Matchbox Monday lifts the lid on the rest of batch L

It's Christmas! Well, about Christmas. This report went live on the Monday before the big day, so depending on when you read it will depend on whether it is actually Christmas or not. Plus, if you know me, I have also prepared a Top 10 list (or lists, as I don't stop at 1). That actually goes live on Christmas Day over on the Lamley Group itself. So, I'm afraid it is double trouble from me! Ha ha! You have been warned. Anyway, 2 weeks ago, I began my journey through the 11th batch of 2025 basic range models. The first 5 were showcased then, but that leaves 6 more to finish the batch off. So, I guess I should start checking these out. 

And, well, I had to start with something special for me. A Porsche! Giggity! I do love a Porsche, and Abe Lugo created this casting of the MB1300 Porsche 918 Spyder for the 2022 range. This marks its 4th year in the range, and it comes in a gorgeous red look as MB15.

This may or may not be the only time you see me talk about this model this week. Oh, am I giving spoilers away for my Top 10s? No, not really. I am sure people will know that one of my Top 10 lists is purely about Porsches. And my favourite colour is red. Hmm! Porsche calls this colour Guards Red, and was one of 12 official Porsche 918 colour options. And it looks perfect here. We get a clear window, black interior, and thew black wheels with red rims just look perfect. 

We see the usual front and rear tampo prints on the model, which have been the same across all core releases. They simply cannot go wrong with this look. What a perfect start to the report. An easy 10 out of 10. 

I know I have already done 1 dive back this year, but it's a Porsche. It's getting a second one. Ha ha! We saw this model debut in 2022 in charcoal. Or Meteor Grey Metallic, as Porsche calls it.It was also used in the Best of Germany series that year. 

It turned yellow for the 2023 basic range outing, which also appeared in 2024's Best of Germany and in the 2025 Porsche Heroes 5-pack. 

For 2024, the model saw a bright green outing in the basic range, and also a dark blue look for the Electric Drivers 5-pack that year.

And earlier this year, we saw it make its first premium release, as it was a part of the Collectors series in matte black. 

Which means, in the space of 4 years, this model has seen 6 different looks. And we still have not had a white or silver one yet. I hope we still see more outings. 

Which brings us to our first new casting of the second half of the batch. We saw 2 in my first half review, and with 5 in total, there are another 3 here. And this one is quite the surprise, as it was not mentioned at the 2024 Gathering in Albuquerque as one of the new castings due. It may be down to originally being planned for 2026, but moving forward, or simply that they hadn't got the okay to do it from GM yet, and didn't want to announce it before they had secured the rights. We often don't see every single thing that is due for the following year, and we still get a surprise or 2. And, another surprise, this MB1524 '23 Chevy Corvette Z06 Convertible is the first one I am reviewing that was created by Tyler Charest. If you read my Gathering review, you will know that Tyler is basically the new person in charge of the brand now that Abe Lugo is no longer with Mattel. This debuted in the MB40 slot in black. So, how did Tyler do in his first model?

I think extremely well. I don't know if people will remember back to 2022. Abe Lugo had created the MB1221 '20 Chevy Corvette for the 2020 basic range. It was awesome! A brand new Corvette, released just after the real one was. It was a fantastic release. I was extremely happy. But, in 2022, Abe also created the MB1328 '20 Chevy Corvette for Moving Parts. The casting was decent. Abe knew his stuff. I was just so upset that they simply went with the exact same model for both basics and Moving Parts. With limited spots, especially in Moving Parts (you know how I feel about that), doing the exact same model for both really annoys me. The same goes for the Toyota Prius Prime, '68 Toyota Land Cruiser, Tesla Roadster & Model 3, as well as others that have simply been done in both ranges. Fiat 500 Turbo (basics) vs Fiat 500e (Moving Parts), great. Range Rover Evoque (basics) vs Range Rover Evoque Convertible (Moving Parts (great). If you want to do the same model for both ranges, make them different versions of the model. I remember saying at the time that Chevy had done a convertible, and asked why they didn't do it. I guess they heard. 

