The 1/18 Chevrolet Corvette (C7) Z51, by Maisto

This is the last of the Maisto haul, for now.

I hope to go back for more and find some of the models I haven't seen yet. If my wishes are granted, you will be seeing a bunch more in the near future.

I'm a fan of the C7 Corvette. It has been criticized for being too derivative in its styling. The front end has shades of Viper and Ferrari 599 GTB. The front fender vents and A-pillar scream GT-R. Yes, it steals styling cues from its closest rivals, but all the pieces flow together, resulting in a look more exotic than any Corvettes in the past. For a semi-affordable sports car, it still turns heads on the street. My favorite features are the taillights. If you're driving behind one, which shouldn't be a surprise as these things are fast, it looks as if Batman is staring back at you.

Maisto produces both the base C7 and the Z51 in eighteenth scale. Other than a laundry list of performance tweaks, the Z51 Performance Package differs from a normal C7 in its wheels, as far as exterior is concerned. If you're searching for this model, it should be easy to spot with its black wheels. In my opinion, the base's wheels look cheap, and these split-five-spokes are a major upgrade for a car with this much performance and style.

By now, I don't feel the need to explain why these models are totally worth getting. Anything Maisto has produced in the past 3-4 years is golden. Most folks are leaving behind the Corvettes, Camaros, and Mustangs, and they're really missing out. Go grab them.

Stop It, Maisto. Just Stop It.

This is just not fair to all the other diecast companies out there. Why spend many times more for a comparable model when you can have these Maisto models for less?

Yes, collecting ultimately boils down to which brand makes what you want, and especially in 1/18 scale, that usually leads to only one choice. However, what we have here is another case to prove that Maisto has gotten its stuff together and is now unarguably the runaway leader in the budget model segment. This is a new model for 2016, and it's the Bugatti Chiron.

This is actually a Bburago model rebranded as a Maisto for wholesale purposes, but you may already know that they're the same company anyways. Therefore, I will refer to it as a Maisto.

From aesthetics alone, this looks like a premium model. It took a while for Maisto to figure out how to get wheels and "stance", if you will, done correctly. Those are the two key components that differentiate the wannabes and the pros in the diecast game, and Maisto has finally reached the level of the latter. Finer details can be had with more expensive models; there's a saying that goes you-get-what-you-pay-for. But with a Maisto, you don't just get what you pay for - you get more.

I nabbed this red-and-black Chiron as part of my Costco loot, and there's even a blue-and-black one out there as well. Both are classy colorways that are very befitting of the Bugatti brand. The interior of this model, even classier. This might be the best interior detailing I've seen from Maisto, ever.

The faux carbon fiber patterning is done through molded texture in the plastic rather than print, likely as a means of cost-cutting. Doesn't look cheap though. It looks more realistic than some of the carbon fiber prints out there.

A few minor gripes about this model revolve around its working features. The steering doesn't really work, the deploy-able rear wing is rather finicky, and the doors don't open as much as you'd like. If you're a well-informed expert collector, you'll know that Maisto purposely sealed the rear engine compartment on the Costco models to artificially cheapen it, so as not to compete with retail-priced models. Easy solution: take the car apart, grind down a couple tabs, and you're good to go.

I'm rather indifferent to Bugatti's cars in general, but even I can recommend this model to just about any collector out there, whether you specialize only in expensive pieces or you're a newbie just entering the hobby. I used to think that once I got into the high-end eighteenth-scale game, I would never turn back to budget brands like Maisto and Bburago.

Silly me. They just proved me wrong.

The 1/18 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, by Maisto

The joint collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and McLaren, two very capable companies when it comes to performance, back in the early 2000's resulted in this very polarizing supercar. Introduced in a period that saw other companies bring out their best hypercars (Porsche came with the legendary Carrera GT, Ferrari had its mighty Enzo), it wasn’t a standout performance-wise within its class. 

It was also quite expensive, and although looks are subjective, I have to say this car isn’t exactly my cup of tea. When the SLR came out, I wasn't a fan. Thirteen years later, its looks still haven't grown on me. In my opinion, it's a tad on the ugly side, and I'm still not sold on the turbine wheels that other gearheads seem to love. The proportions are awkward; the front section is far too long compared to the rear. I don't even want to imagine trying to drive and park one of these on a daily basis. 

Mercedes didn’t sell very many of them, with sales falling well below expectations, so this experiment was hardly a success. Good thing none of that matters since we’re talking diecast here, and despite this being an old model, it’s still among Maisto’s finest. The quirkiness of the SLR has been recaptured perfectly. The wheels are replicated to the fullest extent. The detailing is above average for this price point, even today. I'm particularly impressed with the interior, but it just might be the fantastic color choice. The shutlines could use some work, but that's because there's opening components all the way around. And of course, those butterfly doors. 

Like I said, one of Maisto's best for a decade-old model. Never hurts to add another supercar to the stable.