When discussing 1/64th scale diecast manufacturers, Hot Wheel is the undisputed king, and for good reason. they’ve been around for more than 50 years and have produced some incredible looking diecasts cars, especially these days. However, they might have some stiff competition in the market soon. At least, if you’re looking for a 1/64th scale Gen 5 Viper.
As the header image would’ve told you, I’ve got three 5th generation Vipers. One from Majorette, one from Auto World, and one from (obviously) Hot Wheels. I’ve had them for a while and decided it was about time I gave my thoughts on all of them… and this article was a good excuse to take some more pictures of the three Vipers.
In this comparison, we’re going to be judging the quality and design of the models. Without further ado, let’s get comparing!
THE MAJORETTE
Majorette was one of those brands that I didn’t pay attention to until I saw they had a Viper. Well, that’s not quite true. I saw they had a Viper via posts on Instagram a few times but I didn’t think it looked all that good. I shouldn’t have judged a book by its cover, but I did. I kept seeing them pop up here and there but for the most part, I was pretty disinterested in Majorette as a whole.
That is, until my dad found a purple SRT Viper GTS at a store (I don’t remember which one). I was actually pretty intrigued because I had never seen a Majorette Viper in the flesh before. Despite my initial “cold shoulder” I gave this model, I was very interested in seeing if the model was better than it looked online.
It’s been a while since then and I can tell you that yes, it does look better than I thought it did on the first encounter. It’s a valued addition to the collection and it has a much more unique color than the other two Gen 5s. “So what do you like about the model?” Many things. Let’s begin with the front.
THE FRONT:
What I like: The grille is painted, the headlights are Plexiglas (hardly any manufacturer can get the headlights right), there are side mirrors (this is important for later), and the logo is visible.
What I don’t like: The Stryker logo is a bit too big to be accurate, the side vents on the front fascia aren’t painted in, the stripes are off-center, and the grille has no dimension whatsoever.
THE BACK:
What I like: The taillight surround is colored (AKA the “applique) and the taillights are colored… no really, that’s it. I’m not implying that those are the ONLY things that are good about the Majorette in the back, it’s just that there isn’t much to note.
What I don’t like: There’s no indent or outline for the third brake light, and there’s a very odd block in the middle of where the license plate is supposed to go.
THE SIDE:
What I like: The door handles are visible, the doors themselves open, the proportions are spot on and the fuel cap is visible.
What I don’t like: The exhaust outlet area is body-colored and the diff-cooler behind the driver/passenger window is misshapen (a sore spot for Gen 5 Viper diecast cars of any scale).
THE TOP:
What I like: The stripes.
What I don’t like: The power-bulge is hard to see (a consequence of having stripes).
THE BOTTOM:
What I like: It says the model and who makes it.
What I don’t like: It’s bland and shows no chassis detail at all, and the wheels are too thin.
Overall, a very commendable model. If you’re not such a stickler like me then those small drawbacks might not bother you much. Excluding the diff-cooler shape, grille flatness, and black block at the back. Those are more significant issues with this model.
BONUS:
Thanks to the Majorette having doors, getting interior pictures is pretty easy. Certainly more so than either the Auto World or Hot Wheels.
THE AUTO WORLD
I had been wanting this model for a long time ever since I did a Google search and found them when I was scrolling through all the images (like I normally do). Now I’ve got an Auto World Viper and I was not disappointed. In fact, it exceeded my expectations for quality. Here’s how.
THE FRONT:
What I like: The grille is painted in, the headlights aren’t desecrated with poorly done decals or poorly done Plexiglas (as headlights are also a sore spot for Gen 5 Viper models), the logo is visible and just the right size and the NACA-duct is perfect.
What I don’t like: The vents at the side of the front fascia aren’t painted in (because making them open would be impossible at this size), maybe the headlights should’ve been black rather than silver
THE SIDE:
What I like: There’s a little “SRT” badge on the gill, the diff-cooler is perfectly proportioned (as is the entire car), the exhaust outlet is black, the door handle is visible, and the side makers can be seen. A small but very cool touch.
