Majorette 2015 Ford F-150 and Welly Toyota 86

In the coming year I will have lots of interesting stuff to review. I got lots of Majorette models to show, new and old, along with some Tomica's, old and new Matchbox, and old and new Hot Wheels, including a group of large and sought-after trucks. A few comparison tests, projects, and pullback vehicles round out the list of stuff that I will review. I wanted to get these two in first because there's a Ford truck and right now i'm looking at Ford trucks, plus the Toyota 86 has been reviewed here before, but this time the Welly version in 1:64.

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Majorette Ford F-150

Yes, yes everyone has been on the bandwagon for the new, aluminum-body 2015 Ford F-150 this year. What was only Hot Wheels and Matchbox last year has grown to Greenlight, Maisto, Welly, and now Majorette. The good news is that there's a variety of models in different cab models and different trim setup. Majorette went for the tried-and-true work truck look in white with a silver grille and some black bumper trim details. The front grille has silver bars with Ford logo in center, C-shaped headlights, and lower black bumper. I added some additional details to the lights as well. The sides have the extended cab look with large mirrors, running boards, and 5-spoke wheels that give a bit of sporty flavor to the truck. Out back the taillights and Ford logo on tailgate are detailed, there is a trailer hitch for towing, and the bed area is all-metal. The interior has seating for five people with a detailed dashboard and center console. Not quite the Greenlight setup, but close. The base is not as well done and typical for Majorette: no spare tire, no fuel tank, awkward exhaust layout (a similar layout was also found on the Majorette Chevy Silverado). The trick here is the opening hood, the only detailed engine of the 2015 F-150 in diecast, and it shows the twin-turbo 3.5L EcoBoost V6 motor that produces 450 horsepower through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Power is strong and suitable for work, handling is good, but don't ask this truck to go off-road since it sits too low and I don't even know if this truck is set up for four-wheel drive or not (similar problem with Silverado as well). While not much different from the outside, its the opening hood and the EcoBoost motor that gets the nod here.

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Welly Toyota 86

There's been plenty of progress in the replica's of the Toyota 86, FRS, GT86, FT86, Subaru BRZ, whatever you want to call it. The latest is from Welly who has done one in 1:43 and 1:64 scale. Despite having several examples of the 86 already, I went for the 1:64 for a good reason: not many of the 1:64 scale versions have been really good at detailing the model just right. This Welly version gets the nod and then goes further into distinction. Everyone has done that orange paint, but here Welly adds better body detailing with crisp lines and front and rear lighting details to make the car stand out. The wheels are six-spoke wheels and look like stock base model wheels over the 5-spokes that everyone else uses (the 1:43 model uses multi-spoke wheels), and it lacks a rear spoiler. The front has detailed slim headlights with Toyota badge in the middle, signal and foglights below, and a separate grille piece. The sides show off the raised bulges in the fenders, the (barely visible) fender badge, and exterior mirrors. The rear has detailed taillights, Toyota badges on the trunklid, and dual exhausts in the lower bumper. The base shows off much detailing at the rear with the exhaust system and the rear suspension. With the right stance, flat-4 boxer motor behind the front axle, 6-speed manual transmission, and independent suspension on all four corners this is one fun car to drive and this casting shows it off greatly despite the plastic wheels feeling a bit cheap. The interior has excellent detailing in a right-hand drive layout with front and rear seats, center console with shifter, 3-spoke steering wheel, and door panels. The buttons for the radio and HVAC controls could be well-defined, but overall a great job here.