So, what is the difference between a Z06 and a regular Stingray version of the C8 Corvette? Aside from the engine, which is not on view, the Z06 is a little wider, as it sits on larger wheels, and has many more aggressive styling cues to enable it to be more racy than a Stingray. The luxuries in the Stingray are toned down, meaning the Stingray is better for cruising/long driving, and this is better for racing and fun. So, they could have done a hardtop (well, Targa Top), and the Z06 would still have looked different. But, I am so happy they did the convertible. 

When it comes to the casting, Tyler has done a great job. This does look aggressive. I compared this to a side view of a real Z06, and he has nailed it! I have nothing I can say to improve. 

You can see here that the rear spoiler is attached to the rest of the body in multiple areas and at ends. It does seem to be mid-way between the smaller lip spoiler and larger free floating style. I think if they had attempted a full blown floating spoiler, it would have required a 5th element. Which, as we know, is something that they try and avoid in core releases. Somehow, although this is technically not correct, I actually like it on the model. 

You can see how he has blended the interior piece to form some of the other outer parts. The gaps between parts is almost flawless. I think this build is right up there with the best ones. 

On to the design. We see the model is a metallic black. Black is an option, although I cannot tell if it is usually metallic. But, as I always say, this is not important. I like the metallic look. It is cool, but still pops. We get simple front detailing for lights and the badge. 

As well as the same at the rear. There is nothing extra they could have added.

And, just like the Porsche, this has red rimmed black wheels. Again, they work perfectly, as red is one of the few minor colours outside of the black. And they suit it. So, scoring this. Inclusion. Well, as I harped on about it in 2022, I think it is obvious it is getting a 10 from me. Casting. Tyler did a great job, and I am not fussed about the rear spoiler being technically correct. I think this is a compromise for a core range model, and I can live with it. So, I am giving it a 10 here as well. Design. Nailed it. There is nothing I would change about that either. 10. That means, this model gets a perfect debut. 30 out of 30. Way to go with an awesome, and somewhat unexpected, release. I eagerly await more of them in the future. So, now we can forget the basic C8 and concentrate on a Moving Parts one moving forward? Yes? 

It's new. So, it gets a base shot.

I was a big fan of this one when it debuted last year, so am very happy to get another MB1433 '64 Lincoln Continental. It takes the MB85 slot in the 2025 in white.

3 castings in, and 3 different designers. The Porsche was one of Abe's models, and the Corvette is a Tyler casting. This one is from the hand of Garry Gopinath, who doesn't just do the Moving Parts models. I thought this was a superb casting when it debuted, and this sophomore release does not disappoint. The white looks gorgeous, and the silver pin striping and chrome are just perfecto! The disk wheels are also an ideal choice for a model like this. 

You might notice that the windows are very faintly tinted blue. But, combining them with the blue interior, I think it works well. A blue leather interior was one of 37 different interior options available on the 1964 Continental, and Arctic White was one of the many exterior options. This particular combination does exist in real life. I think it is simply amazing, and it gets another easy 10 from me. 

And, can you see a difference in white? Yes, I found a shade. 

Well, I was unable to get a shade on last year's black debut, so I doubled down on my efforts for this year's offering. 

I look forward to seeing next year's offering. I believe it is coming in an earlier batch than this year's was. 

Now we move on to new casting number 2 of this review. The MB1516 MBX Turf Hauler II. This debuts in the MB116 slot in the range, sporting the recurring Matchbox Construction theme that exploded out of the box in 2023. 

I should point this out straight away. They did make a mistake with the writing on the base. It shows MB1497. And yes, this is the second time I am saying this. MB1497 is the '24 BMW 7-series. They made a mistake, just like they did with the MB1479 '23 Porsche 911 Rally. At least that was just a transposing of the last 2 digits. I have no idea how this one went so far out. 

