Cars and Candy: Norev's Mercedes AMG GT3, in Haribo Livery (1/18)

There are times when a livery makes you love a car so much that you have to go out and get it even though you never liked racecars to begin with. Then there are times when a livery lights the bulb in your head and urges you to buy a bunch of other junk just for the sake of complementing your new toy in your photos. This Haribo-liveried Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3, produced by Norev, is both of those things.

What's better than a cute, happy teddy bear plastered all over an otherwise menacing, evil, angry racecar? Not much, except a Skyline perhaps (just kidding, but not really). Anyways, the livery prompted the purchase of both car and candy, and it was only fitting to put the two together. The aftermath was a smeary, smudgy, sticky Mercedes. The bears didn't seem to appreciate being in the photoshoot either. One threatened to rip the stripe decal off the hood. Another group of bears took its anger out on the windshield, creating a couple long hairline cracks down the middle.

Totally worth it.

...and so is the model itself.

I must have not done my research, because I hadn't realized that this is a completely sealed model. Despite that, ultimately it does not matter. They display just as well, and half my models nowadays are the closed-body, resin type anyways. What I like is that Norev kept the steering, which is the one feature that makes diecast models superior, in my opinion. It's actually useful and adds much more posability to the model, creating more style, drama, and flair for both photos and display. As you can see, I made good use of it here.

It's just a great-looking car in general and 100% photogenic. I consider Norev to be middle-tier models, meaning they slot in between the budget stuff and the expensive stuff, but they certainly look and feel more pricey than they actually are. The Mercedes "nose" comes complete with red tow hook and some very convincing mesh behind the vertical chrome strips - I can't even tell if its solid or not. The front dive planes are well-crafted and are securely attached to the body, as is the massive wing in the back. The overall wheel package looks great, and I'm a big fan of the colorful decals on the tires. Though the doors don't open, there's enough detail in there to make you believe Norev didn't take any shortcuts with its sealed-body design.

One exception: the side-mounted exhaust piping is actually just some silver paint with a plastic chrome tip for effect. That gets a pass because this is a sub-$100 model if you know where to look. This is easily the most attractive of the handful of AMG GT3 liveries that Norev offers. You buy this model because you love Haribo candy and the cute bear, and you keep it forever because this AMG is totally wicked.

Paying Homage: Norev's BMW M1 Hommage Concept (1/18)

Earlier this year, Norev introduced a series of models from BMW's Hommage concept car line, which are modern renditions of some of the most famed and well-loved Bimmers from the past. The 3.0 CSL. The 328. And this, the legendary M1. Concept cars are out of my collecting scope, but these are great designs that are worth a second look for any car lover. While it's not likely that any of these will reach the production stage, at least there is an opportunity to have them in miniature form.

The M1 Hommage was created solely as a design study and thus does not have any internal bits. That means as a model, it will likely fall short of expectations as there is nothing to see beyond the angular, metallic orange outer shell. No interior. No opening parts. Minimal detailing around the exterior. And that's essentially what this Norev feels like - just a shell with no substance. Can't blame them though, as the source material is limited in itself. The wheels do steer, but the cambered stance up front detracts from the model's overall look.

As a display piece, it works fine and makes for some nice photos. Overall, it's hard to recommend when priced very close to high-end models from other brands.

Norev's New BMW X6M (1/18)

The last post focused on the original, first-generation BMW X6M. Today, we have the current version, this time done by Norev in the same scale. The modern X6M has been updated with new bodywork but remains largely the same in its overall design. There are a few more kinks to the front and rear fascias, making it a little more overdone but also giving it a less aggressive look at the same time. In my opinion, it's not as attractive as the old one was, but this one wins as far as the scale model is concerned.

Shown here in Long Beach Blue Metallic, this Norev X6M is a middle-tier diecast model that looks and feels every bit as high-end as models from more expensive brands. The most obvious inaccuracy here is the ride height, which looks a bit ridiculous given that nobody drives an X6 to go off-roading, much less the ///M version. I've been told that many other Norev models have similar issues. The honeycomb lower grilles are solid plastic, but that is to be expected in this class. The wheels also look a bit off - they should be larger, and the split-spokes should be thicker and closer together.

Otherwise, there are two areas in which this model excels and are among the best I've encountered. This X6M has one of the most realistic paint jobs I've seen on a model. The metallic blue dazzles behind a thick layer of clearcoat and looks like it came off the real car. The interior, with full carpeting and neatly printed details, is A1. The inclusion of the cargo cover in the trunk is a much-appreciated added touch. Dark tan is a great interior color choice for any vehicle and gives this one more pop than the black interior from Kyosho's X6M. And for those who go by feel, the Norev is brick-like compared to the Kyosho.

Overall, very well done. Double thumbs up.