The Matchbox mainline has always been my favorite diecast line, and this was a very good year for it. We saw some fantastic recolors of some great castings, but this top 5 list is limited to the best new castings we saw in 2023. Let’s jump right in!
Number 5: Karma GS-6
I love when Matchbox gives us a second generation of an existing casting, which is effectively what this is. Although Karma is now a different company than Fisker, this Karma GS-6 is basically the second generation of the Fisker Karma – a car that was particularly significant to Matchbox because it gave us the mainline five spoke wheels. You can learn more about the history of these two models here.
As for the GS-6 itself, the model sits lower and sleeker than the Karma it replaces, while maintaining a similarly beautiful shape. The dark blue color isn’t the best for showing off the bodylines of this new casting, but the detailing is well done and the brake lights look very cool and modern. The tan interior really pops through that panoramic roof.
Number 4: Rivian R1T
I’ve recently criticized Matchbox for filling their lineup with a bunch of boring, similar-looking EV crossovers. In a line filled with boring EVs, the Rivian R1T stands out as one of the cool ones. While I find the casting to be a bit on the small side, the color looks great and the detailing is outstanding. The R1T has printed detailing on all four sides, with lightbars that wrap around onto the sides and a Rivian logo on both of the front doors. Perhaps that was part of why this model was so hard to find…
That scarcity is unfortunate, because this is a really cool model that more people deserve to have in their collections. That distinctive front lighting signature is just so immediately recognizable, and even the B pillars are printed black to look more realistic. Luckily, we’ve seen sneaks of a gray recolor of the R1T coming next year – we can only hope it will be easier to find!
Number 3: 2016 Nissan Sentra
I can’t believe a Nissan Sentra is on my list of top models. I shouldn’t like the Sentra this much. There’s almost nothing interesting about this car and yet it’s such a perfect model, which is really what Matchbox does best. This car would make perfect background traffic for a diorama – a wonderful miniature version of the mundane.
That’s not to say this isn’t an excellent model. It’s so well executed, with full detailing front and rear, excellent proportions, and a shade of blue so gorgeous it deserves something better than a Sentra. I suspect this casting will lose some of its appeal after a few recolors, as most collectors probably won’t crave a rainbow of Sentras as they would a rainbow of Porsches. That’s too bad, because this is one of the best models of the year and it deserves a spot in every diecast enthusiast’s collection.
Number 2: ‘18 Toyota 4Runner
The 5th generation 4Runner was originally supposed to come out last year, but since it was delayed until the first mix of 2023 it’s eligible for this year’s top 5 list. I’m glad this casting finally saw the light of day, because this is the most perfect Matchbox casting in years. The printed detailing is spot-on, the use of the base to form the color break of the bumpers is genius, and the whole car is perfectly proportioned. No notes.
Clearly, I wasn’t the only collector who thought this model was one of the all-time greats, because this model became an accidental super chase. After months of searching, I ultimately found this one at a Five Below 30 minutes out of town, and I’ve never seen another one on the pegs since. Compared to the similarly popular Hot Wheels 4Runner, this Matchbox version is so much more realistic, with proportions that don’t make it look like a monster truck. I can’t wait to see what the future of this casting holds.
Number 1: Mercedes-AMG SL 63
The star of the show on this SL 63 is the new basic wheel design, which looks good on a high-end luxury car like this SL 63, though its potential uses clearly stretch far beyond this model. I suspect we will see these wheels on some supercars in the coming years, especially if Matchbox adds silver printing to the spokes like the existing ten spoke wheels have.
We shouldn’t let the wheels overshadow the casting though, because this is a great modern Mercedes. The fully detailed Panamericana grill looks awesome, as do the very detailed LED headlights.
The diecast world always loves metal bases, but the benefit of plastic bases is the amount of fine detail that can be added, as you can see with the SL 63’s AMG-specific quad exhausts. The brake lights are nicely done and I love seeing a license plate, as I always find cars look a little odd without them. If you want to know my full thoughts on the SL 63, I wrote a full story about it when it came out, which you can read here!
Choosing between the SL 63 and the 4Runner proved to be rather difficult for me, as I think both of these diecasts are essentially perfect models. In the end, it was the cool factor of the SL 63 itself that pushed it over the edge to make it my model of the year. We’ve already seen sneaks of an upcoming gray recolor of the SL 63 with silver accents on the wheels, which I can’t wait to see in person!
In last year’s top 5, I pointed out that it felt like we were in a bit of a golden era for the Matchbox brand, and 2023 has only served to solidify that opinion. We’re seeing win after win after win from the Matchbox brand, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next year!
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my other top 5 lists!
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