And, if you are wondering why it says MBX Turf Hauler II, where was MBX Turf Hauler I? Step forward the originally 1976 debut of the Faun Dump Truck. Yes, this is one of the longest running castings in the Matchbox range, and when it debuted in 1976, it was known as Faun Dump Truck. Originally MB58-C, when MAN numbers began, it was still in the range, so was given the MB058 number. It ceased after 1982, but returned in 1989 as MB209 Dump Truck. The change? They simply deleted the word Faun off the casting and base. Yes, that was it. It carried on until 2006 unchanged, when they decided to cost-reduce the model by switching the dump section to plastic. It was renumbered as MB710 at this point, and has been under that MAN number since. However, it was re-engraved with a new base name in 2017, when it was in the MBX Construction 5-pack that year. It was last seen in the 2023 MBX Construction 5-pack, where this also saw the Matchbox Construction theme. 

And, that base name? MBX Turf Hauler. It's had a pretty decent life. After all, 1976 is almost 5 decades ago. We have seen a few attempts to replace it. Another Dump Truck with 3 axles, and Dump Dozer, with a partial tracked area. But, something tells me that this could be the model to finally send that one into retirement. It might not. I always liked the Faun, and am still happy to see it pop up occasionally. But, if this is the last we see of it, it has had a hell of a ride!

So, let's have a look at this new casting. It is a Matchbox originals casting, from the mind of Garry Gopinath. Ah, the first repeat casting creator in this report. Obviously, this is a casting of a very large quarry truck. In real life, those wheels would be taller than a human. They are huge. From the side, we see the cab section has a slight forward slant to it. I guess that is partly to accommodate the huge dump section. 

Now, what I do like it that the front steps are very visible, and even highlighted. The grille is non-descript, as this is a made up vehicle. That is fine. It even has lights and other details in the large bumper section. The cab roof is not flat either. Neither is the walkway wall into the cab. He has put a lot of effort into this.

The rear dump section tilts back a long way, and almost touches the floor at full tilt. 

Which is good if you are playing on a flat surface. However, with the current production methods, we know that models like this are made very fast, and in doing so, they are simply clicked into place. No bar holding it in. 

Which means it does pop off very easily. I can see quite a few of these dumps being lost over time. I bet you, we will be seeing random played with examples for sale down the line missing the dump. But, I know this is a compromise that they make on these vehicles for fast production. The original Faun would have had a pin put through the side to hold it in place, and then flattened at the end so it doesn't slide out. We don't see that sort of thing nowadays. I don't think it is a Matchbox thing. Just a sign of the times. Things not being built to last. It's the norm. That's life, nowadays. I am not going to score down because of this. I know they will not go back to the old method. So, why bother dropping points for how things are these days?

I do like that the dump itself has depth to it, and internal details. It isn't just blank inside. However, it is made form this awful shade of grey. The one with all these lines that form in it. You probably noticed a line down the front grille as well. It only seems to really get noticed on this mid-grey shade of plastic. It probably does happen on other shades and colours, but doesn't stand out like it does on this particular hue. 

And, as we are heading into the design element of this, I can't argue with the choice of debut. The Matchbox Construction theme. Orangey yellow and grey, with yellow rimmed wheels. I love a recurring theme, and when we see one like this, I am always happy. So, no arguments with this. 