What I don’t like: No side mirrors, the fuel cap isn’t there at all, and the wheel design is kinda dull.
THE BACK:
What I like: The rear taillight surround (or “applique”) is colored in, the taillights themselves are colored in, and the third brake light is clearly visible.
What I don’t like: The vents below the lights aren’t colored in and perhaps the diffuser could’ve been a little bit more distinctive.
THE TOP:
What I like: The power-bulge hood is the most visible of the three, and it’s the only Gen 5 Viper in this scale with the six-vent hood.
What I don’t like: Nothing.
THE BOTTOM:
What I like: There is some detail to the underside, so it looks a little bit like a chassis.
What I don’t like: While there is space for some engine detail, it isn’t there, and the front and back wheels are too thin.
Overall, the Auto World is a VERY high-quality model. This is a bold claim, but it’s probably the best of them all in this size.
BONUS:
See the diff-cooler there? Behind the (in this case) passenger window? That’s the weak spot for many diecast Vipers. Here’s a small photo gallery of what it looks like on the real thing and how it looks on the Majorette and Hot Wheels. Image Credit (on the left): FCA
THE HOT WHEELS
This Viper comes from the most recognizable brand out of the other two. Considering Hot Wheels has 50 years of experience in this market, it might make sense to assume they’ve come out on top. Have they though? Well…
THE FRONT:
What I like: The grille has dimension and the logo is visible and perfectly sized.
What I don’t like: The headlight stickers are pretty bad, the grille isn’t painted in, the side vents on the front fascia aren’t painted in, and the NACA duct is too small.
THE SIDE:
What I like: The exhaust outlet is painted in, the vehicle proportions are spot on and the wheels are the best looking out of the three.
What I don’t like: The fuel cap, while there, is very hard to see, there aren’t any badges anywhere and the diff-cooler is just Plexiglas.
THE BACK:
What I like: The brake light outline is just about visible and the rear diffuser is easily visible.
What I don’t like: There’s no coloring anywhere on the rear except for on the diffuser, and the third brake light is there but only just.
THE TOP:
What I like: The stripe decal is unique and the vents are outlined and easy to see.
What I don’t like: The vents aren’t painted in and the power bulge is hard to see (a consequence of having stripes).
THE BOTTOM:
What I like: The engine is shown, the chassis has the most detail, and the wheel width looks correct to what they’d be on the real car.
What I don’t like: Nothing.
BONUS:
See what I meant about the stance?
CONCLUSION TIME?
Indeed, it’s time to conclude. So here it is: The Auto World is the best of the three. Period. It has the best detail, best proportions, best paint, and is unique because it has the six-vent hood.
The Majorette and Hot Wheels are tough. Both are good for different reasons and both have some annoying shortcomings. At the end of the day, I think the Majorette comes in second place for me. I don’t like the flatness of the grill or that weird black in the license plate area, but it has opening doors, suspension, the headlights aren’t ruined, the NACA-duct is easier to see, the taillights are painted in (as well as the applique), and the purple is far superior to the yellow of the Hot Wheels.
To be fair to the Hot Wheels, there are (real) Vipers with body color appliques. But those Vipers also have taillights (what a shocker!) I’m a stickler for detail and accuracy. Due to that, the Hot Wheels is at the bottom of the list.
I hope you enjoyed this comparison! Tell me which one you prefer in the comments below! See you soon.
… Did you notice? “Notice what?” There was a striped Viper when we were discussing what I liked and disliked about the back of the Auto World. “Huh? oh! I guess there are stripes there. What gives?” Well, I actually have TWO Auto World Vipers, haha!
I love that Auto World one too. I hope one day to get a diecast version of the 1994 model as featured in the film Wanted with Angelina Jolie.