Matchbox Monday casts a critical eye of Moving Parts C

I love Moving Parts. These are my favourite models in the Matchbox range. There is something special about them. I can't explain it. Maybe Garry Gopinath's skills in creating little masterpieces has a hand? Who knows. I do love his work as well. I still wish there was a proper outlet for them where I am in the UK. We get them in once in a while in a random place, and they sell out really fast. Then, they don't bother again. Why? I really do not understand it. Luckily, Wheel Collectors do get them in, and when they do, they ship a set over for me to do a report. For some reason, they are a little behind. The 4th and 5th batches are out in other countries that do sell them, but the USA appears to be a little slow. They are playing catch up, and I assume batch D will be with them shortly as well. Thankfully, they have not skipped a batch. He says, now dooming future releases! So, with just 5 models to look at, let's dive in. 

We begin with a new casting. The MB1562 '25 Jeep Wagoneer S. It debuts in the number 15 slot in the range in silver. 

Now, some may be thinking that this is simply a trim level on the Wagoneer. Last week, I talked about the Chevy Tahoe and Tahoe ZL1 being just a trim, which when shrunk to miniature size made very little difference. However, this is not a standard Wagoneer. The 4th generation Wagoneer was launched in 2022, and Matchbox makes a casting of that one in the basic range. It is a fantastic model. However, when Jeep launched the Wagoneer S in 2024, it was a completely different vehicle. In fact, considering it uses the Wagoneer name, this model is smaller than a Grand Cherokee in real life, and closer to the regular Cherokee. Plus, as we know Matchbox likes to go in that direction, this is an electric vehicle. They do like going for the electrics. So, this is definitely worthy of a casting, as it is a different car. 

This casting has been created by Garry Gopinath again. The shape of the real vehicle has been captured extremely well. This silhouette is pretty much exactly as the real one is. Garry has done great work in capturing the shape. However, this time, I am a little concerned about the doors. There looks to be too much of a gap front and rear on them. Particularly the front. They are nowhere near flush. Which is a huge shame. And I really mean a massive shame.

Because almost every new Moving Parts casting is going with the exact same thing. An opening engine bay. I was so happy to see that there was at least one model with opening doors that's new. But, they do appear to have too large a gap. They open smoothly, and close securely. That is not an issue. And as you can see, they are tampo printing them as well. I am actually surprised that they didn't do the opening engine bay here. 

Then there is the roof. As many know, I am not a fan of the roof being a part of the window section on a Matchbox. They have been seeping into the basic range for well over a decade now, but have only recently started appearing in Moving Parts as well. I sort of see it, due to the real vehicle having a largely black upper section, and this helps to mirror that a bit better. I still do not like it, but I am learning to live with them. 

And I do have to admit, on this one, the way that the plastic has been crafted to include that small gap in the rear section, where the small spoiler sits out, looks fantastic. I do admit, crafting small details in plastic does look sharper than when cast in metal. Would I have preferred a metal roof? Yes. But, for those with window/roof pieces, this is definitely one of the best. 

Jeep calls this Silver Zynith. And by default, a Silver Zynith model will come with a black roof in real life. So, yeah, doing it this way has made it technically correct. And, I have to say, the front end tampo printing is spot on! Plus, look at the way it curves around the corners. No shortcuts here. I am very impressed with that., 

The rear sees a simple lights, badge and licence plate detail. Again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I can not fault the tampo and look. 

As I mentioned earlier, the only side detail is on the doors. The lower black strip and the Wagoneer name, just as the real vehicle would have. 

I never showed. Look at how thick the interior section to the door is, when it is open. That is a big surface for it to shut into.

So, let's get on with the scores. Inclusion. Well, I can see the logic behind this. I like Jeeps. This is a completely different Jeep to any we have had. I am giving this a 10. Casting. Sadly, that door gap is bothering me. Plus, I can't give a perfect score to any model with a roof that is a part of the window. I am giving it an 8 here. Design. Perfect. I cannot fault the end look. Another 10. That gives this a 28 out of 30, which is a very decent start for the Jeep. I do hope we see more of them. 

