Star Trek 1:50 Scale USS Enterprise 1701 D – Mattel Hot Wheels

This toy is largely plastic. Measuring 6″ in length (bow to stern if you’re so inclined) the model is ideal for placing on a desk (at home or work). The rear lower hull (stardrive section for Trekkies) has some die-cast metal, but I suspect that the point behind making the saucer section (forward end) plastic is to allow the model to balance on its stand.

** Hot Wheels vs. Galoob **
In 1987 Galoob toys released an entirely diecast Enterprise NCC-1701-D toy that is about the same exact dimensions as this Hot Wheels (HW) version. I’m surprised at just how similar the two models are, but as should be expected this newer toy sports better physical detailing and paint.

** Hot Wheels vs. Johnny Lightning **
An alternative would be the Johnny Lightning NCC-1701-D toys (which are getting harder to find on the secondary *cough* ebay *cough* market). The JL Galaxy class ships (the Enterprise variants and her sister ship the Yamato) measure 4″ long and sport a fantastic paint job.

Both the HW toy described here and the JL Galaxy class ships have separating saucer sections … I know, some of you may be wondering what this means, but trust me, if you hand an Enterprise D to a Trekkie and its saucer does not separate, he/she may go Klingon on you. Fortunately HW did a great job detailing the upper portion of the stardrive section and designing a strong connection between the two Enterprise parts (with luck this Enterprise is built to last and will not require an aspiring Chief Engineer LaForge to superglue the two sections together).

Finally, many sites sometimes describe this model as being a 1:50 scale die-cast model of the Enterprise. In addition to only being part die-cast, this model is roughly the same length as the other HW Star Trek models released to date … if this one is 1:50, then the others (arguably smaller ships) are not. Don’t worry … if your Star Trek friend is going to be bothered by this, then an alternative is to consider the Future USS Enterprise 1701-D and other true(r)-scale gaming models (which are obviously harder to find).

** Overall **
I like my HW Enterprise 1701-D and plan on buying any possible repaints. At the time of this review, these toys can be found easily in local retail stores for $13 – $15. NOTE: This item appears on amazon through multiple sellers: prices & availability may change, so please shop around!