It’s not often that I write two back-to-back Matchbox News posts, but Matchbox dropped such an enormous mix of exciting recolors and five pack models that I couldn’t help but take a deep dive into them. I’ll get back to my normal reviews and showcases in a couple days, but first let’s jump into these new models!
The model that immediately caught my attention was this green recolor of the Mazda RX-8. I believe this model is meant to be based on Nordic Green, one of the coolest and rarest RX-8 colors, but it looks a bit too saturated and a bit too metallic to really replicate the Mazda color. Still, it’s a great looking color and not one I expected to see on this casting, and I can’t wait to get this model in hand so I can really evaluate it. I didn’t initially like the RX-8 casting when it debuted in black, but the red version changed my mind and helped me really appreciate this casting. Mercifully, it looks like the five spokes on this car are silver, rather than the gold that Matchbox has been using so often on their green cars lately. It’s possible that this model will appear in the MBX Japan 5 pack, as that pack is scheduled to have an RX-8 in it.
After waiting years for the much-delayed black recolor of the LS400, this red recolor looks ready to appear mere months after the black version. Like the RX-8, the LS400 is scheduled to make an appearance in the MBX Japan 5 pack, so this red version seems likely to end up there as well. This recolor is quite a visual departure from the previous releases of this casting, both of which had disc wheels rather than the much flashier six spokes on this red model. The red paint looks incredibly striking, with an almost “candy” metallic finish and red bumpers to match. Even the interior is red! The plastic base section forming the lower part of the doors looks a little weird with this paint color, but I’m glad to see the LS400 retain its fully detailed front and rear ends.
The last MBX Japan candidate in this week’s sneaks is this blue version of the Subaru SVX. I’m not a huge fan of this casting (it’s always seemed too big to me), but the metallic blue paint is definitely good looking and I can’t deny the cool factor of those open side windows.
We’ve seen this black Radical SR3 XXR before, so the prototype numbers likely mean we will see it re-released in an 8 pack or someplace similar. The more interesting Radical is the red recolor, which looks like a Target Red Edition, but since the SR3 XXR wasn’t one of the scheduled Red Editions this year, it might just be a mainline model. Either way, it looks very cool, and I’m glad to see the struts get black detailing on the versions of this casting with bright paint colors because it makes the model look much more realistic.
We’ve seen this red debut version of the Lexus LC500 previewed at the Gathering, but I’m always glad to see it from another angle. This is probably the new casting I’m most excited for this year, so I can’t wait for it to release in stores!
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a fully detailed version of the BMW M5 police car (in the 2017 Best of Matchbox series), though seeing it wear a Polizei livery is downright expected at this point. Given the level of detailing, I suspect this model is likely to be a Mattel Creations model, though it could also be in the Collectors series. Either way, it seems like a must-have model for police car collectors.
We saw a prototype of this 1970 Citroen 2CV at the Gathering, but this is our first look at the finished product. I appreciate the covered rear wheels and chrome base, but this model is otherwise not really my style, as it’s targeted more toward the vintage car collectors.
The Morgan Plus 4 might be the model that perfectly targets the intersection of vintage car collectors and modern car enthusiasts like myself. While it may not have the vintage charm of the champagne/JRG paint color that this casting debuted in, I think this blue looks great, especially combined with this light tan interior. This one will definitely be worth adding to the collection.
The green Collector’s series version of the Ford Mustang Boss 302 hasn’t even hit shelves yet, but it looks like there’s already an orange version on the way! Detailing looks similar, as do the wheels, so I suspect this will also be a Collectors series release, though it’s possible it could also end up as a Mattel Creations model. If it does end up as another Collector’s model, I’ll be a little upset that the Mustang was given a recolor so quickly when we’re still waiting for a recolor of the Subaru BRZ and Lexus LFA.
Finally, we have a model that’s very intriguing. There’s no good picture of the front or side of this model, but it’s clearly a Nissan 350Z. It’s pretty blurry, but I think that logo on the back of the 350Z might be the Japanese Matchbox logo, which is intriguing because we’ve seen a Japan-exclusive Moving Parts set, but the 350Z is a mainline casting. Perhaps they just wanted to highlight the JDM nature of the 350Z, or perhaps they will be releasing a mainline Japan-exclusive set (let’s hope not). However, my personal favorite theory is that this model might replace the Nissan Skyline 2000GTX that is scheduled to appear in the MBX Japan 5 pack. In the Matchbox line preview presentation, the model listed to appear was the Skyline, but the attached picture was a 350Z that looked suspiciously similar to the one we see in the background here. If that’s true, that means we’ve now seen 4 of the 5 models in the MBX Japan pack, which begs the question: where is the Autozam?
Hopefully we’ll see that Autozam soon in a future set of sneaks, but I can’t complain because this week’s sneaks were absolutely loaded! As always, the list of upcoming Matchbox models has been updated to reflect this new information, and don’t forget to stay tuned to this site for all the latest news and reviews!
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