Highlights from the 2026 Matchbox Line Preview at the Gathering

The yearly line preview at the Gathering is one of the most exciting days of the year in the diecast world, and this year didn’t disappoint!  As usual, this roundup won’t be a comprehensive list of everything in the presentation (check out the Lamley stream or David Tilley’s post over on WheelCollectors for that).  Instead, I’ll be focusing on the models that are most exciting to me or are otherwise interesting or noteworthy for the future of the brand.  Since I wasn’t able to attend the event in person, the pictures in this post are from a variety of diecast creators, all of whom are linked, so be sure to show them some love too! 

With the departure of Abe Lugo from the Matchbox team, the presentation was a little different this year.  Gone was the “sizzle” video, replaced by a more traditional slideshow with renders of the cars wearing their final decos (or generic images for models with WIP decos).  Overall, I like this change – it gives us a better sense of what the final model will look like and it tells us what mix the model will be released in, so we know how long we’ll have to wait.  So, without further ado, let’s jump right in! 

Mainline New Models:

The 2026 mainline is looking very promising, with a number of new enthusiast car castings and the reintroduction of some beloved older castings.  There were even a few trucks that felt straight out of my childhood!  The line will stay at 125 models for 2026, with a respectable 37 new tools!  

However, there was one thing that worried me throughout the presentation…Matchbox is introducing a new set of large truck wheels for 2026, and they were popping up a lot.  I’ve consistently praised Matchbox over the last several years for their realistically proportioned SUVs and pickup trucks, and I noticed several castings that are getting these new giant wheels.  That’s worrying, because I’ve always been bothered by the way Hot Wheels ruins all their truck castings by making them look like monster trucks rather than the regular trucks you’d see driving around on the street.  I hope that Matchbox’s excitement over these new wheels fades after this year, and that we don’t see these wheels start to dominate every new SUV and pickup casting. 

2024 Audi RS3 Wagon

Praise be, we’re finally getting an Audi RS3 in 1/64 scale!  I’ve wanted an RS3 in my collection for years, and I’ve always been dumbfounded that nobody made a model of this crazy five cylinder hyper hatch.  The closest I could find was the RS3 LMS from Tarmac Works, but my tastes have always trended toward factory-fresh road cars.  Thanks to Matchbox, I’m finally getting my wish!  Personally, I would have preferred the sedan over the hatchback, but I’m still happy to have this model either way, and I hope to see it debut in the Kyalami Green color that was featured in the presentation. Also, did anyone else notice the typo in Matchbox’s slideshow?  You missed an “S” there, fellas… 

2024 Audi RS5 Sportback

The RS3 wasn’t the only new Audi to enter the Matchbox line for 2026, as the RS5 Sportback is also coming next year!  This one isn’t quite as exciting, since Hot Wheels already makes a model of the RS5, but Matchbox chose the right approach here.  Where the Hot Wheels version is a two door pre-facelift, Matchbox chose to differentiate their casting by making a post-facelift four door.  I would have preferred to see the older 2013 (B8.5) RS5 in the Matchbox line, but I’m still very excited to add another modern Audi to the lineup.  It should make a great addition to the recent RS6 Avant and upcoming RS3. 

2025 Aston Martin Vanquish

Of course, the Germans couldn’t get all the attention.  After all, Matchbox is originally a British company and they love to honor their British heritage.  What better way than with an Aston Martin?  The Vanquish is the first Aston Martin in several years that I’ve actually liked the look of, and I therefore think it’s a great choice to bring to 1/64 scale.  The prototype shown here is obviously a very early version, but I have high hopes for this one.  It should pair nicely with the DB12 that will be released soon in the Collectors series, though we can expect better wheels on this mainline version than the premium DB12. 

