Category #3. This is always the most interesting. Such a large variety of models to pick as BEST Hot Wheels Licensed Basic New Model, and the always-interesting MOST DISAPPOINTING poll.
Remember, I am not asking you to make a choice for worst basic new model. Instead, what model disappointed you the most? The model that didn’t match the excitement you had for its release?
The polls are below, as is the video and a plethora of photos. Give it some thought, and be sure vote! Good luck!
For me it’s close between the Impreza, Prelude and R8 Spyder for best. It was a CHORE finding an Audi of each color that had properly aligned headlight tampos though. I think the Impreza edges the other two out for me as best. It’s really a spot-on casting and the debut sports such iconic colors (blue over gold wheels). I even managed to find the ZAMAC recently (woohoo!)
The tooned Bug doesn’t come into the equation for me for worst, because it doesn’t disappoint me – just seeing “tooned” in the name tells me exactly what I’ll get, so there’s nothing to be disappointed about. It’s not my cup of tea, just like the Formula E racer isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s not disappointing either. I think I’m most disappointed by the Syclone and the Impala SS. I’m obviously in the minority here, but the Syclone BEGS for front tampos, while the Impala SS just overall feels off to me. It needs rear tampo, while the front tampo seems to have been badly botched. Either it wasn’t designed well or very few left the factory floor with correctly applied headlights. Additionally, the model seems a little too small (I know that’s a necessary constraint but still) and the lack of mirrors is especially glaring on this car for some reason. Writing all this out, I think I’m more disappointed by the Impala, so that gets my pick. I was excited for it, but it just doesn’t do much for me in-hand.
My only complaint about the Tooned Baja Bug is that it’s a tooned version of the Matchbox casting, NOT one of the Hot Wheels ones.
There were many great new models this year, and it came down to the Prelude and the 850 Estate for me. I love the stock styling, proportions and plastic insert headlights on the Prelude, and it might have taken the cake, but in the end I went with the Volvo. I just love wagons, and this one did not disappoint – other than the deco, which is fixed for 2021. I love the stance of the 850, and I really, really appreciate the fact that they went with an insert tab on the base for the rear assembly rather than a metal post through the middle of the trunk. I can’t even keep track of all the castings that have been degraded by that dastardly metal post. I’m looking at you, Matchbox.
For most disappointing model, I agree with Ben. It’s the Impala. The tampos were atrocious, but we’re not voting on that so I’ll leave my complaints for another comment. The point here is that I was quite excited for this one, but the casting came out too small with wheels that are too big and not tucked under the body of the car like they are on the life-sized version. This car should have a big, aggressive presence. It was the last of the land yachts, other than the Ford Crown Victoria, and I feel it doesn’t receive proper representation here.
On a side note, why are so many people voting for the Tooned Beetle? John said countless times “you’re voting for most disappointing model, not worst!” Were people really disappointed that the TOONED Beetle came out with exaggerated proportions? To me it’s exactly what I expected. It’s not my cup of tea at all, but it definitely serves its purpose as “Tooned Beetle.”
What a great year for mainlines! So many huge hits and honestly none of them are really misses. On other years I could easily put about 8 of these as my favorite for the year, just great. I ended up picking the one I bought the most of and it’s hard to believe the 22B was from the 2020 line since it came out so long ago. But they absolutely nailed it. Right stance, right colored wheels, right deco choice, and right color. But the Prelude is amazing, as is the Impala, Lightning, 944, etc. Simply a great year.
I picked the Urus as my most disappointing because there are so many other Lambos that could be made instead of the one mom’s like the most. Though it was well done, it’s just not what I would have gone with.
I was gonna pick the Prelude as my favorite but I actually enjoyed the F-150 Lightning. I was never able to find the Fast and Furious version so finding a nice, clean, stock mainline version did the job just fine! I love the detail and proportions on this truck! The front and rear detailing, the fender flares, the gold color, the MC5 wheels, the side view mirrors, all spot-on! I’m in the minority for this pick which astounds me but at the same time it doesn’t really surprise me considering how hot JDM is right now.
