Matchbox Monday feels blue about the second half of batch K

Throughout this model year, I have always stuck to the same formula. I run through models in number order. It makes perfect sense. However, when it came to this latest batch of basics, I did realize that this meant half of the first half of the batch were red. And now I move on to the final 5 of the batch, and well, 3 of them are blue. When they are all together, you don't tend to notice as much. But, splitting in half like this, it is much more noticeable. Plus, there were 2 new castings in the batch, and both of them have ended up in this half. Last year, I was mixing and matching a bit more. Maybe I should have carried on like that. Anyway, I guess I should get on with looking at the actual models. 

The first model we have a look at is the MB1513 '04 Maserati MC12. This Abe Lugo creation from 2025 is back for year 2 in blue in the MB86 slot. 

I have 2 trains of thought about this. First off, having a look at the model, and yes, it looks fantastic. I love this particular shade of metallic blue. It gets a lovely front and rear tampo treatment, just as we have seen on the previous basic. The blue base is a pretty close plastic match to the metal body. The clear windows housing a black interior and 6-spoke wheels all give it a fantastic look. When it comes to how this specifically looks, I am finding it extremely beautiful. I would say it is my favourite look for the model so far. I absolutely love it! So, I am scoring it a 2. Wait, what? 

I have just sung its praises. I have stated it is my favourite look to date. I think this is even nicer than the Collector release earlier this year. So, why the awful score?

Because of this. The 2026 Italian Roads 5-pack release. When Italian Roads appeared a few months earlier, the whole pack of 5 models was stunning. Each one in a lovely new and unique look. Or, so we thought. We had 3 different Alfa Romeo models in the pack. A yellow 4C, a black Duetto and white Tonale. All 3 were exclusive. There was a new look on the Lamborghini Gallardo Polizia in grey. Again, unique. It was supposed to be a new pack full of unique models. But, it contained the exact same blue Maserati as has now appeared in single form. While the 5-pack is still being sold. Back in the early to mid 2010s, Matchbox came up with a new idea for 5-packs, and released each pack with 1 random model pulled from the basic range. It did not go down well. We were not at all happy, and when they finally changed course, and brought back the all-exclusives again, we were much happier. Yes, these days, they have added in filler packs of older models returning to bolster numbers. But, if you wanted to skip a pack, you could. Many do. These carry forward packs always seem to be the ones that hang around. From what I see anyway. They are the slower sellers. But, I really do not want to see them start to move back to the scenario where 5-packs would pull random models from basics into a pack. Models that are sold alongside the pack as a single. It just feels so wrong. So, because of this, my score for the latest single had to be dismal. It is me stating that I don't want to see this scenario become the norm again. We had it. It was not good. It was phased out. I hope it was simply a 1-off. I am hoping there was an issue with something, and they switched things last second. I have no idea. But, I will be keeping an eye on future releases. And keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't repeat.

The only reason it got a 2 was because I did notice a small shade between the 5-pack issue I picked up, and this latest one sent over by Wheel Collectors. It may be a mean score, but I don't want to be happy seeing a single that had just been found in a 5-pack. Regardless of how amazingly cool it looked! 

Because I do think it looks much nicer than last year's debut look. 

And I even prefer it to the Collector release in black that appeared earlier this year. Metal base? Real rider wheels? Extra tampo? All very good. But, the blue one looks better for a fraction of the cost. Had it not been in a 5-pack as well, this would have been my highlight of the whole batch. And it would have easily scored top marks. Please, Mattel, don't start giving us the 2013 5-pack scenario as a regular occurrence. Don't start pulling odd models from the basic range into 5-packs. 

Ooh! It's new casting time. Taking the MB92 slot in the basic range is an awesome new MB1615 '24 Chevy Silverado PPV in black with white doors. 

So, what is a PPV? It stands for either Police Patrol Vehicle, or Police Pursuit Vehicle. These are vehicles that Chevy specifically modify from their original use for police to use. The internal code for these is 9C1. It is the production code that Chevy uses for all of these vehicles, ever since the first Chevy Nova was converted in 1975. Since then, we have seen Impalas, Caprices, Malibus and Luminas until the 2010s. 2021 saw the debut of a Chevy Tahoe PPV, followed by the Silverado for 2023 and Blazer EV PPV for 2024. Tahoes had been used by USA Police forces for many years, but it was not until 2021 that they finally gave a proper PPV variant. The Silverado is the first time that Chevy have actually created a PPV pickup. 

