Welcome to the Lamley Awards!!
This is the latest I have ever done this, and if I listed the reasons why you would die of boredom. But we are here, finally, and it is time to vote. There will be several Lamley Award Polls this year:
- Best Hot Wheels Licensed New Model
- Most Disappointing Hot Wheels Licensed New Model
- Best Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt
- Worst Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunt
- Best Hot Wheels Premium New Model
- 2017 Hot Wheels Model of the Year
- Best Matchbox Licensed New Model
- Lamley 1/64 Model of the Year
I will break those topics down as I introduce the polls, and they will happen fast over the remainder of the year. And after New Years we will review the winners, along with my choices.
So let’s get to it with the Best Licensed Hot Wheels New Model of 2017. What do I mean by licensed? Real cars. There are many unlicensed Hot Wheels originals that I like, but considering the direction of Lamley, and my reader’s interests, let’s stick with real vehicles. And while some of you will disagree, I also eliminated movie cars. That means the two Fast & Furious Chargers are out. (If they were not modified as “character cars” for the movie they would be in.)
So with that parameter, here is the poll, with the photographs of every entry below. Vote! Vote! Vote! and tell your friends to do the same. And yeah, this is a tough one.
2017 Licensed New Models (click on the image for a larger view):
2015 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
Fairlady 2000
Volkswagen Käfer Racer
Custom Datsun 240Z
Tesla Model X
’68 Corvette – Gas Monkey Garage
Corvette C7 Z06
Porsche 934.5
2016 Ford GT Race
Volkswagen T2 Pickup
2017 Camaro ZL1
’15 Mercedes-AMG GT
’17 Nissan GT-R (R35)
Mazda REPU
’17 Pagani Huayra Roadster
’16 Honda Civic Type R
Custom ’67 Pontiac Firebird
’95 Mazda RX-7
I’m so glad I get to put off having to pick between the R30 and R33 for 12 months.
Porsche got my vote, some great models this year the RX7 and VW only just missed out on number 1 for me
For me its the Nissan GT-R, especially after I saw the grey one (just see how sharp it looks). Apart from the lack of mirrors, I think they nailed the casting. The RX-7, Civic, 934.5 and Firebird are equally great (and I know some people are going to blindly vote for the RX-7 just because its JDM). I would give some extra points to the Civic for mirrors and full tampos, but I still think the GT-R is nicer overall.
Loved the ‘15 Land Rover Defender Double Cab.
The T2 Pick Up was something unexpected and and awesome casting for customizers. You can do ANYTHING with it. So, my vote it’s for the VW. Honorable mention to the Porsche 934.5 Looks so clean on that white…
Rx-7 hands down… Great details, tampo, stance, and all around og coolness..
1. Toss up between the Nissan R35, Custom 240Z, and the ’95 Mazda RX-7, honorable mention Mazda Repu.
2. Can’t say any are disappointing. They’re all very well done despite my preferences.
3. Don’t collect these.
4. Or these
5. Mercedes 2.5 EVO. I also really like the Porsche 962.
6. See #1.
7. Nissan Junior
8. Easy. The TLV Nissan Atlas Safety Loader. No question about it. I also dig Greenlight’s Mad Max ’73 Ford Falcon.
There are so many other castings from previous years I like that are currently being used,especially from Auto World. Just picked up the Japan Historics 2 Nissan Laurel, Skyline C210, and the Fairlady Z. And I freed them from their blisters. You can sit them next to an AW or TLV. AMAZING! I didn’t include these in the contest since I figured they were 2018s.
2. No, it’s the Model X. Awful thing, really, and just eats away votes that the supercars can use.
Oh boy. Tough choice for sure. I’m leaning towards the GT-R like BlackWind though I haven’t cast my vote yet.
Dark horse picks: the Huayra Roadster and Ford GTE. The REPU, RX-7, R35/17 and Porsche are incredible, but so are those two supercars, and deserve more votes.
Oh, and the Vetuskey Custom Firebird too. Why next to no one is picking that up baffles me. I wish we can multi-pick, or just assign points.
I’ve seen the Vetuskey Custom Firebird maybe twice. I almost bought it, it’s a beautiful rendition, but for me there are just far too many great releases each year and I have to narrow my focus. So European and Japanese cars are my main passion and I have to pass on most American muscle even though some are really great and well done.
This is hard as shit this year…From the results so far, I see I am pretty much alone in picking the AMG GT. Full tampo in an authentic color, plus door mirrors…I love it.
VERY close second place for me is the 934.5, followed by the RX-7
I completely agree! The AMG GT gets my vote. Although the only thing letting it down was that a lot of them had dodgy headlight tampo but still it wasn’t as bad as some other models!
Yeah, I nervously held out for a while before I picked one up because of those headlights, but I did eventually find a decent one 🙂
Civic is ’15, not ’16.