2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible

It’s always a treat when Matchbox chooses to make multiple generations of the same model, and what better way to celebrate the final year of the Camaro than with a new ZL1 casting?  It’s hard to tell for sure from the prototype, but I expect this to effectively be a modified version of the existing 2016 Camaro convertible casting (you can expect me to put them side-by-side to compare once I get this model in-hand).  That’s not a criticism – that 2016 Camaro casting is excellent – and upgrading it to be an even cooler, higher performance model is a win in my book.  From the presentation, we learned that the debut color will be based on the Panther Black Metallic paintjob from the final Collectors Edition Camaros, which is a semi-gloss black paint that should look very cool, if the Matchbox team can pull it off.  Thankfully, the presentation also shows this model getting full front and rear detailing. 

2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R

Well color me surprised, Matchbox is bringing the JDM heat with the pinnacle of the FD RX-7 lineup!  Much like with the RS5 Sportback, this is exactly the approach I want Matchbox to take when producing a model of a car that’s already in the Hot Wheels lineup.  By making the Spirit R, Matchbox is able to differentiate their model and bring more variety to the 1/64 world.  I love the silver paint job and red interior from the presentation, though I’m sure there’s also plenty of appetite for recolors in the future.  The most exciting part about this casting is the new wheel design!  Admittedly, they look awfully familiar, but the Matchbox team has scaled down the popular five spokes to fit on some of these smaller import cars that have entered the range recently.  I have to say, the result is a very trippy look on the prototype because the casting ends up looking far too big, but I suspect it’s just the smaller-than-usual wheels messing with my sense of scale. 

2024 Honda Civic Type R

When Hot Wheels made their premium Civic Type R casting, I was disappointed that it was a Spoon-modified version rather than the factory look.  It seems Matchbox heard my complaints, because they’re kicking off the 2026 mainline with a Type R in the first mix of the year!  While white is obviously the traditional color for the Civic Type R, I’ve always loved the bright blue version, so I couldn’t be happier with this debut deco!  Matchbox continues to impress with their ability to wrap headlight prints around onto the sides of their models, and the correct red interior is a nice touch as well.  My one and only complaint about this casting, based on the pictures, is that it seems like it rides a bit too high.  Perhaps a future version should get those new, smaller five spokes?  Then again, the Civic Type R does have giant factory wheels… 

1997 McLaren F1 GT

One of the more interesting updates the Matchbox team shared was that Hot Wheels designer Ron Wong has been helping design some Matchbox castings, so naturally he started with the McLaren F1.  I must admit, I’ve been feeling some F1 fatigue lately, so I’m glad Matchbox decided to shake it up a bit with the GT version.  In fact, I believe this is the first time we’ve seen an F1 GT in 1/64 scale!  This clean green color with front and rear detailing is an excellent way to debut the model, though beware the length of this casting!  From the look of the pictures Lamley Group posted, it may be too long to properly fit in the “Jammers” cases so many of us use.

2024 BMW Z4 M40i

Insert joke here about how Matchbox already made this car because they made the Mk5 Supra.  This model didn’t get much of a reaction at the Gathering, but I am pretty excited for it!  I’ve always liked the look of the current generation Z4, and I think it’s a criminally underappreciated car.  Matchbox has been releasing some excellent convertible castings recently, so this seems like a great fit for the brand.  I’d love to see it in the eggplant purple color featured in the presentation! 

2024 Chevrolet Silverado PPV Truck 

Following in the footsteps of the Ram 1500 Police truck, we now get the Chevy version.  The formula sounds the same – bash bar on the front and a light bar on top – and honestly, I’m into it!  While they’re not super common in my neck of the woods, pickup trucks like this are used fairly frequently by rural police departments, and it’s always exciting to get a chance to grow my diecast police fleets!  However, I do have to wonder if we’re starting to have a few more police castings than we really need.  After all, just last year saw the release of a new Charger and a new Explorer police casting, and neither has seen all that much action yet.

2025 Ford Mustang Police 

Matchbox certainly didn’t think we had enough police car castings, though.  They decided to also add a Mustang police car to the mix, complete with a bash bar and light bar.  The prototype actually looks pretty good, but I’m just not as into the idea of this casting as I am the Silverado.  I know there are a few police departments that use Mustangs as police cars, but I’ve never seen one in real life, and I can’t help but feel like it would have been better to use this production slot for a more interesting new casting.  That said, I know the California Highway Patrol has a few Mustangs in their fleet, so hopefully this at least gives me an opportunity to expand my CHP collection (it’s been far too long since we’ve seen the CHP deco on a Matchbox model). 