This model has been created by Scott Cody. He appears to have captured the shape perfectly well. I can only tell from pictures, as the Silverado is not sold in the UK. They are through most of the Americas, and parts of the Middle East, as well as Australia in RHD form. Although I think the PPV may be a little more limited in its range. They have had a bit of a push recently for police vehicles. We had a new Ford Mustang Police arrive earlier this year, following a Dodge Charger Pursuit and BMW i4 Police Sedan last year. All of those were cars, which makes a pickup really stand out. Mind you, will the Tahoe PPV arrive any time soon? It could join the Dodge Durango that arrived in 2024. As I said, they have been piling in the police vehicles recently. I still feel that they should look at more non-American ones. Sure, the BMW i4 is German, but they are well known in the USA. I would love to see a Škoda Superb Estate Police created and given lots of European liveries. 

But, back to the model in hand. I was side tracking a little there. This model is sporting the push bar on the front. This is not standard equipment on a PPV, but is an option that some will take. So, it makes sense to add it to the model as well. It does appear like that in pictures I have seen. The push bar is huge in real life. I think Scott captured it very well. 

The lights have been formed the same way that all lights have been in recent years. Ever since they removed the separate light bar section of a model, we have seen all formed like this. This one does stick out pretty well. But, it does mean that the window will have to match it, as Mattel still have not set up the multicoloured plastic forming machine. It was talked about years ago, but nothing ever came of it. I honestly cannot fault the casting. It is so well done. 

When it comes to the design, they have debuted this in an original Matchbox look. A black body with white doors is quite the iconic look. It has a Z71 logo on the side as well. I like the shield and extra detailing. Working together with the community. Nice work. Yes, it is very American. Call 911. I asked once at a first aid course. In the UK, we use 999 for emergency, and they told us that the European number 112 will also work. So I asked if 911 will as well. He couldn't answer. He went off and researched, coming back on the next day with an answer. Yes. But, only on modern smartphones and mobiles. Landlines may not redirect it properly. But, as this is an American vehicle, with an American look, it is logical it would state 911 on the side. It gives it a proper police look. You could almost see this as a real livery. They did so well with it. I did notice the rear lights were depicted on the side edge. 

But not at the rear. The model did get the 2 sides of tampo printing only. It is expected. I was not shocked to see this level of printing. I am wondering how things will go later on in 2027. There is talk of increasing the tampo passes on basics. I hope that comes to fruition. I saw a few of the early 2027 prepros shown at the Gathering were sporting a little extra tampo. It could be interesting to see if police vehicles get more. Although, if they do, it may be an additional top print. That would be cool. 

So, let's score this one. Inclusion. Had it been another USA car as a police vehicle, I might have been a little less enthusiastic, but this is a pickup. We don't get a lot of police pickups in general. There was a Ram 1500 Police back in 2016. I guess it is time for an update. So, yes, a 10. Casting. You can't deny Scott did a great job in replicating the real vehicle. Another 10. Design. For an original design, this has all the hallmarks of a real livery. I cannot fault it again. Oh, another 10. Wow! A perfect score. 

So, as I finish off with a base shot, I think this one should definitely see a number of outings over coming years. It is different. Now, where do we get a European police car into the mix? Modern like the Škoda as mentioned, or perhaps a modern VW Passat. Classic, like a 1977 Ford Granada, or perhaps a classic B2 Passat fastback. Why has Matchbox never made a VW Passat? Don't get me started on getting a Passat B3 VR6. Oh, I am sidetracking again. 

Model number 3 in this set is the latest release of the MB671 '05 Ford GT. It takes the MB93 slot in the range in yellow.

I can't believe this model is still trundling along. Not that I am complaining. I am just surprised. It has been around since 2005, and was one of Ryu Asada's first creations when he moved into the Matchbox team. I am sure he must be looking down from above and smiling that it is still going strong. He left a legacy at Mattel. And this yellow model looks amazing. Again, this model is only seeing a side print, as the front and rear are not detailed. But, I do love how this side print looks. Stripes. I do love stripes. The Ford GT writing at the bottom of the model, and the "cut" 9 roundel looks fantastic as well. I think it is a really cool design. The white rimmed wheels are also a great touch. They sort of match that stripe. 

Considering it has been around since 2005, and has seen a number of looks, this is only the second yellow one. The classic GT40 has also seen some yellow outings. But, when I was cross-referencing this one, I did notice it has basically run the gauntlet through pretty much every colour. Primary? Red, yellow, blue. Check. Secondary? Green, orange, purple. Check. Tertiary? Brown. Check. Monochrome? Black, grey, white. Check. Yeah. Unless they release a pink one, or perhaps gold, I think we have had the lot. But, they are more extreme colours. But, both could work. Ideas for the future. Anyway, scoring this is pretty easy. Sure, no front and rear tampo. But, I still love it, so am giving it a 10. 

And, as a bonus, it gets a shade! Lighter or darker yellows exist. I think all the talk of all its colours means one thing. A dive. 

