It has been over a year since the Karson Diecast preorder for their upcoming 2022 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali opened. As was the case with the Outback Toys Dodge Rams, the wait was certainly worth it. In fact, I’m hoping this marks a turn towards the better in GreenLight’s manufacturing.
With GreenLight being sold at the end of 2022 and big plans for improving the company, one hoped that meant an increase in QC as it noticeably slipped in recent memory. It got to the point where every case I opened had at least one car with some sort of defect – whether the tires were popped off the wheel, paint was chipped, or fingerprints were left in the inside of the windows. It was bad.
As of April 1, GreenLight’s CEO Vincent Tang appointed Amy Boylan as their new president. Amy was the driving force in launching Hot Wheels’ Red Line Club and is looking at reintroducing GreenLight’s long defunct Under the Hood club. She is poised to make changes for the better. But that’s for another time. Right now I want to get into the latest collaboration between GreenLight and a hobby dealer – Karson Diecast to be exact.
The first thing I noticed (while unboxing the latest Black Bandit Series 29) was the sturdier packaging. That alone should be worthy of praise, but it’s just the proverbial tip. Grab yourself some sharper scissors to cut the blister open along the perfect pinch point to release the very well done truck within.
I’ve opened the Black Bandit cars and they’re definitely nice, but this all-new GMC casting is on another level. Compared to the Silverado of the same generation, it’s almost as if they were made by different manufacturers. First things that stuck out to me on the GMC were the accurate wheels and delicate side view mirrors.
Wheels! That deserves an exclamation mark because it has been such a point of contention between GreenLight products and I over the last – well, forever. GL has hamstrung so many great castings with an abysmal wheel and tire package. Case in point is the Silverado. The universal steam roller tires, that work well on almost nothing, do absolutely zero favors to the tiny wheels they surround. GL’s recently introduced Chevelle Laguna casting was denied greatness because of the poor wheel/tire combo. Same thing with the Mustang II casting. And the Plymouth ‘Cuda. I ‘cuda go on…
According to GreenLight’s 2024 catalog, there are going to be 10 different wheels alone for the GMC variants. The chrome and black versions here look great, have depth to their design, and are paired with a new treaded tire. It makes the alleged 20″ steel wheels on the Tahoe PPV look cartoonish. Although a quick side by side comparison shows it might be a tight fit if a wheel swap is attempted.
And then there are the side mirrors. GreenLight’s go-to for equipping cars with proverbial ears has mostly been a small lump of zamac at the base of the a-pillar. Or forgo them all together which in most cases leaves the casting awkwardly narrow. I believe both versions of the 7th generation Charger have them as part of the window piece so they’re a little more realistic. The dually trucks (Ford, Chevy and Ram) all get accurate plastic mirrors and so does the Nissan Titan. And I think one release of the 5th generation F-100 (the 1972 in Hitch & Tow Series 9) was blessed with tow mirrors.
The side mirrors on these new GMCs are similar to Mini GT’s in that they’re pliable and won’t break off easily*.
*I have not tried to break them off, so this is a presumption.
They’re also incredibly accurate to what you’d see on the 1:1. I’m hoping this new approach bodes well for future castings, including a new Challenger in both standard and wide body. Remember when I mentioned the lack of mirrors makes a casting awkward, almost like a head without ears? Think Auto World Challengers.
The lenses for the headlights are well done inserts lacking any noticeable attachment posts. They also have overlay tampos to replicate the intricate LED pattern. The taillights are painted, but given the 1:1’s are just red, I’m not complaining. They still look good.
There is also a heft to the casting that is hard to ignore. It weighs in at 96 grams, compared to 72 g for the Tahoe and 92 g for a Ford F-350 dually with a metal chassis. I’m curious to put the forthcoming 3500 on the scale for comparison. For those wondering, the F-350 with the plastic chassis weighs in at a paltry 61 g.
And finally, let’s talk about quality control. The first thing I noticed was the clear plastic windows. No hazing, no fingerprints. I almost thought GL forgot to install them that’s how clear they are. The wheels roll without that wobble wobble we’re used to. The chassis is straight. The tampos hit just right. Oh, the running boards are part of the chassis so they’re not going to be breaking off in the package.
I hope this is a new era of GreenLight models. I’ll gladly pay a bit more per model if I’m guaranteed they’ll all be as good as these two Karson Diecast GMC Sierra 2500 Denalis. Speaking of, there are SLT and Pro trim levels currently on preorder. And here’s to hoping the 3500s won’t be another year out.
Find the Karson GMC on their website OR from your favorite eBay sellers!
Find me on Instagram – Onesixtyfourland for tiny cars or Bearded Mug Media for 1:1 cars
I’ve been a Karson Diecast company for a while and they have great prices and on stuff with shipping included. I’ve also been patiently awaiting these exclusives! Glad to hear that they’re everything I hoped they would be.