2025 Jeep Recon

The Recon isn’t a particularly interesting or exciting casting in and of itself, but I wanted to include this casting because I was surprised to see Matchbox doubling down on their clear plastic roof design that so many collectors hated in the Land Rover Defender 90 casting.  I wasn’t as bothered as so many others were, but I have to admit that the clear prototype version of this casting looks rough.  That said, the deco preview from the presentation shows it with a tinted roof, which should make the effect much more convincing.  I’m still not sure that this will be a popular casting, though. 

1993 Toyota Celica All-Trac

Unlike the Recon, this Celica is virtually guaranteed to be one of the most popular models in its case!  The casting itself looks fantastic, with great proportions, lots of detailing, and even white wheels!  Plus, it benefits from multiple overlapping layers of desirability: JDM, Radwood, and the “normal” cars that Matchbox is famous for.  I expect this to be a hard one to get your hands on. 

1997 Toyota Rav 4 Off-Road

The Celica wasn’t the only new Toyota featured, because we also got a look at the production-ready prototype of the ‘97 Rav 4.  It’s hard to pick a car that screams “Matchbox” more than this.  It’s a dorky-looking off-roader with stubby proportions and a strong cult following, which makes it surprising that we didn’t see it sooner.  Dare I say this paint color looks a bit too dark, though?  Whenever I picture a Rav 4 from this era, I picture it in a sun-faded light blue. 

2022 Honda S660

This cute little Honda kei-car is the spiritual successor to the Honda Beat and I want one.  Sadly, as an American, the Matchbox version is probably as close as I’ll ever come to getting one.  There’s a lot of potential for this to be a super cool casting, as long as they can avoid making it too big like the Autozam AZ-1.  The S660 is a small car, and it should look like one. 

1994 Jeep Cherokee

The Jeep Cherokee is another model that I’m surprised took this long to make its way to the Matchbox lineup.  As one of the most iconic American cars of all time and one of the original SUVs, it’s a perfect fit for Matchbox.  The prototype version shown at the Gathering was a very early 3D print, so it’s hard to get too much of a sense of the casting, but I hope the wheels don’t end up being too big, as the Cherokee shouldn’t look like a monster truck. 

2023 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71

I have mixed feelings about this mainline Tahoe.  On the one hand, I love the Moving Parts Tahoe casting.  On the other hand, I don’t really understand why we needed another, only slightly different Tahoe casting in the mainline.  I’m just not sure it’s an interesting enough car for that, and I would rather have seen this slot used for something like an Escalade.  That said, if the execution is as good as the Moving Parts version, this should be a cool model and worth adding at least an example or two to your collection.  There was a prototype shown, but I haven’t been able to find a decent picture of it yet…from what I can tell, it looks to be scaled similarly to the Moving Parts Tahoe.  

2024 GMC Sierra Wrecker

Usually, I don’t get too excited about utility trucks like this, but this GMC Sierra caught my attention.  It’s fully licensed and even has a moving tow arm, so it can actually tow around other Matchbox models.  This kind of play value has been rare in recent years, and this model reminded me of the old GMC Wrecker tow truck from my childhood!  Based on the presentation, it looks like this model will be receiving a full front deco in addition to its side detailing, which should make this model feel fairly complete.  Expect to see this one make a number of appearances on my Instagram once I get my hands on it! 

Freightliner Dump Truck

This is another casting that feels straight out of my childhood!  The dump actually moves, which adds a ton of play value, and the casting itself is licensed.  Licensed castings are a rarity for construction equipment like this, but seeing an actual Freightliner cab on this model elevates this truck even more.  This is how you make kid-friendly models that don’t have to be pegwarmers! 