This just leaves a little base shot to finish off. 

Oh, yes! When I was a kid, I really wanted Matchbox to make a model of a Lotus Esprit. I thought it was such a cool vehicle, especially after being used in a James Bond film. But, they never did. Until now! Enter the brand-new casting of the MB1582 '94 Lotus Esprit 300 Sport. It takes the number 18 slot in the range, and debuts in yellow.

This model is one of my most eagerly anticipated new castings of the year. The model's roots sort of have a link to Maserati. How? Well, when Lotus were looking at a successor to the Europa, they turned to ItalDesign, and in particular, Giorgetto Giugiaro. Giorgetto had showcased a Maserati Boomerang Concept vehicle at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, and Lotus liked the wedge shaped look. It was used as a template for project M70, and was unveiled at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, going on sale shortly after as a 1976 model. What was later known as Series 1 (or usually S1 for short), was the one that is probably the most iconic. This was the one used in the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. However, Matchbox didn't go for the S1. They didn't even do an S2, which was released in 1978. How about an S3? That was from 1982. Nope. They have gone with the S4. This was the final series of the Esprit, and debuted, obviously, in 1994. This is the original S4, as it was given a facelift in 2002, where it ran until finally being retired in 2004. The Esprit was around for almost 30 years, and it has taken further 20-odd years for us to finally see one. Yes! I am so happy.

I honestly did not mind which series we would get. Just that we are getting an Esprit. The S4 is notable for being much more rounded than previous series. You can see instantly in the casting, that this is indeed a nicely rounded model. Garry Gopinath was tasked with creating this one, and he has done phenomenal work again. The 300 Sport is the one that sports the rear wing, which has been captured beautifully. I am seriously impressed with the detailing here. Even down to the fact that the windows are pretty much flush with the casting. And that side scoop running along the bottom appears to be about right. The detailing is spot-on!

As I mentioned with the Jeep above, most new castings for the year are featuring an opening engine compartment. This is what we are getting here. The metal rear cover lifts up to showcase the engine inside. But, this is where I actually see a bit of an issue. 

Because when the compartment is closed, there is a window section at the back peeking through the opening section. 

But, that is actually a part of the window section. Fair enough, it is a tiny piece, and it is logical that they did not attempt to click a window piece to the inside of the compartment. So, it sort of makes sense to create it like that.

However, by putting that in there, it means that the window is flush with the rear of the model as well. And when you try to lift up the opening compartment, it is actually very difficult. You struggle to put your fingernails into the model to try and lift it. The rear spoiler also gets in the way of trying to lift it up at the back edge. It took me a few goes to try and lift up the opening part. 

And you can't get in from the sides either, as this is flush with the bodywork. 

When I did manage to get it going after a number of attempts, I used a small screwdriver to catch in the corner, so I could lift it. It was quite a fiddly little part to work with. I have to be honest, why was this one not given an alternate moving part? I think there could have been an option for opening doors. Or possibly go with the other end, and open the front up. Inside, we could have had the spare wheel, various other parts, and storage space. It could have been a little different, especially as it opens forwards. 

You do notice a small gap in the rear opening section at the point where it joins the roof. It is not as big as the gap in the Jeep I previewed. I know modern opening parts vehicles often seem to have quite big gaps. I don't know if this is down to modern manufacturing and safety concerns forcing them to be bigger than they were before. I remember growing up with some models that were almost flush with the main body. But, I also know that, particularly with doors, they were quite easy to pull out. Nowadays, they have to ensure that models don't come apart too easily. So, I don't know if that has caused this current trend of seeing small gaps. 

