As part of the Lamley Awards for 2018, I am featuring a few models that will sadly go overlooked as the Awards are announced. They are the Underrateds.
Last year Hot Wheels released a Forza mix in its Replica Entertainment line. Lots of cool models, but the model I was looking most forward to was this one:
Premium version of the Ford GT Race Car, and done up as a bit of a tribute to the Le Mans-winning car. Doing the Le Mans winner seemed a no-brainer to me, and this one was going to have to do.
Only it didn’t. Cool car to be sure, but the colors were reversed, and there seemed to be a lot of white space. Not to mention I didn’t like the chrome-lipped wheels. Nerdy, yes, but oh well.
Fast forward to 2018. Car Culture, as it has been since its debut, was on a roll, and the next batch was Circuit Legends. A loaded mix, headlined by the debut of the Mazda 787B. But the model I was most looking forward to was once again the Ford GT Race. The Le Mans tribute livery was back, but far better. Much closer to the winner – but not exact – and FAR better executed. Oh, and black wheels. All Car Culture is a must-have, but this was especially sweet.
Note the livery, and note the execution. No white space. It’s beautiful.
And I thought because of that it would be the first to get grabbed, whenever Circuit Legends hit the pegs. I mean it looks like the Le Mans winner! Who wouldn’t want it?
And sure, it has been grabbed, but I see more of these hanging than the others. That isn’t a great way to judge, but scroll through Instagram and I don’t see all the artsy photos of this one like I do all the others. It’s kind of been ignored. It’s in collections, but somewhat buzz-less.
Yet this casting will never look better, it is timely, and ridiculously cool. And to me easily one of the best Hot Wheels releases of the year.
Just found the Circuit Legends set yestersday. All 5! Very cool set. The GT you picked to feature is really nice. My favorite would still have to be the Shelby though.
On the contrary, Shelby is disappointing with huge rear tires. The wheel well is almost all the way to the side window and it looks nothing like the card. Shame to waste such a beautiful casting on one of my favorites.
Might be to you. I still liked it. I also really like the 787. Very Iconic.
These don’t hang often around me. The only Fords we collect are the GTs (GTX1, GT, GT-40, GT-90, GT LM). As well, I do a lot of swaps and customs, so these are always amazing base swaps for the mainline releases, usually with a swapped interior as well. By far my favorite of the Circuit Legends set, and second in the Forza release only behind the BMW.
They’re both keepers, but I agree that the second one (a “do-over”, it seems) is definitely the better of the the two. This is definitely one of those castings I’ll be a completist of, along with the street version. I’m feelin’ pretty good, having found all the Circuit Legends in the wild. AND, just the other night, I found a case of the Dragstrip Demons waiting to be pegged at my local Walmart. Grabbed a set and left the other 5. I’m very happy indeed.
This set is fire and I was originally not crazy about it. This is certainly my favorite of the set but the others are all great too. I love this car and I will definitely be collecting every version of it. Premium and non premium.
My favorites of the Circuit Legends is a toss up between the Mazda and Porsche. Originally, I felt the GT was redundant and an unnecessary release too similar to the Forza release. I’m so glad Lamley has showcased this latest version, because otherwise I may not have realized how fabulous it is and just how much better it is than the Forza version. This is easily my #3 out of the Circuit Legends and my favorite Ford GT release.