Can any other diecast E32 BMW compare to the beautiful mid 1980's Matchbox 323i cabriolet? ...Enter the Hot Wheels RLC M3!

Matchbox' wonderful 323i cabriolet has always been a favorite casting from the "Matchbox Int'l" mid 1980's era of my later childhood.  In fact the blue 323i pictured, a little rough from lots of play, is indeed from my childhood, one of 4 cars purchased at Bordens in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ (the other 3 were the Escort XR3i cabriolet in white (love that casting!), the 2 door Jeep Cherokee, and oddly large VW Golf GTI in red).

While I'm still partial to the blue car, the other colors shown are also nice, particularly the pure white.  All examples have marvelous wheels.  I love the 8 dot wheels of that time, particularly the glorious gold wheels on the red car, but I'm also partial to the laser c/d wheels on the white Alpina car. 

I've always loved the plastic front piece/grill with it's great detail, that somehow show off the classic BMW headlights to great effect.  

The base of the car, like many of the other great bases of the Matchbox Int'l years, is packed with nice metal detail.   The Matchbox Int'l bases are truly the best bases of any Matchbox era!

So as with so many of these blog entries, I have to ask whether with such a great E32 casting, is there anything else that can compare to it?  

Hot Wheels made an attempt about 20 years ago, seen here.  And while the cars are reasonable, they offer no competition to the glorious Matchbox Int'l 323i casting.  

But there is a new (and very expensive) E32 casting in town - and that is the Hot Wheels RLC E32 M3.  The car was only available to Red Line Club members (hence "RLC"), and probably sold out immediately.  The only way to get it now (the way that I got one) is to buy it on EBay - and they aren't cheap.  I bought mine for about $50, but most go for $65-$75, which makes acquiring one a very expensive proposition.  But that money will buy you an absolute JEWEL of a car.  

This car is close to perfection, with exquisite detail, opening doors, and rubber tires.  But perhaps where it shines most is when you line it up with the Matchbox 323i, which suddenly feels HUGE in comparison.  It's not that the Hot Wheels is too small.  It's that the Matchbox is too BIG, at a massive 1:56 scale (as stamped on the bottom of the baseplate) vs. the 1:64 scale that Matchbox size cars are supposed to be.  

But, as nice as the RLC M3 is, it doesn't make me love the 323i casting any less.  It's still a favorite casting.  But maybe, just not quite AS favorite as the new RLC M3...