The Super 'Stang: GT Spirit's 1/18 Ford Shelby GT350R

In my short time collecting 1/18's, there's one thing I've learned and it's that GT Spirit always exceeds expectations. Take, for example, this monster right here.

It's the recently-released resin model of the Ford Shelby GT350R, a car for which I won't need to copy Wikipedia facts and paste them here. There have been some mind-blowing Americana machines to come from each major domestic manufacturer in the last few years (Hellcat, Z06, anybody?), but I will contend that none have been more exciting than the GT350R. I lost my mind when I saw one at the auto show a couple years ago, and I can't wait for the day I see and hear one on the streets.

GT Spirit released this model initially in white with black stripes. Rather underwhelming for this bad 'Stang. They're known for releasing additional colorways as European and Asian exclusives, for designated hobby dealers. I always knew I wanted a model of the GT350R, but I didn't think the white one does it justice. I waited it out, hoping GT Spirit would put out a blue one, just like this.

It's as if they listened to my wishes, because here I am, blue Shelby in hand, ogling it as I type this passage.

Simply put, this 1/18 GT Spirit model is absolute perfection, much like just about anything else they make. This is about as realistic and accurate as it gets for a scale model. Their quality is generally very good, but there are some areas you should be careful with. If you're like me and you handle these models by holding the bottoms of the bumpers, watch out for the splitter and skirt pieces; they're individual parts and may come loose in the process. Ask me how I know.



The colorway shown here is a European-exclusive release, limited to 500 pieces. It's limited by number, but they're readily available right around now and likely will be for months to come. What I'm trying to say is there's no real need to rush, but you won't be able to help it once you see the photos.

Another One. AUTOart's 1/18 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 LM Limited

You can never have too much of a good thing.

Not one, not two, not three, but four:

Front to back: LM Limited, V-Spec, Nismo 400R, Nismo R-Tune

That good thing being the R33-generation GT-R. Behind those clean lines lies a monster that made the proverbial Nurburgring run in less than 8 minutes, one of (if not) the first production cars to do so. What makes this more amazing is that the R33 is no supercar, exotic, or hypercar. It's a two-door sports car based off a four-door family sedan. 

The blue example shown here is the V-Spec LM Limited edition of the R33. It's a special edition model made to commemorate Nissan entering the 24-hours of Le Mans with the race-ready R33 Nismo LM, where it finished in tenth place amongst a swarm of the top supercars of the era. Nissan produced only 98 of the LM Limited, with a mere 14 of them based on the V-Spec rather than the standard model. Since this is diecast and you can have essentially any car you want, AUTOart naturally gave us the rarest of the rare. 

Hence, the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) V-Spec LM Limited, in Championship Blue.

So, what exactly is the difference between this and the "normal" R33 other than the paint job, you ask? 

To sum it up, there are three very, very minor tidbits. Here's how it compares with the Midnight Purple V-Spec, also by AUTOart:

Lip spoiler on the hood.

Carbon-fiber wing.

Commemorative badge on the C-pillars.

That's it!

For the hardcore fans, the small differences are reason enough to get this one and the standard one. For others who are juggling between one or the other, the Championship Blue color is what usually tips the scales. I will always be more partial to any purple over any blue, but I identify as the former.

And I might not be done with just four of them either.

The 2017 Ford Focus RS in 1/18, by Ottomobile

One of my favorite Hot Wheels new models of the year has now spawned a larger version in the same color. This is the 1/18 '17 Ford Focus RS produced by Ottomobile, and it's another magnificently impressive resin piece that makes you question why you still feel that plastic models are inferior to metal ones.

This is the most recent model to come out of the Otto line and there is one particularly notable upgrade that I haven't seen before on a couple of the older models that I own. It starts with the grille. Finally, a proper mesh unit that replaces the paint-on-top-of-plastic of old. This, to me, was the largest difference between Otto's and the slightly-more-expensive-sister-brand GT Spirit's models, and it looks like they are starting to close the gap between them. All other aspects of the RS are spot-on, as you have come to expect from these resin models.

I do have to say that, now that I have a replica I can stare at, the style of the Focus RS has not grown on me as much as I had thought it would, and I love hot hatches. The front end, still too tall, too bulky, and too awkward. It doesn't have the sleekness of the original Mazdaspeed 3 or the muscle of the former WRX STi hatchback, two of my all-time favorite cars. Nonetheless, you can't go wrong with the combination of 350 HP, 5-door utility, and a price tag of just around $35k. It's sad to see other manufacturers starting to move away from hatchbacks in this segment (for example, the STi is no longer offered in 5-door form and there is no current Mazdaspeed 3), but Ford keeps the spirit alive with the Focus RS.

Long live the hatches.

Minor blemish.