Old-School Beetle: The Porsche 911 GT, by GT Spirit (1/18)

Vintage 911's, for all their greatness and exponentially-increasing popularity, are cars I try to stay away from for fear of falling into the trap that is wanting to collect way too many things. There are so many variants out there, with each brand making entire swarms of these old bugs, that it's become impossible to keep up with all of them. Then you add in all the tuned ones, from RUF to RWB to Singer, and it's a total nightmare. And that's before we get into those racecars. You could fill an entire house if you collected one of each variation of 911's alone.

But every now and then, there's one that catches your eye and has that must-have cachet, and such is the case here. This is the European-exclusive recolor, limited to 504 pieces, of GT Spirit's 911 GT resin model, in a silvery-blue hue reminiscent of one of my favorite car colors of all-time from another brand: BMW's Silverstone Metallic. The first iteration debuted in a dark blue colorway (with gold wheels for contrast) that has been repeatedly criticized for being too dark and not blue enough.

Whatever the case, this one is better anyway. Execution by GT Spirit is superb as always. Death, taxes, and them doing a great job with their models - you can take it to the bank. If it's not the color, then it's the wheels and the wing that won me over. Or the fat fenders and flushed stance. Or all of the above. It's got me feeling like I've been missing out this entire time.

The Updated Nissan Fairlady Z (Z34) NISMO, from GT Spirit (1/18)

It's no surprise I'm a sucker for anything Nissan, particularly work by NISMO, their in-house tuning department. Enter the Fairlady Z, better known under the bland and boring name of 370Z here in the U.S. The Z receives a new bodykit, new wheels, a duck-tail spoiler, and splashes of red to make it uniquely NISMO. Whether you like it or not, current NISMO styling trends dictate that there must be red trim throughout the car (see: GT-R and Juke), and such is the case here.

The 370Z underwent a significant facelift at one point during its long, strung-out production run, and this model reflects the most current NISMO version. The original NISMO, with (in my opinion) a sleeker and more simplified look, larger wing spoiler, and lack of tacky, red trim, has also been done by GT Spirit in a white colorway. I am still in search of that one, but as a huge fan and obsessive Nissan collector, I'm glad that GT Spirit gave us both variants. For the completists or those who think silver is too plain, the model shown here is also available in black as an Asia-exclusive colorway.

Whatever I may have thought about the way this car looks in its real form is irrelevant when it comes to the model. It's not unusual to realize that cars have a tendency to look better in miniature form than they do in actual scale. I might even be starting to like this Z after all. Credit to GT Spirit, who once again pulls out all the stops and makes a perfect replica of the car - not a single area of complaint whatsoever.

The Mercedes-Benz GLS63 AMG, by GT Spirit (1/18)

Once called the GL-Klasse, the new GLS has fallen victim to yet another case of model-naming shenanigans (don't even get me started on what's going on over there with Infiniti). It's supposed to make it easier for non-car folks to identify a manufacturer's various offerings, and it works here. The S-Klasse is Mercedes's largest sedan; thus, the GLS is their largest SUV. Apply the same formula to the C- and E-Klasses and it all makes sense.

What we have here is another AMG variant of a Mercedes-Benz product, the GLS63 AMG. For the time being, I only collect the high-performance editions of the German brands, so this one fits right in with the rest of the cars even though it's a giant, hulking SUV amidst a sea of bona fide sports cars and sports cars disguised as family sedans.

It seems pointless to have so much power in a vehicle designed to haul the entire extended family from Point A to Point B. But the other day, I saw one of these barreling around town, weaving in and out of traffic and making hard right turns, and I couldn't help but tip my hat to the man who is at least attempting to utilize the AMG's full potential. 

About the model itself, it's superb as has become the norm from GT Spirit. It's one of their latest releases and comes after they put out a white colorway of the same model, exclusive to dealerships, months prior. This general-release black one is limited to 1500 pieces, and I was surprised to see how quickly it sold out at many online model shops, given that most collectors do not bother with SUV's and the like. The GLS is certainly an intriguing subject matter, and this model rewards those who take the plunge.

It's solid as a brick and makes all other eighteenth-scale models feel like featherweights. Black is my favorite color choice for this car, and it looks rather grand here. I also love the choice of the cream colored interior, which I believe may be the first that has come across my hands. There's no skimping on the details. GT Spirit has one-upped their previous M-B models by giving the GLS the full mesh grille treatment up front. Everything else is standard fare, in the best way possible. That means proportions, wheels, badges, and interior are all punching above its class. Even if SUV's aren't your thing, don't be quick to write this one off.

GT Spirit's Dealer-Edition Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG (1/18)

Mind you, this isn't your "typical" S63 AMG; it's the top-of-the-line S65, the flagship sedan in the M-B fleet. This one, produced by GT Spirit, is in the dealer-edition white colorway as is typical with the vast majority of their Mercedes-Benz dealer models. While white is not the traditional Mercedes-AMG color, it certainly looks the most elegant. From a quick glance, this S65 appears to be quite the model.

Underneath the hood is the most powerful engine that AMG currently builds, a 6.0L twin-turbo monster producing 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Basically, more power than 99% of owners of this car will ever utilize. This is a sealed resin model, so we can't see the heart of the beast anyways. Therefore, we look for a couple notable exterior cues, besides badging, to differentiate the 65 from the 63.

First: the wheels. There is an ever-so-subtle curvature in the spokes, giving it the appearance of a fan or a turbine. Unsurprisingly, GT Spirit nails the look perfectly and fits a set of super-realistic brakes behind them. The wheel design is a work of art, much like the rest of the car itself. In my opinion, from a design standpoint, the S-Klasse is unrivaled in its class.

The S65 also gets chrome trim and mesh on the front air intakes, in contrast with the black from the S63. While excessive chrome is usually frowned upon, it looks especially classy here and makes the S65 look every bit the expensive car that it actually is. The upper grille, while solid, has more than enough detail to trick your eyes into thinking it's not. The cherry on top is the three-pointed star hood ornament, an iconic design element that is unfortunately nearing extinction, with most modern Benzes switching to badge emblems instead. It's obviously the most fragile aspect of this model, but totally worth having.

I noticed a few quality issues in the paintwork around the B-pillars and some minor fitment issues with the tires and blacked-out front chin. Though not accessible, interior detail is very basic and cheap - dials and buttons are printed on flat surfaces rather than molded ones. Elsewhere, this model has plenty of detail to make you think it's life-sized, and it's one of my favorite M-B models to date.