Now, we head into the design aspect. Yellow. More specifically, Camel Yellow. It was a genuine Lotus option for the 1994, and the 300 Sport was often found in this colour. It was a brilliant choice for a debut. And with black interior, clear windows, and the 6-spoke wheels, I think they nailed it. 

We see the front end receives a simple tampo hit. Lovely detailing, and the licence plate is nicely done. 

The rear sees a very realistic tampo print as well, replicating the same licence plate, which I think should be done on all models. The 300 logo is the proper logo for the 300 Sport as well. They did their homework on this. As I pointed out, the engine was also detailed, giving this a 3-pass through the tampo machine finish. That is fine, and I don't think there was any need to attempt anything extra on the sides.

So, let's get some scores going for this one. Inclusion. Oh, hell, yeah! A big fat 10 here. I am so happy to finally see an Esprit in the Matchbox range. This is definitely one of my favourite models. I can see this one popping up in my end of year Top 10 lists. Casting. Sadly, I am going to have to steal a point away, purely because it is so awkward to open it. A 9 here. Design. Another easy 10. It looks just like the real vehicle was shrunk. It is just about perfect. I am loving it. A final score of 29 out of 30. 

As I finish off with the usual base shot for a new casting, I do have one final thought. For those who do not know, the Esprit was a vehicle that sported pop-up headlights. When the S4 finished production on February 20, 2004, it was officially the second to last model with them to finish. It was only bested by the C5 Chevy Corvette, which finished on July 2, 2004. That marked the end for the pop-up headlight, which had first been seen on a Cord 810 in 1935! Would it have worked with a lights up/lights down variant?

And now we move on to the 3 models that we have seen before. All in new looks. The first of which is the MB1461 '22 Mini Cooper SE. This is the model's 3rd outing in Moving Parts, and comes in red as number 19 for 2026. 

This is the second modern vehicle I am looking at, and the second electric one at that. As I said, they do like them. And this one follows the same pattern as the Jeep with the roof being a part of the window. However, I am not here to talk about the casting this time. I go through them once, unless there has been a change to the casting. There has not been. This is purely about how the current look appears. Now, I do have to say, red is my favourite colour. This is a lovely red look. Mini calls it Chili Red. It is an official colour option on the real vehicle. I can't argue the fact that this looks really nice in red. It reminds me of the classic MB29-B Racing Mini, when it came in a twin pack in red in the late 1970s. I get nostalgia vibes. Something is working!

The front gets detailed. The engine bay gets detailed. The opening hood/bonnet section gets detailed. Is that 3 passes just on the front end? Or did they manage to achieve both engine and front in one hit? I am not sure. Either way, they did a great job with the front end detailing. 

The rear also sees a lovingly accurate detail. The yellow circular badge is an "E" badge that gets added, denoting the electric vehicle. That is where you often find it. Again, totally accurate. A great level of detail. I cannot fault this one at all. I think the black wheels suit it as well. So, yeah, I am giving this a perfect 10. Well done. It is my favourite Mini Cooper SE to date. 

I prefer it to the 2024 debut in blue, which now moves into position 3 in my favourites list for this one. Yes, something had to be bottom of the list.

And it also slips ahead of the British Racing Green 2025 look, which is now in 2nd place. Each year just gets better and better for this one. Although, I doubt this one will be beat. 

I am looking forward to seeing this in yellow at some point. That one really pops. It was a good job it wasn't done this year. Because....

The next model I am looking at is yellow. Out of 5 released in this batch, they have 2 yellows. It is a shame they didn't space them out a little. Yellow is a bright colour, and does pop. It would have been cool to see a pop in multiple batches. But, that aside, I am very happy to see the MB1548 '87 VW Golf Mk1 Cabriolet return for year 2 in yellow in the number 20 slot. 

