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.

Modern Classics: Hot Wheels Car Culture

The Hot Wheels Car Culture Modern Classics is a set that I wasn’t really that much interested in compared to some of the others. The only real draw for me about this set was the introduction of a brand new casting. The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 EVO II. Yes, that is a mouthful. But it is a car that has had a good run in the motorsport scene. The original race going version of the car had a Cosworth-built engine with 239 kW of power and 324 PS of torque. The EVO II homologated version ran at 173 kW of power and 235 PS of torque instead. But it had a commanding presence with generous performance for the time and having a limited run made it a very desirable car indeed.

Other cars in this series include the Renault 5 Turbo. A car that has been designed for rallying by the French. The car was modified to have a mid-mounted 1.4L turbocharged engine that produced 118 kW and 160 PS. Admittedly, putting a mid-mounted, turbocharged engine, on a short-wheelbase rear-wheel drive car was a bit crazy. But Renault was crazy like that. And the car went on to win the Monte Carlo Rally on its first outing with the WRC.

The Porsche 964 wasn’t built for a specific type of race unlike the 190E and Renault 5. Instead, the 964 continued the 911 moniker in Carrera form. It came with an air-cooled, naturally-aspirated, horizontally opposed engine making 184 kW of power and 250 PS of torque. As the casting on this series does not have a rear wing, we are assuming that this is the non-turbo version of the Carrera.

Next is the 1985 Honda CR-X. The first generation Honda CR-X was not intended for racing. However, a high-performance version of the car di come out in the form of the Si which came with a 1.6L motor pumping out 101 kW of power and 137 PS of torque. However, with a curb weight of less than a ton, the car performed quite well. While the casting on this series is based on the first generation CR-X with modifications, it was done so in a good way. Personally, I have been introduced to the second generation CR-X when I started learning about cars.

Finally, we have the 1992 BMW M3. BMW’s M-series cars are their high-performance versions of their normal road cars. This one is based from the BMW E30. With the final versions running 158 kW and 215 PS power and torque respectively, these cars were practically ready for motorsports. As such, the car has been seen racing in the several Touring Car championships and even raced as a rally car on selected rounds of the WRC.

The set, is such a mixed bag that even the name is sometimes hard to explain. Modern Classics can be interpreted in different ways but different people. And the definition of modern changes depending on who you talk to because someone born in the 70s will have a different outlook that someone born in the 80s. Even in automobile-speak, enthusiasts will still have different takes on what a modern classic actually is. I did get the set and I will be putting down some notes on these cars. But its worth may be a bit of a hit-or-miss.

Porsche 962

The Porsche 962 is a prototype race car designed to race in Group C. It replaced the Porsche 956 in this regard.

Porsche 962

The Hot Wheels Porsche 962 debuted in the Car Culture Race Day series in 2017. As of this writing, this casting has yet to trickle down to the mainline. It has so far come out in the Team Transport series and this version from the Circuit Legends series.

This 962 comes in a beautiful black paint with the signature Advan livery. It is a circuit car from any angle. The painted headlights help liven things up a bit more in the front. But the details are where this car shines. The air intakes, canards, the fuel cap, and the windshield tampo all help bring this car to life. One thing that sets this car apart is how they used different color schemes on the wheels. On the front you have a pair of white RRAs and on the rear you have a pair of black wheels with chrome trimming. The effect of the chrome on black was beautifully executed and the wheelset really comes to life. This being on top of the black and red Advan livery, the wheels stand out even more.

Porsche 962

I’m not really into Group C race cars as the only one that I really followed was Mazda’s 787B. But these Porsches from Hot Wheels are starting to grow on me.

’69 COPO Corvette

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first. Is there a 1969 COPO Corvette in real life?

