It’s time to pick my Top 10 models as part of this Lamley Awards season. For this year I’m doing something a little different. In addition to the usual Top 10 additions to my collection, I’ve decided to do compile a list of my favourite new race and rally cars of 2023, rather than a straight best-new-models rundown. They’re a big part of what I buy and will hopefully give you a slightly different list to what my colleagues here on the blog will share in their Top 10s.
My number one rule remains the same though – I’ve stuck to cars that I have in my hand, rather than cool stuff I’ve seen elsewhere, or ordered but haven’t arrived yet. So without further ado…
Top 10 Race & Rally Models of 2023
10) Tarmac Works Renault 5 Maxi Turbo
Tarmac Works Hobby 64 releases often get close to perfection yet ultimately fall slightly short, especially given the high price point. I have thought long and hard about why I don’t rate this Tour de Corse-winning Ragnotti R5 more highly. Careful measurements confirmed my suspicions, and the answer is a combination of factors: too-narrow front track, too-narrow rear end, too-narrow rear wheels and not enough tire sidewall height. But I’m still very happy to see a premium Renault in this scale and don’t miss my colleague Alex’s definitive look at the Tarmac R5s. Over to you, Inno 64!
(find Tarmac Renault 5 on eBay)
9) Hot Wheels Audi 90 quattro
Cheap and very cheerful. A classic IMSA GTO car in iconic colours with decent wheels, all for a couple of bucks. What’s not to like? But I do wonder what they do for an encore – it’s hard to see any future version matching up to this debut release.
(find Hot Wheels Audi 90 on eBay)
8) Tarmac Works Apple Porsche 935 K3
Not the most successful of the Kremer 935s but as a livery it’s right up there with the best. I detailed some reservations about the wheels when I wrote about it here and it’s not the greatest value for money, but still a fun addition to my racing Porsche lineup.
7) Mini GT Red Bull RB18
One of the most anticipated racing releases of the year was Mini GT’s first Formula 1 car. Sparky had already done a great version of the 2022 Red Bull (see here) but this one edges it thanks to the metal base, carbon-finish floor, camera mount, better wheels and slightly more accurate tampo placement.
(find Mini GT Red Bull on eBay)
6) Mini GT Lancia Stratos HF
Not a new casting but the version I’d been waiting for. There were already a few other Alitalia cars out there from other brands, so I hung on for Bernard Darniche’s 1979 Monte Carlo winner in French blue before grabbing the Mini GT. There’s stiff competition from Tomica and CMs, but this is right up there among the best 1:64 Stratos models ever.
(find Mini GT Lancia Stratos on eBay)
5) Ixo x Tarmac Works Ferrari F40 LM
Tarmac put out several different racing F40s this year in two different versions (LM and GT) but I went for this Pilot-sponsored car from Le Mans in 1995. I’m no F40 expert but I struggle to find flaws with this beautiful Ferrari.
(find Tarmac Ferrari F40 on eBay)
4) ixo x Tarmac Works Global 64 Mercedes-AMG W11 EQ Performance
My favourite Tarmac model of the year but something of a sleeper, I think. The Tarmac F1 cars fall down against the Mini GT and Sparky alternatives chiefly in their lack of driver figures, in my opinion, but I love that Tarmac has put them in the more playable and more affordable Global 64 range. You even get the winner’s plaque from Lewis Hamilton’s 2020 Tuscan GP triumph to go with the car!
(find Tarmac Mercedes on eBay)
3) Hot Wheels Ford Capri Gr. 5
This was the year in which Mark Jones retired from Hot Wheels, although the last of his designs will continue to appear into 2024. As parting shots go, the Zakspeed Group 5 Capri is hard to beat, and for me one of his best designs of recent years. Happy retirement, Mark!
(find Hot Wheels Capri on eBay)
2) Mini GT M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1
Another Ford, this time a contemporary one from Mini GT, which in my opinion had its strongest year since it started back in 2018. Rally fans like me have been hoping for some true-1:64, contemporary WRC machines since the demise of CMs. Mini GT nailed the Puma; hopefully it’s the first of more to come!
1) Mini GT Tyrrell P34
And so to the number one. In a stellar year, the P34 stands above everything else. For full details of this spectacular model and the epic story behind it, check out the article I wrote earlier in the year. Future versions will get a driver, too, at which point it’ll be perfect. It’s my model of the year!
Honourable mentions
Another great Mini GT release but not strictly a rally car was the Range Rover configured as the 1971 British Trans-Americas Expedition vehicle. There is so much to this model it’s insane. And as a fan of vintage Corgis, it’s fantastic to see a Trans-Americas model back in production for a new generation of collectors to discover.
Finally, I couldn’t neglect to mention Sparky, who have gone all-in on Formula 1 cars in the past year (check out this article for more). I picked up this Aston Martin AMR22 in part because it was the last F1 car driven by the retiring Sebastian Vettel, one of the good guys.
