The Honda Integra (DC2) Type R, by Ottomobile (1/18)

Honda has officially joined the Ottomobile/GT Spirit lineup, and they chose a good one to start off with. This is the second-generation Integra Type R, otherwise known as the DC2, and it paves the way for the EG Civic hatchback that will arrive in late June.

Japanese cars will always be welcome with open arms around here, and the Type R has a lot of fans excited for the direction that Otto/GT Spirit is heading in. While European cars will always be their bread and butter and arguably the fan favorites, this Integra, among others, proves that they can do JDM just as well. One of the advantages to resin models is the low production cost when compared to diecast models with opening parts. Fewer parts, lower tooling costs. Therefore, as a resin model company, one of their greatest strengths is in their ability to cover all bases with regards to vehicle selection and diversity. Outside of maybe one or two other small brands, this is your go-to option for the DC2, and it does not disappoint.

You can tell right off the bat that Otto nailed the proportions and overall look of the car. The ride height is just perfect, the wheels look great, and the model is well-detailed throughout, with exceptional attention to detail on the lights in particular. They chose the white-on-white color scheme for this general release, which is really the quintessential color combo for Honda sports cars. There is also an Asia-exclusive colorway that is yellow-on-white and is limited to just 300 pieces. I would have to say that one looks just as nice, but it sold out before I even found out about it.

One area of the model I did not like were the front grilles, which are simply painted in. It's the one evidence of cost-cutting, and given the simplicity of the front fascia, I feel it could have been easily done with perforated mesh instead. However, at this price point, it's more or less a non-issue; there are plenty of models out there that cost twice as much and still have solid grilles. Otherwise, there are no other glaring quality issues. This Integra makes a great addition to any JDM fan's collection and is sure to be highly desirable somewhere down the line.

A Hot Hatch: The TLV-N Honda Civic SiR-II

Some things just don't make sense. Like spending $20 on a 2-inch model of a Honda Civic.

I bet you could find me a 1:1 that costs less.

The good thing is I'm not the only one falling for this shenanigans. This is the Honda Civic SiR-II from the much-heralded Tomica Limited Vintage Neo line. Older releases of this model go for insane resale prices. Therefore, it's probably a wise decision to grab these while they're available. I received this in a package from Japan Booster the other day (and I would highly recommend them to anyone searching for Tomica or Kyosho models):

The GT-R's are for another day. You've seen them before here, just in different colors. The Civic is a first for me, so it was more "exciting", so to speak.

There's also a dark green one with gold five-spoke wheels, but I chose the duller grey with the cheap-looking blade wheels. Why?

I wanted to see just how good Tomytec is. Those wheels aren't easy to replicate at this scale. But they pulled it off very, very well, and that's what you expect when you spend too much money on a miniature of a mundane car.

As usual, Tomytec puts all the details of the real car into the model. I'm a fan of the blue interior, which I've heard is 100% accurate based on the trim model of this car. The wheels are a bit grainy, but I'm glad the spaces between the spokes are blacked out to give it that depth that many other TLV models are lacking.

Realistically, was it worth $20 to me? Probably not, but I'm not regretting it either.