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Bentley Smackdown!; Hot Wheels vs. Matchbox vs. Tomica vs. Minichamps
Topic Started: Jun 1 2013, 06:16 PM (1,816 Views)
jedimario
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RAWR
Crazy. Just a few weeks ago, I acquired my tenth 1st generation Bentley Continental GT. There are few cars that I have so many versions of, and even fewer that I have so many versions from the same generation. The number of 997s and 911s in my collection smashes that out of the park, and I probably have 10 of one of the Mustangs. But other than that, the Bentley has become a dark horse favorite in my collection. The car gets a lot of flak for various reasons, but I cast that all aside. This car, in 1:1 and in scale, is what a Bentley should be- it has presence, a classy yet muscular design, and will turn heads most any place it goes.

But is that not why I'm writing this review. Oh no. You see, this 10th CGT is also the 4th different brand of 1st gen CGT to enter my collection. That is another milestone that few cars in my collection have attained, but there is something a bit unique this time: the brands have all done this car in the same scale within about half a decade. These 4 cars represent a consistency across the industry that is hard to get from other cars. So, I find it appropriate to compare them! And here they are:

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Representing the comparatively pedestrian base model Continetal GT, we have (from left to right) Minichamps, Tomica, and Matchbox. The white car in the bottom left is the Hot Wheels CGT Supersport, a performance-oriented version of the car. Before we get too far into this, I will say that all 4 of these cars are great. It is hard to find large faults with them. All of the castings are sufficiently accurate, and all are worthy additions to my collection. However, without price as a consideration, there is one clear winner and one clear loser here. The Minichamps, at about 10x the retail price, is 10x better than the other three. And the Hot Wheels, while very nice, is pretty handily inferior to the Tomica and Matchbox.

So, how about that Minichamps?

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I can't say enough good things about this casting. The detail throughout 100% of the car is superb. The wheels are Bentley replicas. The color, Anthracite, is an actaul Bentley color. The mirrors are seperate pieces and have a chrome sticker on the reverse side. The seats have the diamond pattern upholstery molded into them. And while we're on the interior...

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If anyone knows of a better dashboard in 1/64, let me know. That just floors me. This, folks, is what adult die-cast is meant to be. There is a caveat, of course: this car retailed for as much as all the other Continental GTs in my collection combined! But you can truly see where your money is going.

The Tomica and Matchbox are very different, but I have done a comparison between them previously and essentially thought them to be equal in quality. Where the Matchbox slacks, the Tomica excels, and vice-versa. If you could somehow put them together, you would have a JL or Greenlight quality piece.

First, the Tomica:

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The most obvious problem that most will put on this car are the wheels. Mainline Tomica wheels are just bad, everyone says. They have a point, these things haven't changed much in decades. I think they have a certain charm to them, though, and on this car these wheels are not a dealbreaker. They're not the best, but they work. Along with those wheels, this car has something Tomica still uses, but most others don't: a working suspension. Since it doesn't sit too much like a monster truck due to this, I count it as a plus. It's a feature that the others simply don't have, and that gives it an advantage. But it does lack mirrors, which the other three have. That doesn't bother me too much, however. Fairly common to see in the die-cast industry. Lastly, note the tampoes. They are not complex (except for the Bentley badge, that is very clean and well done), but they are all there, including around each window. Nothing earth shattering, but it completes this absolutely decent car.

Next, the Matchbox:

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Another solid piece. The wheels are large compared to the Tomica's, but the 1:1 doesn't have small wheels so I don't think the standard MB wheels look out of place here. A complete set of tampoes is eschewed here for more detailed, important ones. They can look sloppy if applied unaligned, but most of my copies actually came out decent. I can't say this is any better or worse than the Tomica, it's just different. What this car lacks in suspension, it makes up for with a bit more detail in the casting, including rear view mirrors, and a true 1/64 size, but more on that later.

Finally, the Hot Wheels:

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Right off, you can see how this casting is a little worse than the previous two in nearly every aspect. The paint isn't quite as good, the wheels are worse in my opinion, the tampo stamps are definitely a tier or two below the others, and it's suffered from less consistent quality control. Still, it replicates the car in a sufficient manner for $1. I've got to give the HW team props for going with a red interior as well. These's nothing severely wrong here, the car just lags behind three overachievers.

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One thing I like about the Minichamps and Matchbox is that they are both true 1/64. Both claim it, and they have identical dimensions. The Tomica claims to be 1/61, and definitely looks it. It is visibly bigger, but only just so. In typical Hot Wheels fashion, scale is unspecified on the Supersport, but it clearly smaller than its 3 cousins. I'd guess about 1/66 or 1/67. Nothing drastic, but enough to annoying the most discriminating collectors and diorama builders.

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The moral of the story here, however, is that if you want a small scale Continental GT, you have 4 great options. There is even a Tomica Limited version of this car, so that may be worth considering over the Minichamps. Whatever you choose, though, you will choose right! Happy hunting :wave:
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Swifty
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The Mustang II is a Mustang too!
Great comparison! The Minichamps is definitely the best of the bunch, and for a high end luxury car like a Bentley, that's the one I'd have to give the nod to if I could only have one of them.
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craftymore
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Support your local demo derby.

The Minichamps is the clear cut winner, no doubts on that. I'd go with the Mb version for next in line followed by Tomica.
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clem24
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Station Wagon
Awesome smackdown! Thanks for the entertaining write up.

The Minichamps isn't a toy though, it's a true model. It obviously looks fantastic but there's just something the other 3 has that the Minichamps doesn't... A certain bit of charm, maybe. Or cheapness perhaps? I am not sure what it is, but at 1/64, I find I enjoy the cheap dollar cars more than the pricey ones. Whereas, in 1/18, AutoArt is my preferred brand. So in my mind, I'd say the Matchbox wins especially on the value proposition. :D
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jedimario
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RAWR
Yeah, if you're after a toy the Minichamps won't do much for you. I'm not a huge fan of toys though, I am into real cars, and my collecting preferences reflect that :D
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AbyMtz
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Microcar
These are cool! I like collecting pink cars, so it would be cool if one of these companies made the *ugly* pink Paris Hilton version of this Bentley.
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Stampede
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Team Canada
Minichamps is awesome! I have the MB and HW versions, and they're pretty close. I do prefer the MB one over the HW one, though.
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LF171
Subcompact
Casting-wise, the Minichamp version blows the rest out the water. However, for a diecast toy MB is the winner. The 10-spoke wheels look good on this casting. Great detail all around. Now if only they had chosen some lighter color for the interior... The Tomica one lacks...soul? lol It looks plain in those wheels which desperately need an update. Perhaps it is due to my near-sighted eyes, but I don't see any demarcation for the b-pillar. As for the Hot Wheels, those shoes don't do justice and the printing needs to be better. Great color combo of white and maroon, though.
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jedimario
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RAWR
You're right about the B pillar on the Tomica, but it's so understated on the 1:1 (and omitted in the other three) that I didn't even notice.
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Chuck Hess
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Chuck Hess
Fantastic review, well done! I now want to buy a Minichamps Bentley! lol
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mbx64
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Matchbox Collector
I love reviews tween multiple companies that produce the same car! It's fun to compare and contrast them.

Clearly the Minichamps comes out on top for being completely stellar. Well done. Right under that is the Matchbox version, of which I proudly own multiple versions of!
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jedimario
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RAWR
The other three are quite a few steps down the ladder from the Minichamps ;) Thanks guys!
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