Top 10 other additions to my collection
Moving on… Let’s take a look at some of the other stuff I added to the collection this year. There was a lot to get excited about!
10) Racing Champions Pontiac Pro Stock
This old dragster (a not-very-limited edition of 40,000!) turned up at the SEMA Show. For $3, I couldn’t say no. It contains a lot of plastic but check out those wheels and wheelie bar. And what a paint scheme!
(find Racing Champions Pontiac on eBay)
9) Schuco x Tarmac Works 911 Turbo S LM GT
There were some great Schuco x Tarmac Porsches this year, including this fabulous Brumos 911 Turbo S LM GT from Sebring ’93. Like Mini GT, Schuco has highly detailed 1:64s that roll, for an excellent price. Read all about it here.
(find Schuco Brumos Porsche on eBay)
8) Matchbox 70th Anniversary Austin Mini Cooper 1275S
For me, this Convoys companion car was the best of the platinum-coloured Matchbox Basics created for the brand’s extensive 70th anniversary celebrations. With front and rear tampos and a Union Jack on the roof, it looks ace, and is a great complement to the gold 60th model from 2013. Abe Lugo signed a bunch of these at the special anniversary event with the Petersen Museum in October.
(find Matchbox 70th Mini on eBay)
7) Inno 64 Jaguar XJ-S
My TWR XJ-S arrived too late for inclusion in last year’s Top 10s but I love this 1984 Spa 24h winner so much I had to find a spot for it in this list. One of my favourite race cars of all time! Now, who’s going to make the TWR Rover Vitesse?
(find Inno Jaguar XJ-S on eBay)
6) Hot Wheels MG Metro 6R4
Another late 2022 arrival but well worth the wait. The 6R4 is a cult car in the UK and Mark Jones did a terrific job on the Hot Wheels replica. This Didier Auriol-influenced first release came in a Team Transport pack, but we’ve since seen a second, Rothmans-like one in a rally diorama set.
(find Hot Wheels Metro 6R4 on eBay)
5) Schuco 1:43 Audi 80
You won’t see much written about 1:43-scale models on the Lamley Blog but this is a top-five for me. Old Schucos are so evocative of the old West Germany and I’ve been slowly adding to a collection that started 40 years ago. Lots more still to find!
4) Matchbox Collector 70th Anniversary MGB GT
The Mini ran it close but this remains my favourite of all the Matchbox 70th models we’ve seen this year. I chose to pass on the much-hyped new D-Type and Porsche 910, metal bases and all, because I’d rather wait until they appear in more realistic decos at a later date. This however is easily the best version of the MGB GT so far and has lived on my desk for most of the year!
(find Matchbox 70th MGB on eBay)
3) Hot Wheels Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0
Hands down the best new Hot Wheels model of the year, in my opinion. Odd that they chose the obscure South African 3.0 version, but Fraser Campbell’s casting is otherwise perfect, including a spectacular first deployment of the new mainline wheels. At less than $2, I reckon it’s also the best-value diecast model of the year!
(find Hot Wheels GTV6 on eBay)
2) 100% Hot Wheels Salzburg Porsche 917
I’d been after this one for a long time so when a friend came through with an unbelievable RAOK I was speechless! I can ignore the undersized #23 on the doors and say without reservation that it’s my favourite version of my favourite Hot Wheels Porsche casting.
(find Hot Wheels 100% 917 on eBay)
1) Dinky Toys 1:43 Ferrari 500
Drum roll…you probably weren’t expecting this one, were you? I’ve ogled Dinky’s 1950s Formula 1 cars since I was a kid. This year, I finally took the plunge when I got a good deal on this Ferrari at a toy show during a trip to the UK. Finished in the Argentinian colours of José Froilán González, it embodies everything that’s good about toy cars – no scalpers, no collector politics, no distribution hassles, no cost-cutting, no fuzzy inkjet graphics nor baseless Gulf decos, just the pure joy of a miniature race car built for play.
(find Dinky Ferrari 500 on eBay)
Honourable mentions:
Three models were oh-so-close to making my 2023 Top 10 but just missed out. One of the very best new mainline Hot Wheels this year was the awesome Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Just needs blue wheels, I might get the paintbrush out!
I’ve dipped in and out of the Mattel Creations Matchbox releases. There was lots of noise around the 911 RSR but this was the pick of the year for me, a stunning version of the already-great 1975 Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste.
Last but not least, the Matchbox Collector Triumph TR6 was rightly feted by many collectors. Unfashionable it may be in an age of Skylines, Squarebodies and supercars, but it’d be wrong to ignore the artistry that went into this elegant model. Check out my Lamley Daily for the full story. Looking forward hopefully to some brighter 70s hues on future releases!
That’s all for this year’s rundowns, hope you enjoyed looking back with me. Have a great holiday season and happy collecting!
(follow me on Instagram @diecast215)
(buy my children’s book 20 Great Race Cars)