Year of the Dragon!

It is now April.

I was supposed to start this page with the ‘Year of the Dragon’ Nissan GT-R from INNO models. That was supposed to be in January. And yet, here we are, right smack at the start of April – nearly 3 months later.

INNO Models (https://www.inno-models.com/about-us) entered the die-cast scene in 2016. According to their website at least. It is challenging to find any more information than what is on their website at this point, so we’ll go with that for now.

I was not into INNO models because they did not have Mazda cars in their line-up when they entered the market. While I was tempted because of the highly detailed models from them, I steered clear of the brand to keep my line. I’m trying hard to remember if I bought some INNO models in the past before this, but I would probably need to check my cabinet to be sure. Now, this Nissan GT-R (R35) is something that I bought on a whim. I bought this particular model because this is the 2024 ‘Year of the Dragon’ special edition. If you can’t already tell, I was born in the year of the dragon – so this was a no-brainer.

The 2024 Chinese New Year Nissan GT-R Year of the Dragon Special Edition – is a very long name for a model car. I will simply refer to it as the 2024 CNY GT-R. This would be the first INNO model that I have opened up and fully scrutinized. It is a great model. It is hefty and like other INNO models, highly detailed for the scale. It comes in a special CNY box which opens up to an acrylic case that holds the model. Everything that is holding this car, screams Year of the Dragon. It might border on being tacky for some people who prefer simple race livery or plain colours. But I can live with this because it is what it claims to be – a Chinese New Year special edition model. If I had to fault it, it would be the chrome paint. I don’t like chrome paint. It is a natural dust and fingerprint magnet. However, you can’t really have this car in any other colour but gold chrome.

Looking beyond the design livery, the base car is your recent R35 with the updated front bumpers. I like model cars that have wing mirrors on them, especially in this scale, and this one has it. I can’t be sure if it was added on or part of the mold, but I wouldn’t want to find out the hard way. Aero bits such as the side skirts and rear diffuser add to the authenticity of the model being based on the real car. It even has titanium tipped exhaust tips (at least in paint effect)! Gold chrome paint aside, the livery on this car is meticulous – like, tapestry meticulous. Again, some design elements feel tacky, but it isn’t out of place for this particular model. So let’s get those out of the way first. One thing that annoys me is the ‘Asian’ or ‘Oriental’ font that is used on the car. There is this rather big ‘2024’ text plastered on where the rear license plate should be. There is also this ‘Year of the Dragon’ writing on the top part of the wing. Unavoidable, yes, as this is a Chinese Ney Year edition car, but for me, it could have been a bit more classy. When it comes to the livery, though, that oriental dragon flanking the sides of the car gets a thumbs up from me. The dragon on the bonnet is also a great design element and is what I was referring to when I mentioned a ‘tapestry’. Smaller, oriental design elements define the car even more. Other notable touches include carbon fiber look wing and a carbon fiber diffuser that you can clearly see separated from the rear bumper. It also has gold wheels – which look damn good! Maybe the tackiness is a personal opinion, because generally speaking, the car is clear on what it defines itself. A 2024 Chinese New Year Nissan GT-R Special Edition model.

The Nissan GT-R is a great car. An enthusiast’s dream. I don’t collect them like I collect Mazda RX-7s, but I do get them when I feel like it.