Ride or Die? The 2nd Wave of Jada Toys' Fast & Furious Build N' Collect Series

Ride or Die.

Jada Toys has hit it big with its Fast & Furious lineup. Say what you want about the movies, the plots, or the acting, but they're exciting and fun-to-watch at the very least. That's how Fast & Furious has become one of the biggest Hollywood franchises today. Jada was smart to pull this business move and acquire official licensing to replicate F&F's most iconic vehicles in diecast form. 

They may not be for everyone. Jada Toys usually produces their vehicles in off-scales. Their 1/18 and 1/24-scale models are a tad larger than they claim to be. They also produce models in 1/32 and 1/55 scale, both of which are irregular scales in the diecast world. In a collection, it's hard to fit them in with the rest of the masses. Jada models have an exaggerated style that aren't very realistic even though they're packed with a ton of character. They use bling-y wheels and tacky bodykits on many of their cars. Furthermore, there are car enthusiasts who just don't care about Fast & Furious in general. 

Well, I do. 

I love all the movies, with the exception of the most recent one, which was both incredibly cheesy and ridiculous at the same time. While 1/55 scale is a bit out of my range, I had to grab a set of these, just as I did with the first wave of Build N' Collect releases. 

A little bit on the Build N' Collect series. When the first wave came out, they sold like hotcakes. I rushed to Target every other day to look for them. I even overpaid, as Target initially priced them at $6 rather than $4. The marketing strategy is simple yet genius. Each of the six cars in the set comes with an extra part to build a "bonus" vehicle (not sold individually), hence the "Build N' Collect" moniker. In Wave 1, that was the white Toyota Supra from Furious 7. In this wave, it's the orange Supra from the original movie. Tempting, right?

That forces collectors like me to purchase an entire set, even if we don't like some of the models. I personally would've passed on half of the cars here if it weren't for the Supra. Therefore, the strategy was a success. The important question is "Was it worth it?" 

In short, yes. The Supra is one of the best models of the bunch. However, the throne goes to the bare-metal Dodge Charger Maximus. Take a look for yourself...

Ain't No Hyundai: Greenlight's 1/43 Fast & Furious Series, Part 3

We've reached the last one. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX from Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift. Perhaps the most unique of them all, it's also my favorite. Why? Because of the environment and culture depicted in the movie. Instead of the same old barren deserts or quiet downtown districts that we see in every other movie, we get bright lights in a big city, where people play soccer on the rooftops of skyrise buildings. Instead of straight-line racing, we get sideways action.

Oh, and the cars. Definitely the cars. I've already professed my love for Japanese cars before, and there's more than enough of that in the movie. If any of the diecast companies out there want to make replicas of all of the cars from Tokyo Drift, be my guest. There's probably at least a hundred unique ones that we see, and I'd gladly buy all of them. Today, we get the protagonist's main car. This is the car in which Sean masters the art of drifting, turning him from the butt of a joke to the top racer in Japan.

This is one of the more recent releases from Greenlight, and it shows. In terms of accuracy and detail, it's better than the Eclipse and Skyline I showed a few days ago. From my eyes, the only thing missing is a front splitter. Without it, the front chin looks a little awkward. Otherwise, this just might be the best replica of the movie car you can find out there.

So, if you haven't already, will you be collecting this series? From what I know, Greenlight isn't planning to stop anytime soon. There will be many more models coming in the future, some of which I can't wait to get my hands on. Hopefully. If I do, you will surely see them here on the blog!

Gallo 12 or Gallo 24? Greenlight's 1/43 F&F Series, Part 2

Neither.

I love 2 Fast 2 Furious, the second movie in the series. It's by far the funniest, the most suspenseful, and has the baddest villain of the franchise. And it doesn't need Dominic Toretto to perform his ridiculous superhero-like acts to make it good. The most memorable car from that movie? This one right here.

It's the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34. Instantly recognizable just by the blue gradient striping on the side. For a car that barely received any screen time, it sure has become one of the most popular cars of the franchise. If I had a dollar for every time I see someone replicate this car in Need For Speed, I'd have enough money to buy the real one. But for now, I'll settle with this miniature.

Of the three models I have, this one is my favorite. Ironically, it's also the most inaccurate. Take a look at the stripes on this model and the way they're angled. Then, find an image on google of the movie car, and you'll see that Greenlight did this one totally wrong. Yet, my eyes still dart towards this one every time I look towards my diecast shelf. Maybe it's the Skyline fanboy in me. Maybe it's the catchy livery. Or maybe it's just that this is such a great looking piece regardless of accuracy.

As usual, Greenlight knocks it out of the park with the details. The license plate is there. The aftermarket decals are there. There are even slotted rotors with red brake calipers. OK, maybe the rear wing is a little crooked, but I can forgive that. Not bad. Not bad at all.