Mainline Recolors:

Those are all the most exciting new castings, but we also saw a number of new recolors for existing castings that look very cool, as well as some final decos on castings that will be releasing in the latter half of 2025. 

2001 Acura Integra Type R (Chase)

There’s no sugarcoating this one – I have absolutely no idea what Matchbox was thinking when they made the Integra Type R a chase.  The original mainline version was so hard to track down that it functionally became a chase for most collectors, so reducing the numbers for the recolor feels almost insulting.  The chase is an unknown color at this time, and good luck to anyone who’s trying to track one down… 

2023 Chevy Corvette Z06 Convertible

The last time we saw a prototype of this casting, I was trying to figure out whether it was an E-Ray or a Z06, and we now know that it’s a Z06!  The only version mentioned in the presentation was the Walmart exclusive themed mix version with a rather ugly deco on it, but there was also a rather fetching black example on display after the presentation.  The black version looks great, with a simple front and rear deco and no extraneous side graphics.  I’m not sure about the red lips on the wheels, but I don’t hate them either. 

2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 63 S (Target Red Edition)

Just when I thought we’d never see this casting again, it reappears from the dead!  Lest you think I’m being dramatic, this casting has been gone since 2021!  It even earned a spot on my Top 5 list of castings that deserve to make a comeback, so I’m thrilled to see it not just coming back, but finally getting a bright paintjob!  This model should look great in red, and it’ll absolutely be a must-have model for me. 

Porsche Cayman (Walmart Themed Set)

The Porsche Cayman also gets a fresh red paintjob, but not as a Red Edition!  This long-absent casting is returning for a European-themed Walmart mix.  The white Porsche graphics at the bottom of the door look cool, but I have a bad feeling that those graphics are coming at the expense of rear detailing… 

Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet

Now that’s a paint color!  This was my favorite new casting from 2024 and I’m thrilled to see it returning in what appears to be Riviera blue!  Unlike the Cayman, it appears that this 911 will retain its front and rear detailing, making this likely the new definitive version of this casting. 

BMW Walmart Themed Set 

We don’t have any official confirmation on decos yet, so we don’t know which of these models will be new and which will be repeats, but I hope this set will bring about a recolor of the excellent BMW M2 casting!  It’s also nice to see the BMW 1M casting back in action.  Curiously, the presentation also refers to the 3-Series Touring as an M3 and as a 2013 model year when it’s previously been released as a 2012.  Was this a typo, or the reveal of a new casting? 

Italian Roads 5 Pack

I don’t normally cover the 5 packs in these roundups, but the Italian Roads pack is noteworthy because it includes the expected blue recolor of the Maserati MC12 and the unexpected return of the Alfa Romeo 4C in yellow!  I know some collectors don’t like the 4C casting, and I admit it’s a bit too big, but I’m still happy to see it back in such a fun color. 

8 Packs

Like the 5 packs, I normally skip over the 8 packs, but this year’s selection seems tailor-made to pry my money away from me.  The first pack of the year includes my favorite casting of all time, the Lotus Evora, in what appears to either be gray or purple.  It’s followed by a green recolor of the also-excellent Volvo V60 Wagon.  Luckily for my wallet, the remainder of the exclusives are less exciting, though the final 8 pack does feature what appears to be a re-release of the champagne Aston Martin DBS Volante. 

That’s a lot to be excited for, and that’s just the basics!

Moving Parts New Models:

This year’s Moving Parts line will feature 50 models once again, with 23 new tools.  With so many new tools every year, I can’t help but think that Matchbox should expand the case size of the Moving Parts line from 8 to 10 or 12.  That would not only bring more variety to the pegs and help reduce the pegwarmer problem, but it would also allow the growing roster of existing castings to get more use.  For now, let’s focus on the new stuff! 

2024 Lexus IS 500

This one is straight off my wishlist for this year’s lineup, even down to the Blue Vector paintjob!  The prototype looks epic, with full front and rear detailing and a full print under the hood to show off the 5.0L V8.  The detailing around the headlights and hood looks impressively sharp, and the IS’s distinctive flare in the rear door is well-replicated.  I just hate that I have to wait months to be able to get my hands on one! 