I’m also going with the GT-R. The stance is great, the colors are great, and it was a really fun find since it was hard to come by at first. Because this is a vote for the entire model and not just the casting, it was hard to vote for anything that was missing tampos. The GT-R is one of those castings (like some others) that is easy to get wrong, but for a $1 car, HW really nailed this one.
The GT-R would have got my vote, but it fell short due to having misaligned front tampos on so many models. If we’re voting based on the best Model, I feel this is an important consideration. As a casting, it’s fabulous though.
Sorry but where the hell is the Land Rover Defender Double Cab – That
is far and away the best licensed model this year, so much so , i am not voting in this category
The Defender is a 2018 release.
Hey Jon I hope you do vote. The Defender is a 2018 model so it will be included next year.
Where’s the Fiat 500 Air Cooled model? Or is this just mainline voting?
Nevermind. I just saw the premium new model catagory.
I went with the RX-7 before viewing the results. Several great castings but the FD fills a big gap in the Mazda lineup. Now let’s get an FC.
Am I the only one who doesn’t see the actual poll? Is it in a link? Nothing is showing for me.
I have to get real for this one.. I was really hyped up for the Gas Monkey ‘Vette, but since I have them now, the model I kinda’ yearned for was the ’95 RX7!
I like the history of it because for one, it began sort of as 24 Seven and it’s cool when an a licensed model comes to life from a ‘generic’ or unlicensed model.
So many great models to choose from, how do I decide on just one?
The Fairlady 2000 certainly got 2017 off to a great start. I loved this model in cream and even more so in the retro tarnished green color. We quickly moved into the wonderful Custom Datsun 240Z, a near-perfect sculpt only lacking in a front tampo. The year came to a close with the introduction of even more great Japanese models. From the expansion of the ever popular Nissan Skyline/GT-R range, with the R35 to the brand spanking new and first ever in the U.S., Honda Civic Type R (I have to admit a longtime Honda bias) to the svelte and sensuous Mazda RX-7 (Don’t get me started on the very limited red model only being available at Kmart’s K-days. Mission out on that one still stings!).
Ultimately my pick comes down to two GT/LeMans racers, the Ford GT Race and the Porsche 934.5. Special note to Hot Wheels creative solution to implementing the flying buttresses on the Ford. The Ford also gets a full set of race-inspired tampos on front and sides, making this model a real looker. But ultimately my choice goes to the PORSCHE 934.5. A car from long ago that could have easily been left to history. Instead, we get this beautifully proportional casting with a perfect wheel choice and with only the most minimal of deco to detract from its lovely form. I can’t wait to see what decos are yet to come on this wonderful casting!
I can’t believe I made such a rookie mistake! This Hot Wheels ’16 Honda Civic Type R is not the “brand spanking new… first ever in the U.S.” model, that would be the 2017 Civic Type R (not yet rendered in 1:64 Hot Wheels form). The 2016 Civic hatchback never came to the U.S. in any state of tune, Type R or otherwise. Looking at both model years in white I can see very similar proportions and styling themes, only noticing the different details when focusing in on specific areas. I guess I can see how the mistake could be made at the 1:64 scale.
The two big giveaways, the current CTR has three exhaust tips (the centre one plays a role in the passive muffling system, at low throttle/low rpms (with consequently low volumes of exhaust gases exiting) it reduces the loudness of the system, at WOT/high RPMs it stops performing that function and the exhaust note gets loud.
The old CTR has the rear door handles integrated into the pillar instead of on the door.
Yunkee Cypher: Sorry, what I was trying to say is that the 1:64 scale car is difficult to distinguish at a glance, especially in the package and not having a HW 2017 Civic Type R to compare it against. I can easily tell apart the real FK2 and the FK8 cars. I’ll take your tip about the exhaust and door handles. I knew the FN2 Type R had “hidden” rear door handles, but didn’t recall that about the FK2.
For me I was debating between the C7 Stingray or the AMG GT but if I were to choose my top one it would have to go to the AMG GT. What was surprising to me was when I voted and looked at the stats for it, it was actually one of the lesser performing castings. I figured since it was a well executed casting with front and rear tampos, side view mirrors, nice set of dark grey Y5s, and overall a great looking coupe, it would be on the top of the list. I also figured since it’s the long-awaited return of Mercedes-Benz at Mattel, a brand that makes beautiful cars and yet is one of the losers on the totem poll. Not to mention the nice recolor in metallic burnt orange with chrome Y5s and the upcoming black one with dark grey 10SPs!
It’s because we’re still in the “supercars are boring” phase. Wait until JDM gets boring and loses the hype steam, or until Ferrari comes back with 10 cars on the mainline–half of which are new models.
Tampos not just outlines of head and tail lights, made my choice Tesla or Porsche.
Would love to know who designed the Custom 240Z, VW T2, and Pagani Huayra Roadster? Can’t find answers online. I think the 240Z was by Jun Imai (as was the Fairlady Z) but want to confirm.