-cut in recent years, which presents a bit of a problem when you make models of convertibles. Luckily, this interior is more detailed than many that we’ve seen lately, with no column of plastic holding up the steering wheel and an actual driver’s footwell! Bizarrely, they cut off the base of the driver’s seat, which makes the driver’s and passenger’s seats different sizes! No rear seat legroom here, as the back seats are literally attached to the front seats.
This is one of the best executed models we’ve seen from Matchbox in a while, and it’s a breath of fresh air to have a clean model like this without unnecessary moving parts that ruin the bodylines. I hope we see many recolors of this model, unlike the GT 63 and CLA that seem to make such rare appearances in the lineup. Better yet, give these new wheels some silver paint and throw them on a GT 63!
DiecastLeno 
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