According to posts in the Corvette Forum, there has only been one 1969 COPO Corvette to leave the factory. On the auction site Mecum Auctions, it is also listed as only one COPO L88 Corvette and comes with complete documentation. I am not a Corvette expert so I can’t really put my 2 cents in. COPO stands for Central Office Production Order which allowed certain customers to spec-order non-standard parts and accessories. While there may only have been 1 COPO Corvette for the ’69 model, there was also a ’67 COPO Corvette ordered by a GM designer, Bill Mitchell. And it wasn’t just the Corvette, COPO Camaros were also available.

’69 COPO Corvette

But this here example from Hot Wheels is of the ’69 COPO Corvette. The casting first appeared in the 2011 New Models line and has been in production since. The one that I have is from the Car Culture Circuit Legends series. Which means that this sits on Real Rider wheels and tires. Very nice looking RRPrf in yellow (officially on the Wiki, but it looks more like gold). As with most Hot Wheels, this casting comes with broken size wheels which actually looks good especially with the Good Year marking on the tires. Decked out in yellow paint with a contrasting black roof and hood, the car looks very much like a circuit car. Being from the Car Culture series, you can bet that it has a better quality finish. It has decals galore, painted headlights and taillights, and a metal base.

’69 COPO Corvette

I am not a Corvette fan, but I do appreciate nice cars. And this one is very nice. The stance is good, it looks muscular, it looks American, and it feels good. A keeper then? I’ll need to spend more time with it for me to say.

Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe

The Hot Wheels Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe.

Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe

This casting was introduced in 2007 as a “New Model” mainline car and was obviously based off of the real car. The original Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (that really is a mouthful) was a purpose-built race car made to take on the likes of the Ferrari 250 GTO. The Shelby Daytona has several racing championship titles under its belt including GT class wins from the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans among others.

The Hot Wheels casting comes close to the original car including the relatively large rear wheels. Being a Hot Wheels car, the design itself is quite nice, if a bit cartoonish when it comes to that bulging rear wheel. Don’t get me wrong as it looks just fine with the exaggerated rear wheels. It is a Hot Wheels after all and it just works with this car. And the example I have here is from the Car Culture Circuit Legends.

Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe

This Shelby Daytona comes in its signature blue color with white racing stripes. It has painted on headlights and taillights and even the gas cap which is nice. Livery-wise it has sponsor decals just like the race cars and it is emblazoned with the number “15” and “GT” designation. Even the rear half-white, half-blue paint scheme was nicely reproduced in this car. What sets the car apart in my opinion are the wheels. It comes in broken RR5SP wheels in white which really pop out. To top it off, the wheels are stamped with the Goodyear markings, again just like the real car.

Overall, this is a great piece. Exaggerated wheels aside, this version of this casting is an excellent choice.

TLVN Mazda 787B

The Mazda 787B has gone down in racing history as a legend. It is the only Japanese car that has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And it is the only Rotary-powered car to do so at that. And all that is still true as of current writing.

The model that I have with me is the Le Mans-winning number 55 car. This is a Tomica Limited Vintage Neo model, and that means you can expect nothing less than the very best of what Tomica/Tomytec has to offer. And indeed, it does not disappoint.

It comes in a bigger box than your normal TLVNs and the top flap is adorned by hand-drawn art of the car. It appears to be on Mazda’s Laguna Seca raceway, but I can’t be 100 percent sure so don’t quote me on that. Kudos to Nakajima-san whose signature appears together with the art. Unfortunately, I can’t read Japanese text so I can only assume that the cover introduces the car as the Mazda 787B 1991 winner of the 24 Hour of Le Mans.

Open the flap and a display window only teases with the three parts that the model comes in. The main body and chassis come with the engine, suspension, cooling system, and enormous wing. Beside it are two race car panels to cover the front and back of the half-naked race car. And since this is number 55, you can already see the orange and green RENOWN livery screaming at you even at this bullish 1:64 scale.