As I mentioned, it debuted all the way back in 2005. It is now in its 22nd year of action. That's a long run. And if they do pink or gold, we can eke it out even more. So, the first release was in red. That sports a shade. But, there is a cheat to that one. 

This is because it started production in China, as Matchbox was made there until 2005, when they decided to move it back to Thailand. So, they did a run or 2, packed up the tooling and shipped it to Thailand, to continue with more runs. That inevitably led to some shading. You can also see that the new one has a newer base, as the tooling was tidied up/mildly modified for the 2016 release.

The model was also thrown in the 2005 Superfast range as well. Black was for the USA marker, and silver was for all the other markets. 

For 2006, the basic range issue was given a rather Gulf-esque look, without actually being a Gulf model. 

While a Showroom Cars 5-pack gave us the other yellow release to date. As you can see, they are a very similar shade of yellow, but that had a print over the top, not down the sides. 

It was also available in the Stars of Cars series, exclusive to the German market. This one was in white with dual blue stripes going over the top. 

While the Superfast series saw this lovely dark green with yellow stripes look, exclusive to the US market.

2007 saw 2 different looks for the basic range. At first, it came in brown, which is another I spotted some shading on. 

Later on, an orange one appeared in assortments. I never saw a shade on that one. 

In 2008, it was not in the basic range, and only saw 1 outing. A Modern Rides 5-pack issue in green. 

It was also in the 2009 Modern Rides 5-pack, now in creamy white. This one sparked a lot of discussion. Quite a few of them were found with no stripes going down the side. This led to quite the debate over what constitutes a variation and/or error. They didn't plan to leave the side print off, but quite a few were run like that, and many people found them. Not planned? Error. Lots found? Variation. Part of the problem is at what point does an error become a variation? More than 1 found? More than a dozen? Hundreds? There was never an answer to that question. Nobody could agree. 

But, this time, it was not the only release. Because it was back in the basic range. This one was in zamac, with blue stripes going over the top. 

That still wasn't all for 2009. The model was in the "Real" 10-pack in black. This does have a little gold in the pattern and wheels. I still feel a proper gold one could look cool. 

For 2010, it only had a basic range release. This time it was purple. But, this one, I did find an error. You see, this should have smaller front wheels and larger rear ones. But, I found one at my local Toys R Us (in the days we used to have TRU stores in the UK) with all large wheels. But, as I have never heard of anybody else finding one, it is easy to state this one is an error. 

It wasn't seen in 2011, but returned to the 2012 basic range in tan with a side design. This was another that I spotted a little shading. 

This was followed up in 2013 by a green model in the Exotic Rides 5-pack. This was almost plain, save for the tiny strip going down the bottom edge of the side. 

It then took a few years off to undergo a little plastic surgery, before returning in the 2016 Exotic 5-pack in blue. That was one that really saw some great shading. 

However, considering they went to the effort to do it up, they never bothered using it again until 2021. It actually saw 2 outings. One was in a new burgundy look in the Autobahn Express 5-pack. This particular look returned in the 2023 Advent Calendar. 

But, the zamac model from 2009 made a reappearance in the carry forward MBX Exotic 5-pack. However, the stripes going over were notably different, as well as it now being the updated casting. 

It was not used in 2022, but for 2023, it was chosen to be one of the 70th Anniversary platinum models. It was included in the Walmart exclusive 70th Anniversary series. 

Then, in 2024, it finally returned to the basic range. However, that time, it was as a Super Chase, so not easy to find. Its first basic range appearance in 12 years. Although this is the first standard basic range outing since that 2012 release. 

This is technically the 6th release on the updated/modified version of the casting. Considering that appeared for the first time in 2016, it is not exactly a common release. 

Next up, we move on to the second of the new castings in the batch. After seeing a new Subaru last year, and its second release in this batch (I reviewed it the other week), we also get another new Subi casting. The MB1610 '23 Subaru Outback Wilderness. It debuts in the MB99 slot in blue.

Subaru first debuted the Outback in 1994. It was an offshoot of the Legacy 2nd generation, and as such, each generation of the Legacy now sees a new Outback alongside it. The Outback is classified as a wagon, although it is quite a rugged wagon. Matchbox has gone with a later run of the 6th generation, as the 7th generation recently went on sale, and has been transformed into an SUV. I am happy that they went with the wagon. I do like wagons. The Wilderness variant is a rather unique one, where they added more plastic cladding, raised the model slightly and also added a rather unique roof rack. 

Tyler Charest was tasked with creating the casting. I have been checking pictures of real ones, and I have to say, I think he has nailed it! By the way, those wheel arches do look like that in real life. The shape has been captured perfectly. I can see nothing wrong with how he has crafted this one. And, I don't know if it is just me, but I love that he opened the rear windows. Not the front ones. I think that makes this quite unique. I do love these tiny little things. 