The most disappointing for me is the ’91 GMC Cyclone. Just like one of the above comments said, this one was begging for front detailing. Considering there’s nothing on the sides to go against the three-side rule, why didn’t they do it? The rear is great, but why leave the front blank? Also, those ugly ass saw-blade wheels ruined it! They’re atrocious! They look nothing like the life-size wheels! They would’ve been better off choosing MC5’s or even 10SP’s. There’s a new blue one for 2021 and it still suffers the same problem; ugly wheels and no front detailing! What the hell?
Here’s the thing: the Koenigsegg Jesko is fine. It feels a bit too small and the wing pylons are too big, but the rest of the body-casting is bang-on, and compared to something like LCD Models’ Jesko, a dollar for this version is a bloody steal.
That said, the McLaren Speedtail stands head-and-shoulders above the “modern” ones. Detail-per-value is through the roof with that one, from the perfect wheel choice to the laser-accurate bodywork. It’s unbelievable that it’s just a dollar, and blows the Senna out of the water as the best new McLaren that HW makes (arguably the second best McLaren on HW, just after the F1 GTR). I reckon it’s a fairly close fight, though: the Bentley Continental GT3 also boasts smashing value relative to more expensive options, while the Kia Stinger GT and Formula E car both undercut Majorette’s versions with comparable detail (FE car has a driver mould!) for less.
So my picks come down to that Speedtail, the Volvo 850 Estate, Honda Prelude, and F-150 Lightning. As trucks aren’t my swing and I haven’t seen that Lightning yet, my final two will be the Speedtail and Volvo 850. So tempting to call this a tie, but with the stock versions still far away, I’m putting a vote to the Speedtail. You’ll never get a better rendition of that car for this price lest you spend inordinate sums for a premium/super-premium one from MiniGT or Tarmac Works.
The disappointments seem easier find by comparison. Especially given that there are two convertibles here that shouldn’t have been convertibles (the Audi R8, in particular, just reeks of cost-cutting to me) and the Impala SS, which looked like it came from the Maisto Fresh Metal factory. Surprisingly, I’d also lump in the 944 here, too — why the stock one instead of the GTP racing version? At least the Subaru Impreza 22B is spectacular in real life and the Firebird’s plainness works to its favour here. Both the Impala SS and 944 are in the wrong brands. They really should have been on Matchbox (then use the slots for, say, a Porsche 911 GT2RS and Dodge SRT Viper ACR). Even the Urus feels like a wasted slot that an Aventador SVJ could fill better.
But the R8 and C7 ZR1 stick out far too much for me here. There’s more than enough room for these to be the coupes — the ZR1 in particular could have been an epic casting, complete with a big rear wing. So that’s getting my clunker vote. The ZR1 had way more potential, so to see it relegated to drop-top duty (without any coupe version in sight as of writing) is bound to disappoint.
Which leads me to my final take: calling a mainliner “disappointing” is a bit of a stretch. In the end, it’s just a dollar. Yes, we know HW are capable of miraculous things in this price point, but they’re more often the exception, not the rule. So setting high expectations for cars here is a bit elitist at worst, and not warranted unless it’s all one can afford. We can call premiums disappointing given how much we pay for them.
The r8 and zri shouldve been couples and the urus is just sad
This year was pretty bad for me because I only managed to find 4 models out of these. But still, I have a top 3 for best new models and I have my favourite as well.
1) Subaru Impreza 22b
2) McLaren Speedtail
3) Bentley Continental GT3
Honourable mention: Honda Prelude
I chose the Subaru because after I held it in my hand, I couldn’t believe how well detailed and well made it was. And I haven’t felt this way for a basic car in a long time. The proportions, the paint, the perfect wheels, the ever important side mirrors, it’s all there. And I feel the same for the McLaren and Bentley. They’re both well done and although the lack of front and rear lights on the Bentley is a bummer, the casting itself is sharp (+10 points for mirrors) and I’m sure future versions will redeem it.