I thought this was such a lovely casting when it debuted last year, and I have to admit, seeing it in yellow makes it look even better. Now, going all nerdy here, this technically isn't a 1987 look. When VW debuted the Cabriolet version of the Mk1 Golf (also known as Rabbit in the USA), it first arrived in 1979, and continued through past when the MkII replaced the MkI in hardtop form. No Cabriolet was offered for the MkII, so they just carried on with this until 1993. But, when it comes to yellow, 1987 itself was never a yellow year. Lemon Yellow, which this appears to be replicating, was the original look when it debuted in 1979. It ran through the 1980 model year, before switching to a darker hue, known as Lagos Yellow for 1981-83. After this, yellow faded away until the 1990 model year, when a darker Nugget Yellow arrived, and in 1991, this was switched to a pale Jasmine Yellow, which ran until the Cabriolet was retired. 1984 though 1989 did not see a yellow. The closest was Almond Beige Metallic in 1984. But, as I have often said, they don't have to follow real colours. This was technically a real colour, but for a different year. I don't care. It looks fantastic, and I think it suits the car so well. 

The model gets the same tampo printing front and rear that the debut got last year, along with highlighting the fuel filler cap. White interior and wheel hubs really suit it. Could they have done a yellow hub? Possibly. But, I like the white. It matches the interior, and I think is a better colour break for the model. So, I am good with white hubs. 

My only complaint is simply that we have this and the Lotus in yellow in the same batch of just 5 models. I would have liked to have seen them appear in different batches. But, as to how this looks, I love it! This is another 10 from me. I am seriously enjoying this model.  

And, again, I prefer this to the white debut look in 2025. 

And what I love about this is that absolutely everything about the model is identical to last year's one, except it is yellow, not white. The wheel hubs, the interior, window tint, tampo print. Every single thing matches apart from the body colour. 

And when I say everything, I really mean it. Even the base is the same grey. I can't wait to see what colour they come up with next time. Red? Orange? Purple? Green? Blue? Ooh! So many options. 

Time for the last model. The MB1533 '24 Toyota Sequoia TRD PRO. It takes the number 33 slot for 2026 in brown.

This one makes me smile. It is an official Toyota colour for the Sequoia. What do they call it? Mudbath! I love it. Not so much the colour itself. The name. Although the colour is nice. It comes with a smoke window, and black wheel hubs. I think they suit the look very well. When you click on pictures of real mudbaths (I am going to keep using that word for these), they do have quite the tinted window, and do appear to have black wheels. So they have replicated this one perfectly. We also get the great attention to detail front and over wheel arches. 

And by including the side tampo, we get the rear lights wrapping around extremely well. I am very impressed with this one. 

And we also get a lovely detailed engine under the hood. I do hope to see more Moving Parts models with other opening items. The opening engine bays are definitely starting to become the go-to option for the range, and I hope that for 2027, there is a bigger variety to features that do open on these. But, for this one, I cannot argue how spot-on it looks, and have no qualms giving this a perfect 10. 

However, if I was to rate this against the previous issue, which debuted in 2025, I do prefer the orange. I like this one, but the orange was nicer. Personal preference! 

I like that they came up with a different licence plate for this release to the last one. I do like checking them out. Now, I wonder when they are going to release "Wave Maker". That is a very bright, very funky blue. I really hope it makes its way onto the Matchbox model soon. Although Lunar Rock is pretty cool too. Oh, there are a lot of cool options for this one for future outings. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

But, for now, I am done with another report. We got 2 new castings in this mix. A big Jeep fan, and been wanting an Esprit for, well, ever, so I am always happy to get vehicles like these. 

And 3 more in new looks. 2 are a year old, with the Mini being the oldest casting in the mix as a 2024 debutant. 

These are all pretty cool. I think my biggest gripe was simply having 2 yellows at the same time. They should have spaced them out just a bit. One in this mix, the other in the next. Or something like that. Beyond that, this was another excellent batch of Moving Parts. As I said, this is my favourite range within the Matchbox portfolio. 

As these make their way off to join my collection, I guess I will be going back to basics for my next report. Gee! I wonder what batch I am up to? Ha ha! Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.