2024 Acura Integra Type S HRC

The Integra Type S was also on my wishlist, though I had hoped to see the standard road car rather than this HRC concept car.  I believe that Matchbox is making a mistake in choosing the HRC version, because history teaches us that one of two things will happen when a diecast company chooses to model a concept car.  Option 1: the concept car never gets made, and the future recolor potential of the casting is limited as a result; or Option 2: a production version of the concept car does get made, but it looks different from the concept car and the resulting casting looks off (much like the original Hot Wheels Bugatti Veyron).  Mercifully, the Integra Type S HRC doesn’t look that far off from the standard road car, and the debut yellow deco looks promising.  I suspect this model was a passion project for one of the designers, because it’s clear that a lot of work went into the little details on this casting – the model even has a tire rack in place of a back seat, just like the concept car. 

2024 McLaren GTS

What does it say about the state of McLaren’s lineup that I completely forgot this car existed?  McLaren’s overly similar product offerings aside, this casting has the potential to be very cool.  We need more supercars like this in the lineup, and McLaren has historically been underrepresented by Matchbox, so I’m glad to see a new model that hasn’t already been produced by Hot Wheels.  I’m not sure how to feel about the opening hatch – the body lines on the prototype look promising, but the fitment of that opening hatch is going to be make-or-break for this model.  This is one I’ll have to get in-hand before deciding how to feel about it. 

2025 Bentley Batur Coupe 

The Bentley Batur is both a cool and confusing choice for a new model.  The car itself is beautiful, and Matchbox’s history of making great Bentley castings gives me faith that the final model will look realistic.  However, Matchbox already has a Bentley Continental Moving Parts casting that has only seen a single use all the way back in early 2023!  Why not release a recolor of that casting rather than creating an entirely new Bentley model?  As excited as I am for the Batur, I also don’t want that excellent Continental casting to be forgotten about. 

2024 Maserati MC20 Cielo

There was no prototype of this casting because the Matchbox team is still figuring out how to make the doors work.  If they can figure it out, this model has the potential to be very cool.  Granted, Hot Wheels already has a good MC20 casting, so I think Matchbox has the right approach by making the convertible version to help differentiate their model.  Plus, crazy supercar doors like the MC20 has are among the one only times when I think opening doors are a worthwhile addition to a model.  Matchbox claims the MC20 is coming in Mix G, but I fully expect this model to be delayed (as is tradition for models with complicated doors). 

2025 BMW M5 Touring 

As a cool, European wagon, this new M5 Touring is a great fit for the Matchbox brand.  The prototype looks really promising, with an opening hood that thankfully means we don’t get any opening doors to disrupt the look of the side of the casting.  I don’t mind the window piece being used to form the panoramic roof from a design standpoint, but it might reduce the M5’s weight a little more than would be realistic.  After all, it would only be fitting for this to be one of the heaviest models of the year! 

1975 Lancia Stratos

I’ve never liked the Hot Wheels Stratos casting, so I’m thrilled to see a Matchbox version in the near future.  Matchbox has a history of making models with more realistic proportions, and this casting is another Ron Wong creation, so I have very high hopes for it.  The rear engine compartment will open to show off the engine, which should look very cool as long as they can get the fitment right.  

1994 Lotus Esprit Sport 300

I’ll confess that this wasn’t the Lotus casting I was hoping to see (that would be the Emira), but it does feel like a good fit for Matchbox.  The yellow paint color with full front and rear detailing looks great, and the prototype version of the casting looks quite a bit more accurate than the old Hot Wheels Esprit.  As a lover of Loti, I expect to at least pick up the debut version of this model. 

