The Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series, by Ottomobile (1/18)

Hardly a month goes by without me having to place a pre-order with these guys - they just keep churning out the good stuff. Part of Otto's May selection of new models, this is the Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series.

Keeping in tradition with producing models that have not yet been done at this scale, at least not to my knowledge, Ottomobile continues to fill the voids for the obsessed model car collectors. While other companies have largely focused on the flashy, instant-appeal exotics such as the SLS and the AMG GT, the best resin model company today has been giving us everything else Mercedes, from vintage machines like the AMG Hammer to modern classics like the Black Series shown here. As an avid AMG fanatic, I'm game to pretty much anything from the Affalterbach tuner's wild creations, so here is yet another one.

Dressed up with massively flared fenders, an aggressive rear diffuser, decklid spoiler, and stylish 16-spoke wheels - amongst a host of performance tweaks - the Black Series is clearly the evil child of Mercedes' CLK lineup. It looks pretty wicked here in miniature form too. Sure, the ride height in the back might need a little work, but everything else looks accurate at first glance.

When viewed up close, the model starts to break down a bit, if only because Otto has set such high standards for itself with its consistently high-quality, high-detail products. Solid grilles up front - you know the drill. What I didn't like the most were how side gills and rear spoiler were done; they're molded directly into the casting and then coated with black paint. The effect comes out fake and unrealistic, not to mention that they should be carbon-fiber patterned as well. If this had been branded as a more upscale GT Spirit, I imagine we would have gotten individualized plastic parts with carbon fiber decals instead.

At the end of the day, this is a 60 Euro model that easily beats out most anything in its price range. It's also a Black Series, which means it should be a welcome addition for anyone who is even remotely a fan of cars. This one shall sit nicely next to my C63 and SL65.