Here We Go Again: AUTOart's 1/18 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) Nismo Z-Tune

"Another one?" you ask.

Yes, Yes it is. But it's a little different this time. 

I've got the thirty-three. Three of them, in fact. I've got three of the thirty-fives as well. Time to fill in the gap. Finally, I've got the thirty-four, perhaps the holiest of holy grails to Skyline fanboys and fangirls across the world. Introducing the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) Nismo Z-Tune, by AUTOart, in eighteeth scale.

What you are about to see is not AUTOart's best work. Flaws are aplenty. Quality issues are aplenty. But through it all, what you will see is one magnificent model, in perhaps one of the best colors ever for the R34: Millennium Jade.

Bayside Blue comes to mind when you think about the most iconic colors in all of automobile history. Yes it's great, and I would love to add one to the collection at some point, but I'd like to contend that this is even better, and green is my least favorite of the color palette. I can't think of another car to don this shade of green and look this good doing so. It's like an olive green, but lighter and much shinier. Very metallic. Under the light, it has hues of yellow and gold to it. The color alone is what sold the model for me; never mind the fact that this is the limited-release colorway for this particular AUTOart model. 

Speaking of limited releases, this is one of 2000 units produced by AUTOart. More specifically, it's number 400 out of 2000, and you get a little certificate to show off to your friends as well, if that's your kind of thing. The general release colorways include silver, black, and (you guessed it) Bayside Blue. Can't go wrong with any of those choices, but if you can find it, get this one.

I'm sure this was a highly anticipated release when it came out, and I have to say that AUTOart missed the boat a little on this model. They usually have the whole "stance" thing figured out on all their cars, one of the few companies to consistently do so. So I'm not sure what's up with the lifted ride height up in the back. I'm not sure who signed off on this model but it seems like a pretty obvious inaccuracy to spot. Then we come to the quality issues that AUTOart has received plenty of heat for. The rear badges on my example are crooked. The paint on the bumpers doesn't perfectly match that of the rest of the body. The steering is creakier than an old set of stairs. Just a little warning for prospective collectors. I did my research and knew of these issues beforehand. I got it anyways.

Because, my god, this is one hell of a beast. 

Happy NISMOnday: Two R34 GT-R's From Kyosho's Latest NISMO Lottery Set

In the minds of many, the R34 is the ultimate GT-R. People just love the way this car looks. Aggressive, mean, and powerful. The holy grail of Skylines.

I would respectfully disagree. As far as design goes, there is absolutely no cohesion. While the front end is as menacing as they come, everything behind the front wheels is essentially a rectangular slab of metal. That rear quarter panel sticks out like a sore thumb. Two pairs of circular taillights look out of place on a boxy rear end. On the one hand, the front chin hangs so low that it looks as if it would scrape the ground with any imperfection on the road; on the other, the rear is so high it looks like one of those cars that just got rear-ended and the owner never bothered fixing it. That spoiler looks like a complete afterthought, almost aftermarket-esque, and by that I mean the cheap stuff you find at Autozone for your 90's Civic. To top it all off, the standard six-spoke gunmetal wheels are downright cringe-worthy.

Luckily, NISMO exists to solve all of these problems. Throw on the Z-Tune bodykit and all is right again. Finally, the bodywork is aggressive, front to back, and well proportioned. Throw on some timeless NISMO 5-spoke wheels and now we're talking.

This is probably the best Z-Tune you can get at this scale. The Hot Wheels version is spectacular as it is, for a dollar. I'm contemplating getting the Tomica Premium one, but I don't see how it will ever live up to expectations now that I have this Kyosho in my hands. As usual, we get the standard Kyosho level of detail, which includes plastic bits for headlights and taillights, individual exhaust piece, blacked-out grilles and vents, printed logos and badges, and faithfully recreated wheels wrapped with rubber. Basically, everything short of interior painting and brake details - which I imagine are things TLV would do if they ever wanted to put out a Z-Tune.

My one complaint: the wheels don't completely fill out those fenders!

Otherwise, this is one hell of a model and an R34 I can appreciate. Enjoy the photos!

This Just In: The New Kyosho Lottery Set, With More Godzilla Than You Can Handle

I just received this in the mail today and could not wait to share my excitement with you guys.

This is the brand new Kyosho NISMO set featuring, you guessed it, Godzilla itself. It's the second in the new system of Kyosho lottery sets, the first consisting of McLarens, which I kind of liked but not enough to actually go out and get a set for myself. This, however, I had to have.

These aren't your standard GT-R's; they're NISMO tuned, meaning they're even wilder than you can imagine. I've long been a fan of the NISMO department's tasteful modifications. Here we have four different versions of the GT-R, spanning three generations, with two colors of each. The scary part is that's only the half of it. There's also a four-car set, featuring each of the four models here, but in matte black. I'm currently eyeing that set and will feature it if and when the time comes. Then there's a special version of the R35 GT3 whose price is completely out of my league. If that's not enough, there are a couple 1/43 models of the Nissan 2020 Vision Gran Turismo concept along with a 1/16 remote-controlled version of the GT3. How far will you be tempted?

Skyline fanboys across the world (and I know there are a lot of you out there), this is the set for you.

As an unashamed fanboy, this was a must-buy from day one. Having missed out on the previous Kyosho Skyline series, I had to redeem myself. Kyosho makes fantastic models and usually doesn't get the accolades that TLV gets. They operate a bit differently, but the end results are some of the best 1/64 pieces you'll find on the market. I'm here to tell you guys that these are basically TLV's at a fraction of the price.

Think about it. A blind boxed Kyosho used to retail for 500 yen - that's less than $5 on a good day, whereas a TLV retails for north of $20.

How do they compare? We'll find out in the next few days. The natural comparison here would be to pit Kyosho's R35 GT-R NISMO N-Attack with TLV's and see how they stack up. Having them both in hand, I already have my mind made up, which I will disclose in a future post. Nonetheless, look forward to seeing these models in all their glory in the coming days!

Skylines on a Sunday

What's better than a Skyline on a Sunday?

How about 68 of them?

The idea for this photoshoot came from LaLD member 64wheels, who posted a gigantic and epic group photoshoot of his favorite movie-themed diecast cars. If you don't know what LaLD is, first of all, where have you been? Please go and check them out over here. Great community, great people, and great toy cars. I post there quite often and if you're a diecast guy like me, I would highly recommend for you to join in as well. Nothing special is required for authorship; just ask and you will receive. As always, please keep it classy and professional.

Anyways, I tried to emulate that aforementioned photoshoot with this group of Nissan Skylines right here. Skylines are the bread and butter of any JDM fan's diecast collection. I've been able to acquire quite a few of them over the years and the will always be room for more. No, the R35 GT-R is technically not a Skyline, but it's equally as insane. The Vision Gran Turismo isn't either, but it's a glimpse of what the GT-R may morph into in a few years. Sixty-eight Skylines, most of them coming from Tomica and Hot Wheels, covering a variety of body styles, ranging from budget models to obsessively detailed pieces.

Please enjoy. I shall highlight a few of my favorites.

The R33 is my favorite generation.

The most detailed one.

The rare one.

The tall one.

But my favorite one? The Ultimate Opal Black R35 Spec-V, as shown in the top photo.