So, how to score this? Inclusion. I know many do prefer licensed vehicles. The idea of a Matchbox original design gets people going. But, let's be honest, unless you work in the field, could you name a specific dump truck? I couldn't. I might hazard a guess at a few companies that produce them. But I could not name a truck itself. So, why bother pursuing a license for something that hardly anybody will know. When it comes to construction vehicles, sure it would be cool to one day see a real one in the range, but we get the original designs, and this is definitely an improvement over the MB536/931 3-axle Dump Truck from MB884 Dump Dozer from 2013. But, if this is here to replace the original Faun (or MBX Turf Hauler), I will be a little sad. I will give it an 8. It's decent, and I guess we do need a more modern one. Casting? As I said, I am not scoring lower the for the fact the dump does pop off very easily. That is just modern manufacturing for you. But, you do have to pull it, to unclick it. And if you are manhandling a model like that, I am sure you could still manage to get it off even if had been pinned on. So, I am scoring it a 9. That front grille just feels slightly off to me. I don't know if it should have been made flush with the body. And perhaps given a bit more of a grid effect. Design. Recurring theme. Perfect 10. A total of 27 out of 30. For a Matchbox original casting, I have given this a surprisingly high score. Does that mean I am a big fan of it? Not particularly. It's a dump truck. Construction models are not exactly my favourite area, but I know that Matchbox prides itself on its diversity of the types of vehicle in the range. Which is why I try to keep my personal choices out of the scenario when viewing it. 

And now on to the last of the new castings. Another that was not mentioned at the 2024 Gathering. The MB1520 '23 Ford E-Transit Custom. It debuts in grey in the MB117 slot. 

2025 marks the 60th Anniversary of the Transit. Sure, Ford of Germany did sell a Taunus Transit before this, but when a Transit was launched in 1965, it has been given the Mk1 designation. It's a shame they didn't make note of the 60th Anniversary on the side details. But, let's get a little more into specifics. Ford debuted the Transit in 1965, and 60 years later, it is only on its 4th generation. The 2nd gen arrived in 1986, 3rd gen in 2000 and 4th gen in 2014. And Matchbox does make a model of the 4th gen, in the way of the MB1032 '14 Ford Transit TV News Van. Since 2002, they also have been selling the smaller Transit Connect, which was created to take over certain car-based vans. Matchbox has done a model. The MB798 '10 Ford Transit Connect. Since 2014, they also have the Transit Courier. An even smaller model, based on a Fiesta platform, which is mainly sold in Europe. So far, there has been no Matchbox casting of a Courier. Which is a shame, as I drive one for work. The Custom is another variant, a little smaller than a regular Transit, but larger than the Connect, and sold since 2012, which now means there are 4 sizes. The largest is simply Transit, shrink a little for Transit Custom, a little more for Transit Connect, and even more for Transit Courier. However, if you want seat in the back, they are no longer called Transit. They are called Tourneo, and follow the same pattern. So, this is the first time we have seen a casting of the 2nd largest Transit. 

And this is the 2nd generation Custom. When Ford launched the 2nd generation in 2022 as a 2023 model, it was the first time they sold an electric variant. The E-Transit Custom. As we know, they do like putting in electric vehicles in the range. 

Now, the one thing I do notice immediately, is that this is a metal body, with clear windows and interior. As we know, the Transit TV News Van was a plastic body with metal base. The Renault Kangoo was a metal body, but the windows were blacked out and it has no interior. Due to vans having quite a lot to the body section, we often see some compromises in the construction to keep costs under budget. But, this has made it through unscathed. Fantastic. When I heard earlier this year that we were indeed getting a new Transit, I thought it would have been compromised in some way. So, seeing it comes out like this is absolutely fantastic. 

But, there is one glaring issue. This may be an electric vehicle, but it still has a grille. And that grille has some sort of mesh pattern to it. Where is the mesh pattern? It is completely smooth. Except for the Ford oval in the middle. This is not a good look. It is way too bland, especially as this model is likely to see side designs and no front tampo. Which makes the blandness even worse. 

The rear is basically the opposite. So well crafted. We see the door handle crafted wonderfully, and other details well defined. I am impressed at the back, but not at the front. 

As I said, this is likely a model that will see side tampos only. And this is a very real look. 

This is a real E-Transit Custom that Ford uses for promotional purposes, and Matchbox have taken this as a starting point, and given it their own little twist. And I think they did great, except the front headlight is simply black. I see black, yellow and red in the tampo. We know that the machine holds 4 colours, so why was no white added into the headlight print to give it a little more depth? The one minor flaw in the tampo, as I think it is great. Except it doesn't cover the plain grille. But, that is something we won't get in a core issue. 