The front end appears to have been captured perfectly as well. That is how the plastic cladding looks. It takes up quite a bit of the front ends. I am impressed with this one. 

And again at the rear. I have no notes. Great work Tyler. 

The chunky roof rack sticks out. I think it should. It is an integral part of the real vehicle, and deserves to be created as a stand-out feature. Sure, the real one is thinner, and has lots of gaps. But, this is a kid's toy, and I don't think they would legally be able to create it in ratio to the rest of the model. I am fine with the way it has been done. 

I was not a fan of the roof being a part of the window, and this year appears to have less of them in general. This one would never have worked in that style. I think it is an awesome model. 

Now, on to the design. Subaru calls this Geyser Blue. It is an exclusive colour for the Wilderness model. The only exclusive. So, it is fitting that they have debuted it in this colour. And we get front and rear detailing, plus clear windows and black interior/cladding. I cannot argue with how the end result has come about.

The rear license plate has a little nod to Ezra Blasing. Ezra is a bit of a Subaru fan, and if you saw the 2026 line preview video on You Tube, when this model was shown on screen, you might have heard a very loud cheer. That was Ezra! I think this is likely his model of the year, and he is extremely proud to have his name on the back of the model. 

So, let's score this one. Inclusion. Well, I love seeing normal vehicles in the range. And especially when they are a vehicle that has been around for over 30 years, and never been made before now. So, this gets a perfect 10 for adding it. Casting. Tyler totally nailed the look, and there is literally nothing I could see that could have been done to improve it. Another 10. Design. Faultless. How could they have improved on this? I am sure Ezra will say no way to improve. Ha ha! Yes, another 10. So, that means that both the new castings in the batch get a clean sweep of scores. Another 30 out of 30. Way to go. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of this one. 

Although I am already on 2. I did see a little shading to this debut look. Enough for me to have 2 of them anyway. 

So, before I move on to the last model, a shot of the base for the new casting. I did find it funny that they had so much to write, and so little space, that they started the writing on the interior piece, which forms the plastic classing. 

The 5th model in the report, and the third blue. This is the MB1300 Porsche 918 Spyder, which takes the MB109 slot in the range. 

Now, this is a tough one. My only concern with this model is that this is a fairly similar blue to the Subaru, and putting both in the same batch seemed to be bad timing. Which is a shame, because this is a lovely blue shade. It looks to be the Shark Blue colour option, on the Porsche paint to sample configurator. The 918 Spyder only had 12 official colours, of which this was not one. But, if you wanted a specific colour, as with other Porsches, you can pay for whatever colour you want. 

And we have seen a number of Porsche castings coming out in this sort of colour recently. I think it fits in so well with them. And with the usual front and rear detailing that all other basics have had, I cannot see anything wrong with this one. Another perfect 10. I just wish it had come in a different assortment to the Outback, so we had a better colour spread. 

And, just like the Subaru, I am seeing a little bit of shading to the blue. Neither have been massive, but they are enough for me to own 2. Because, I am a little crazy like that. 

So, time for one final dive back. This model debuted in the 2022 basic range in charcoal. Or Meteor Grey Metallic, as Porsche calls it. This one saw some quite noticeable shading. 

2023 saw it turn yellow in the basic range. Porsche calls it Racing Yellow. I call it another that has shades!

For 2024, it turned Lizard Green in the basic range. Again, lots of shading to this one. 

Plus, it also saw its first outing in another range. The MBX Electric Drivers 5-pack saw a blue release. A totally different blue to the current one. Porsche calls it Liquid Metal Chrome Blue. I prefer Shark!

And 2025 gave us a gorgeous red look in the basic range. Guards Red is the official name for it. 

And it was also given an outing in the Collectors series. Of course, this one is a unique look created by Matchbox. although, if somebody wanted a real one in matte black with all this design on it, I am sure Porsche would have done it for them. 

So, I am impressed that it is up to year 5 in the basic range. Not a lot of castings get that along in an unbroken run. Not in this current era. Obviously, back in the old days, some models could last 5 years in the same look, and even longer. Heck, 1 model lasted 11 years unchanged (Chevy Blazer). But, since Mattel took over, and overhauled the whole release system for basics, we don't often see 5 years in the range in 1 go. So, I am very happy to see it continue. Will it get a 6th? I hope it does. 

So, I do believe I am at the end of yet another report. We saw 2 new castings in black and blue. Both were given glowing reviews. 

Well, actually, they all were. Although one still didn't score well. I feel a little blue about that. 

So, as these make their way off to join my collection, attention "moves" to next week. There's a big batch to review next time. I have a rule nowadays not to hit double digits on a review. It stayed in single digits. Just! Until then, I hope everybody has a safe and happy week.