Most disappointing was a touch choice. I was disappointed by a lot of models this year: the S13 (the casting is brilliant though), Impala and Shelby for not having headlights/ taillights, the Corvette and R8 for being convertibles, the 914 for being an off-road version (WHY is everyone obsessed with these???) and the Jesko for not having mirrors and being out of proportion. Ultimately the Jesko wins (or loses, rather) as it just looks like a blob without any front or rear details, that thick metal wing, wrong wheel choice and no mirrors. After the beautifully clean Speedtail, the Jesko is a real letdown. It was a model that I was looking forward to, and it didn’t meet my expectations.
OK, I’ll play by the rules. 😉 In determining the model that is most disappointing to me, after I set aside those models that are fantastic and those I just don’t care about; Baja Bug, Jeep Gladiator, Big Air Bel Air, Ram Rebel, (because how can they disappoint me if I don’t care in the first place), I’m left with those that might have come a bit short.
Formula E; It’s nice and I bought both releases, but honestly it sits on the cusp. My collection would be no lesser without this one. Nissan Silvia; I was super excited for this casting, but why buck the trend of the first few releases being stock clean? Instead we get this SEMA show special, which I already know I’m going to turn my nose up to. SEMA is the equivalent of Fast & Furious, everything done up in gaudy excess. So, I’m very much disappointed in this one and wanted to pass on it. But we’re not supposed to take deco into consideration. Corvette ZR1; I collect most modern Vettes, at least the clean deco’d ones, but this one seems slightly off. Maybe it’s due to the oversized rear wheels throwing off the proportions. The fact that we get many other sports cars these days with same size wheels, that look more natural, may exacerbate this disparity. Lamborghini Urus (Ooo-roos not Your-ohs); I find many Lamborghinis are difficult to render in 1:64 and this is another. I can’t exactly place my finger on it, but something about this doesn’t quite look right. Pretty close, but slightly off. Land Rover Defender 90; another release I really wanted to love, but didn’t quite hit the mark. For some reason this one almost looks tooned. Could be an unfortunate result of short wheelbase + giant off-road tires + tall ride height. I don’t hate the red, but maybe a nice matte tan, olive or black paint job would make it look more utilitarian. Koenigsegg Jesko; as with many a Lamborghini, it suffers the challenge of translating a low, wide, mid-engine supercar into an accurate 1:64 model at a $1 pricepoint. I was super excited for this release, but unfortunately the proportions just don’t look right. It’s not low, wide or long enough. It suffers from that clunky wing, the wheel well gaps are too large and either the silver paint is doing it no favors or it lacks deco or both. Ford SVT Lightning; I make no apologies for not being into trucks. But, I may (eventually) make an exception for the SVT Lightning. I was all about aero shapes when this truck (the F-150 on which it’s based) came out and it was such a departure from the boxy shape of its predecessor and other trucks at the time. It has become a bit of an icon. As such, I’m prepared to make room for one model in my collection. But gold ain’t it. We’ll see what recolors 2021 brings. Porsche 914 Safari; love the 914, but I’m not quite sure what I was expecting when I heard it would be a “safari” version. I’m not sure what would bring the excitement back to this model for me. Different paint? Maybe solid red or gray or perhaps matte black? More details painted in? Mud splatters? It’s one I want to love, but as is, I just don’t. Finally, Bentley Continental GT3; this one was a whopper of a disappointment (at first). I didn’t even realize it was a Bentley when I first saw images online. The deco is hideous and does a good job at hiding the lines of what should otherwise be a beautiful GT racer. I’m not against electric lime green paint, but it didn’t strike me as a very Bentley-esque color. I now stand corrected. This is both the color and deco of an actual race-worthy Continental GT3. As such, I’ve peered beneath the polarizing paint and find a casting that’s not half bad. I’ll test my hand at filling in some missing features on this one while I patiently await a less audacious recolor.
I don’t want to easily fall into the trap of all the internet grumblings, but with the above consideration I have to call the Koenigsegg Jesko my most disappointing model. I truly want to love this casting, but I suspect no amount of redeco will have it looking quite right.