Moving Parts Recolors:

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato

There wasn’t much in the way of new recolors shown off this year, but we did finally get a look at the production ready version of the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.  I’ll be honest: my expectations for this casting were pretty low, based on the fairly rough look of many of the prototypes we’d seen.  After seeing this final deco version, I’m absolutely blown away!  Not only does the scale look fairly accurate, but the level of detailing is incredible!  I’ve always been disappointed with the lackluster detailing on the Hot Wheels mainline Sterrato, and this Matchbox absolutely embarrasses that model.  It looks to have detailing on the front, back, sides, and roof!  Matchbox’s decision to debut this casting in green is just icing on the cake, since it means this model doesn’t directly replace either the orange or white models that Hot Wheels already released.

Collectors Series

Perhaps the most surprising news about the Collectors series is the mere fact of its existence in the 2026 line.  Given how few stores even carry the line anymore, I suspected we might not see the line continue, but it seems like Matchbox isn’t ready to give up on their premium line yet.  The 2026 Collectors line will consist of 24 models, with a total of 8 new castings. 

2024 Ford GT MKII

This model got a lot of applause at the Gathering, but I’m honestly not that excited about it.  I’ve always preferred when Matchbox models factory cars in clean decos, so a racecar from Matchbox just isn’t something I feel is needed.  The bigger problem is with the casting itself, which just looks off to me.  It looks a bit too big and a bit too tall, and I can’t help but feel like the Hot Wheels version of the Ford GT Race is a better casting. 

1990 Chevy Corvette ZR1

It’s about time the C4 Corvette got some diecast love, and this ZR1 is the coolest C4 of them all.  Given this car’s forward-opening clamshell hood, I would argue it probably would have been a better fit for the Moving Parts line, but at least the higher deco budget for the Collectors line allows for printed detailing on all sides. 

Mazda Autozam AZ-1

The existing mainline AZ-1 casting has always felt a bit too bit to me, so I’ve never really liked it that much.  I was surprised to see the same model coming to the Collectors line with opening doors, but I hoped that would at least mean the Matchbox team was fixing the mainline casting’s sins.  I was wrong.  The new AZ-1 casting looks even bigger than the old one, to the point where it looks like it will dwarf some of the SUVs in the Matchbox lineup.  That’s a shame, because the AZ-1 really is a cool little car… 

2025 Bugatti Tourbillon

Just a few short years ago, it would have seemed impossible that we would ever have two Bugattis in the Matchbox lineup, yet here we are!  While I would have preferred to see the Veyron Vitesse, the Tourbillon is undoubtedly a cool car too (and one that we haven’t seen before in 1/64).  The prototype looks promising, with an impressive sharpness to the lines in the front end and decent proportions.  Unfortunately, as with many of the Collectors models, I expect this model to feel help back by its wheels. 

That’s actually been one of my biggest disappointments with the Collectors series over the past few years.  Matchbox just doesn’t have good premium wheels, and as a result the premium models so often feel like a downgrade over their less expensive mainline counterparts.  Matchbox has been copying the Hot Wheels strategy of using metal bases in their premium cars, which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it prevents these models from being used in the mainline where they could get both better wheel designs and more recolors.  If I could give the Matchbox team one piece of advice, I would implore them to modify some of these premium casting designs to give them a plastic base for mainline and Moving Parts use.  I would love to see cool castings like the Subaru BRZ or Aston Martin DB12 get more releases where they wouldn’t be held back by their wheel designs.  The Nissan GT-R Nismo is the perfect case study: it was originally released as a Collectors model, but its plastic base allowed it to be used in the Japan-exclusive Moving Parts mix.  That red Moving Parts version is far superior to the premium version. 

That’s it for this year’s line preview!  Despite some concerns with parts of the Matchbox strategy, this is still shaping up to be one of the most exciting years ever for the brand.  There are so many cool new models that I can’t wait to get my hands on, and you can expect to see full features on many of them right here once I do.  As a reminder, despite this being my longest post ever (over 5,000 words!), this list isn’t comprehensive.  There was even more covered in the preview presentation, so I urge you to head over to the Lamley Youtube channel and watch the full version for yourself.  I’ll be updating my list of upcoming Matchbox models with all this new information over the coming days, so keep an eye on that page and don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you want to see more diecast content!