(Pre-order the Motion range on the Greenlight site and scan the Greenlight listings on Ebay here)
For a lot of us, collecting our favourite 1/64 releases and marvelling at the ever-increasing levels of detail from our favourite brands is more than enough. Whether we display our collections or not, the tactile nature of diecast collecting brings great pleasure and the ability to truly geek out. But there are some brands that have pulled out all the stops to bring an even richer experience, adding new features to enhance detail and realism. Kyosho’s MOTN series added functioning lighting to 1/64, while BBR’s showcase Ferrari F80 that comes with a 1/18 level of detail to the scale.
But there’s still a big kid in most of us that isn’t really too fussed about spinning driveshafts and really just wants to play. And merging the 1/64 world with the remote control universe is a great way to simultaneously satisfy both our collecting brain and our “kidult” brain. A couple of brands have already made an effort: Hot Wheels bought us the Tesla Cybertruck back in 2020 and the Premium, diecast-bodied Pandem Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R arrived last year.
Long-time remote control experts HPI also introduced a 1/64 line in 2025 with the “Nano TTR” series arriving in April. The first car to be released was Vaughn Gittin’s heavily modified 1969 Ford Mustang RTR, and the BMW E30 M3 Group A has subsequently joined the line.
And latest to throw their hat in the ring are Greenlight with their Motion series, the first releases of which are perhaps the most famous movie cars of the past 30 years: the 1995 Toyota Supra JZA80 and the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T from 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious”.
Now, those of you who have been reading the Lamley blog for some time will know I’m not a fan of the F&F franchise these days, and haven’t paid much, if any attention to the films in the last couple of decades. But there is no doubt the first two films moulded my early love of cars just as much as Gran Turismo and TOCA Touring Cars. The cars were loud, bright and very era-appropriate; the Bomex and Wings West bodykits, StreetGlow neons, and all that NOS were endlessly cool to 11-year-old me. By the time 2Fast 2Furious came out in 2003, I was particularly taken with the Jada and Ertl diecast that were around at the time, including the black 1/18 EJ1 Honda Civic with working neons that sat in the window of a local toy shop, and I was finding my first copies of Super Street and DUB Magazine that sometimes appeared randomly in my local petrol station. As much as I hate to admit it sometimes, the films are entwined with my hobby DNA. So when the opportunity came to get hands-on with the Motion RC range, I was never going to turn it down.
I first got a glimpse at the Motion concept at the Nuremberg Toy Fair back in January, where Greenlight boss Vincent Tang demonstrated early prototypes and explained the inspiration behind the product, which stemmed from childhood Tamiya battles. His passion and dedication were clear, and the attention to detail in developing the line was highly impressive. He explained the carefully scaled speed, the unique “handling” characteristics of each vehicle, and the innovative display case/remote control arrangement. It was one of the most impressive demos I’ve ever seen, even more so considering it was ad hoc. Some modifications have been made to the first prototypes I “drove”, but the first indications are that the production cars are just as good as Vincent promised.
The scale is true 1/64, and when I chatted with Vincent back in January he was keen to stress he wanted the Motion line to appeal to dedicated collectors of the scale, to whom accurate scaling is sometimes the be-all and end-all. There was a desire to create products that wouldn’t look far out of place in a display cabinet, so keeping enough detail yet retaining the RC functions was pivotal.
Each Motion car will use a plastic body and diecast chassis, which sounds like it doesn’t bode well for the display cabinet effect. Nor do the blacked out windows hiding the electrical internals. But aside from a slightly raised stance on the Supra, both cars are well proportioned and neatly detailed, and when I temporarily adjusted a display to accommodate them, they didn’t look entirely incongruous. The retina-popping Lamborghini Orange and Bomex body kit of the Supra are present and correct, as is the famous Troy Lee “Nuclear Gladiator” artwork on the sides. Smaller details like the raft of parts stickers, Racing Hart M5 Tuner wheels and the correct California license plates are reassuring.
On the Charger the blacked out windows actually add to the sinister appearance. The exterior isn’t as busy as the Supra but is no less iconic, and despite my tendency to choose Japanese is actually my pick of the two vehicles. The blown Hemi V8 sticking out of the hood and the chrome American Racing wheels may not be to all tastes (my dream Charger rolls on dog-dish centre steelies) but there’s no doubt this thing looks an absolute brute.
And it goes like one too. Well, for a 1/64 RC car at least. Vincent and the team wanted collectors to actually be able to use their cars, so the scale speed has been programmed to be accurate and controllable. But each vehicle has its own “handling” characteristics. The Charger launches with a bucketload of wheelspin on my desktop and able to pirouette with ease meaning any sudden change in direction will more than likely result in a spin. The Supra is more controllable and changes direction instantly.
Motion cars will have functioning lighting (including the StreetGlow neon kits on both cars here), three speed modes with “cruise control” lock, and will come with a colour-matched carry/USB-C charging case that clips onto the controller base. The controllers themselves have drive wheels that mimic the alloy design of the real vehicle, and with a neatly designed mechanism can also be rotated 180° for left-handed users.
Operating both cars was fun, and even my wife demanded a turn, with both of my cats taking a great interest too. If you have a dog or cat, thoroughly sweep and hoover the floor first, and invest in some needle tweezers. Hard flooring is a must for running these cars, but they are superb at picking up hair, dust and lint and then getting a wheel jammed. The owner’s guide recommends checking the axles after each use and after suffering eye strain trying to unwind a solitary cat hair from the axle of the Charger I can see why. On a prepared surface though I’m sure users could relax a bit.
Vincent mentioned Greenlight have big plans for the Motion range, with 24 new cars planned for each year, a number that doesn’t include recolours! Versions with a sound function are also on the way, and if you’re fearing you’re going to be purchasing expensive sets each time, the controllers can be programmed to several vehicles, so once you’ve got your first set you can purchase each car separately.
Pre-orders are already open for the upcoming Ford Mustang GT, Liberty Walk Nissan GT-R, and GMC Sierra 3500 and the first cars are already hitting stores in the US, with sets priced at around $60. UK buyers can expect the Motion range to hit these shores before Christmas, with a price around £60. I’m curious to see what other collectors think, and whether anyone is already planning battles with friends. We’ve been waiting for some movement in the 1/64 world for a while, and now we’ve quite literally got it. Watch this space.
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