Taking it out of the box gives you a substantial feeling die-cast model. The metal on this thing feels very much premium. The level of detail on the plastic mould is what you would expect of a TLVN model. There are supposed to be 2 aerials that need to be attached to complete the car, but I didn’t put those in for fear of eventually losing them. The two panels attach perfectly on the car and you are rewarded with a fully built race car. The wheels are also what you would expect from a TLVN model, which are a pretty darn accurate representation of the wheels on the actual car. Again, the level of detail on this small scale is amazing. The livery, sponsor decals, internal parts, even the headlights all come at you with great presence.

Then again, you do pay a premium for this car. But as a collector and a Mazda nut, it has been worth every penny.

BMW 3.0 CSL Race Car

The BMW 3.0 CSL was built as a homologation machine in order for BMW to compete with the car in the European Touring Car Championship back in 1972. The CSL was based on the CS and used the same engine, albeit with an increase in displacement to just over 3 litres. This was done in order for them to race in the “over three-litre” racing category. The “L” in CSL had stood for “light”, as in lightweight.

A final version of the CSL was homologated in 1973 which sports an aerodynamic package inclusive of larger front air dams, short fins running across the front fenders, a spoiler on the trailing edge of the roof, and a rear wing. Apparently, with the full aero package installed, the CSL has earned the nickname “the Batmobile”.

The Hot Wheels version is a very nice casting that is close enough to the original as far as model cars go. The aero kit is complete on this car including the small fins on the front fender, vents on the front fender, a centre-mounted wiper on the windshield, and the side-exit exhaust pipes. The paint is your typical Hot Wheels quality which is not too shabby, really. However, it is the Castrol Racing livery that elevates this to the next level of cool. The white base is loyal to the BMW racing colors and the car really feels like it’s a proper race car. The black base is not too bad with the same livery, but it isn’t as striking as the white base car.

Overall, I really like this car. I don’t mind seeing this every day in my small display cabinet.

Volkswagen T2 Pickup

The Volkswagen T2 or Volkswagen Type 2 is one of the most iconic cars ever. Also called a Transporter, a Kombi, a Camper, and a Bus among other endearing names. This new release by Hot Wheels gives us the Pickup version in all its resto-mod glory.

It’s got custom bumpers, side skirts, and is built as a flatbed with lowered suspension. The front fascia is still unmistakably a Volkswagen Bus, but the stance alone tells you that it is something special. The first time I saw this on the pegs I immediately grabbed it and bought it. It is something that has a visual impact that catches your eye. It gives off a feeling that it is something familiar and different at the same time.

Unfortunately, I was never able to get my hands on the Super Treasure Hunt version released in the Volkswagen series in 2019. Still, I’m pretty happy with this normal version.

Old School 4 x 4s

The Toyota Land Cruiser and the Land Rover Series III. Two of the most famous four by fours and the granddaddy of the modern SUVs. One hails from Japan and the other from the UK. I’m not even going to touch on which is better because they are both really good at what they stand for.

This beautiful example of a rugged Land Cruiser FJ40 came from Matchbox and is from their Jungle Explorer series back in 2010. This casting is designed by no other than Ryu Asada. It comes in a matte black finish and splashes of olive green on the roof and decals. It has got excellent front fascia details such as a painted front grill, headlights, and even the turn signals. Anaconda decals and the number 2 on the sides add a touch of flavour to the vehicle. No such detailing on the rear though, but you won’t really mind since this is a well-sculpted casting. The doors are lined up with proper hinges, there is a number plate holder on the rear, the gas cover is carved in, the side vents as well, there are wing mirrors on the doors and the bonnet is pretty much sculpted as well. There are no windows on the front doors but everything else is covered and it gives you a nice view of that brown interior. The wheels are MBX R5002 and come in this nice shade of black. I love this piece.

The Land Rover Series III pickup from Hot Wheels, on the other hand, comes in its signature bright red colour. This one comes from the Hot Wheels Hot Trucks series in 2019 and designed by Dimitriy Shakhmatov who also gave us the Unimog 1300. Another classic four by four, this comes in another beautifully sculpted casting. It has an insane amount of detailing similar to the MBX such as panel lined doors and pick-up bed, tonneau cover latches over the bed, door hinges, wing mirrors, and even the gas cap. The rest of the sculpting comes from the plastic that covers the interior, the front grill, and the spare tire on the pick-up bed. The grey doesn’t really liven it up as much, but it works fine. This is a utility truck after all. It comes with BAJA5 wheels and fits it perfectly. This is another beautiful piece.