So, how do I score this? For inclusion, I think it is awesome giving us another Transit. I honestly don't care if it is the electric or ICE version. I am sure kids don't either. But, I see why Matchbox is trying to go that way. Casting? That grille. Nope! It docks a point for no mesh. Apart from that, I cannot fault anything else. And it stays metal with an interior. Kudos for that. So, it gets a 9. Design. A 9.5, as I would have liked a little white mixed in with the headlight. But, this looks like a real promotional model from Ford, so I cannot really argue there. That gives it a total score of 28.5 out of 30. A very decent debut, and I look forward to seeing some recurring themes on future issues.

And a final base shot for a new casting this batch. 

Which leads us to the last model in the batch. Another Matchbox originals casting. The MB789 Skidster. This one has been with us since 2010, so is now in year 16. It takes the MB121 slot in the range in white.

The fact that this has 58 on the tampo leads me to believe that Michael Heralda designed this. He has designed quite a few Skidsters over the years. And, I have to be honest, this black and orange on white works well. The grey bucket  suits the look as well. And the orange for the side window section blends in with the model. 

This does remind me a little of Ranec, the recurring theme that began in 2010. Now, how did that start? Ah yes, a Working Rigs RW010 MBX Crane debuted in 2010, and the livery was simply its name with the "C" moved to the end. But, then, we had a support vehicle. 

Skidster! It debuted as the second Ranec vehicle after the crane that the logo was named after, and the recurring theme was born. Obviously, having had Ranec, it would be silly to try and do it again, but I love how the new one reminds me of it. For nostalgia factor alone, I am scoring it a perfect 10. Way to go Michael! 

So, let's do this. 16 years of Skidsters. When it debuted in 2010 as a Ranec model, the very first run had a small error. They forgot to add some legal text to the underside of the bucket. This was swiftly fixed within the first week. 

The model was also chosen to be one of 25 that saw a version 2 that year. A later yellow one appeared, which I did see some shading on. 

And, at the end of the year, it was also chosen to be a part of the 1st Editions 10-pack in red. 

In 2011, one of Michael's recurring themes, Lyons Bros, was used on the basic range release in dark yellow. We also saw a King J orange model in the Construction 5-pack.

2012 saw a silver release in the basic range, along with another orange model in the City Works 5-pack. 

In 2013, we had a purple issue with yellow bucket in the basic range, and for the Construction 5-pack, a purple with yellow bucket. Yes, same model. At that time, they had a habit of throwing odd basics in 5-packs. I did see a little shading to the yellow bucket. 

2014 only saw a Construction Zone 5-pack issue in green. 

It then took 2015 off before returning to the basic range in 2016 in another white look.

2017 saw another Construction 5-pack outing, this time in purple. 

Where 2018 brought back the 2010 version 2 for another basic range outing. It was a slightly different yellow. 

2019 gave us a CarGo recurring theme in the basic range in yellow. 

And this purple Agrobio Nutrients model was a part of the 2020 MBX Construction II 5-pack. 

Whoa! Where's the fire? The 2021 basic range release, another of Michael's creations, was a fire themed red release. That is thinking outside of the box. 

And in 2022, we had a green basic range release. After this, the model took 2 years off (save for carry forwards), before returning in 2025. But, this is not the return. 

No, it was in the MBX Construction VII 5-pack, and sported the same recurring Matchbox Construction look that the new MBX Turf Hauler II has. 

Which actually means, in 16 years of production, this casting has been given 17 different designs. Just over 1 per year. I wonder how much longer it will continue? I can see this running, and running. 

And, on that note, I am running out of time on this blog. The last part of batch L is complete. 6 models, 3 of which were new castings. 

And 3 older ones returning for more outings. 

And, as these head off, enjoy the rest of Christmas. Don't eat too much. Next week, I will be sweetening the pot a little with next report. If you can guess what I will be covering on my last report of 2025. Until then, I hope everybody doesn't over-indulge, but has a safe and happy week.