These classic four by fours are excellent for what they are. They bring the cars that they represent alive. I would put them in my bag and bring them about just in case a photo shoot opportunity comes along such as this one on the beach. Hopefully, I would retire to owning one (if not both) of these classics.

’02 Radical GMC Truck (Muscle Machines)

In the early 2000s, there was another brand of toys called Muscle Machines. They became known for their cartoonish muscle cars and hot rods with super wide wheels, bulging chromed engines and an overall funny-looking take on cars that were meant to go fast and look mean. It was awesome! They soon worked on making normal looking cars after the hype in order to keep up with the competition (I’m looking at you Jada Toys). It wasn’t enough until they were bought over by die-cast giant Maisto in 2012.

Slammed in front and Normal at the back

I wasn’t really a big fan of slammed pick-up trucks. If I ever got a truck, I wanted it to be functional as a truck. That didn’t stop people from expressing themselves and dropping their pick-up trucks like cars though, especially not since wheel manufacturers started making big 20-and-over inches big-ass rollers. And while I personally would not have done it to my own truck, the appeal was there for me when these have been tastefully done.

The ’02 Radical GMC Truck is from the Muscle Machines Truckin’ series. A collaboration effort between Muscle Machines and Truckin’ magazine. I couldn’t get much information about the truck, but it seems that it is simply a GMC Sierra that is slammed to the ground with big chrome wheels and low profile series tires. I got this pair just recently (late 2017) because it has been a while since I’ve seen a decent looking die-cast truck for a good price. Sure, the packaging was nowhere near mint, but I had always planned on opening them anyway. And speaking of packaging, I liked how they still came in the old-school blister packs that are sealed all around. Of course, this did bring costs way higher than your normal Hot Wheels blister, but it did give you that extra feeling of security.

Back to the truck. This pair came in slick (for the era) flame jobs. The yellow truck with pink flames is not ashamed of being loud while the dark blue truck with black flames is the quiet type. The paint seems to have suffered a bit due to the age of these toys and probably from being in storage for a long time. They are still shiny, but some paint blemishes on the roofs of both trucks can be seen. The flame job is superb. As mentioned earlier, these are fine for the era, but they would probably be scoffed at by today’s more subdued generation. There is also a good splattering of chrome on the truck. Aside from the wheels, the front grill and headlights are treated in the shiny stuff. If you turn the truck upside down, you even get chrome on some of the undercarriage and the muffler. The interior is finely detailed with a good separation of colors. I’m talking about colors on the steering wheel, dashboard, center console, seats, and even aircon vents. You won’t get that amount of detail on normal die-cast cars (of this scale). The removable bed cover is a nice touch too (although you can’t really put anything on the shallow bed).

The truck also features a nice gimmick they called “SLAM!” (yes, with an exclamation point). These trucks are slammed to the ground with their wheels tucked inside the fenders by design. But press on the wheels (front and back for better balance), and the spring-loaded mechanism lifts the truck by half a millimeter (or thereabouts in this scale) and untucks the wheels. The lift is not by much, but it is a cool feature nonetheless. And it adds to the feel of those trucks with air suspension allowing them to be slammed to the ground, but are able to raise their stance enough to go over humps. The novelty will wear off quickly, but it is still a neat feature.

I’m very happy with these trucks. To me, it brings a bit of nostalgia and also a better appreciation of other die-cast brands. There isn’t really a lot catering to the smaller 1:64 scale compared to the 1:18 scale modelers, and it’s a shame that the choices are becoming more and more limited. But there are high-quality brands in this smaller scale that have every right to call their products as collectibles rather than toys. The Muscle Machines line surely fit into that former category.