The Super 'Stang: GT Spirit's 1/18 Ford Shelby GT350R

In my short time collecting 1/18's, there's one thing I've learned and it's that GT Spirit always exceeds expectations. Take, for example, this monster right here.

It's the recently-released resin model of the Ford Shelby GT350R, a car for which I won't need to copy Wikipedia facts and paste them here. There have been some mind-blowing Americana machines to come from each major domestic manufacturer in the last few years (Hellcat, Z06, anybody?), but I will contend that none have been more exciting than the GT350R. I lost my mind when I saw one at the auto show a couple years ago, and I can't wait for the day I see and hear one on the streets.

GT Spirit released this model initially in white with black stripes. Rather underwhelming for this bad 'Stang. They're known for releasing additional colorways as European and Asian exclusives, for designated hobby dealers. I always knew I wanted a model of the GT350R, but I didn't think the white one does it justice. I waited it out, hoping GT Spirit would put out a blue one, just like this.

It's as if they listened to my wishes, because here I am, blue Shelby in hand, ogling it as I type this passage.

Simply put, this 1/18 GT Spirit model is absolute perfection, much like just about anything else they make. This is about as realistic and accurate as it gets for a scale model. Their quality is generally very good, but there are some areas you should be careful with. If you're like me and you handle these models by holding the bottoms of the bumpers, watch out for the splitter and skirt pieces; they're individual parts and may come loose in the process. Ask me how I know.



The colorway shown here is a European-exclusive release, limited to 500 pieces. It's limited by number, but they're readily available right around now and likely will be for months to come. What I'm trying to say is there's no real need to rush, but you won't be able to help it once you see the photos.

From the Playing Mantis Vault: Finding Vintage Johnny Lightning's in 2016, Part 3

The last sighting was three weeks ago, at my local Toys"R"Us. This was easily the best one yet. There had to have been more than a dozen different models on the pegs, ranging from classic to modern American muscle, to trucks, to fantasy vehicles, and even a Mini Cooper to boot. As much as I would have loved to grab all of them, the price tag kept me in check. Thus, I walked out with "only" four cars in hand: a crazy Plum Crazy Challenger, a pair of '69 Shelby GT500's in coupe and convertible forms, and one insanely sick '68 Camaro. Like I said, easily the best yet.



I forgot to mention one thing about these releases: the hologram sticker. In lead photo, you can see it slapped onto the upper area of the blister. That's the one thing that differentiates these from their original releases. That's it. Is it worth a premium on the secondary market? Hard to tell at this point. A brief check on eBay yields only a few results. However, as is commonly said, buy them if you like them. Don't get caught up in the hype. At the end of the day, when you look back at your collection, make sure you actually like each and every one of your cars.

It's almost a shame because I open all my cars and throw the packaging away. Luckily, this blog is evidence that these are indeed from the Playing Mantis Vault.

As more collectors have been finding these, a few interesting observations have been made, which leaves us with a few unanswered questions. For one, there have been sightings of the same models in different parts of the country. Therefore, there are multiples of some, if not all, of these releases. The question is "how many?" How many cars from the collection are actually out there and how many of each? How are they distributed?

Secondly, there's the whole restocking situation that I mentioned in my last post. If these are supposed to be "limited", why are Toys"R"Us stores are receiving multiple shipments? Or is it simply that they are only putting out a few at a time? For the conspiracy theorists (myself included): could Johnny Lightning actually be producing these behind our backs at this very moment and disguising them as old releases?

We might never know the answers to all of those questions. Mystery can be a good thing. Having not collected during the Playing Mantis years, I'm just happy to have these at all.

Bravo, Matchbox: The Fantastic Exotic 5-Pack

It seems once every year, Matchbox does a 5-pack that just about every collector wants. Last year, it was the Classic Rides 5-Pack which, although nice, contained a few models that had already been released as singles. This year, Christmas came early with this Exotic 5-Pack, featuring five models that are all exclusive to this set. Five brilliant models, may I add.

It features the Ford Shelby Cobra Concept, Ford GT, Lotus Evora, Porsche 911 (996) Turbo, and Chevy Corvette ZR1. Five modern sports cars. Five licensed models. Zero generics. That alone makes it a winner in my book. Let's take a look at these models. Shall I start with the good or the bad?

Okay, I'll start with the bad. What's crazy is this casting isn't even that bad; it's simply outshined by all the other models in this pack. This is the Ford Shelby Cobra Concept, a car that I don't particularly care for. It certainly doesn't do any justice to the original Shelby Cobra, which was a beautiful car. This, however, is not. In an attempt to modernize the Cobra, Ford took away the curves of the original in favor of a more square-bodied shape. In my opinion, it's far from a success.

Nonetheless, you can't really blame Matchbox for it. They did what they could to make it true to the real thing. However, I do think the wheels are too small for the casting, which is abnormally large to begin with.

You know you have a great 5-pack when the Ford GT isn't even near the top of the list. It's always been a great casting, and this time it comes in a pretty metallic blue color with two-tone, 5-spoke sport wheels. I love these wheels to death, but they somehow manage to look wrong on this model. I think something more traditional, like the 6-spoke or the multi-spoke wheels in mono-tone, would've looked better.

Things are starting to heat up now. Here we have the 911 Turbo of the 996 generation. It's a fairly old casting that doesn't see much production anymore. It briefly made an appearance as a single a few years ago, in dark purple, and has since gone into hibernation, until now. I have a weakness for the 996. I think it looks miles better than the 997, and I don't mind the kidney-shaped headlights at all. Needless to say, I'm glad it's back.

Then we have the Corvette ZR1 in black with a touch of red and white striping. Not too much, but just the right amount. It looks absolutely sinister when paired with the black 5-spokes.

It's been a while since we've gotten a ZR1, and I've started to miss seeing these on the pegs. Even though this may be one of the rare instances where the Hot Wheels model is better than the Matchbox, there's never been a more deserving runner-up. And here in this 5-pack, it finishes in second place once again, but just barely.

The award goes to...

The Lotus Evora. British Racing Green. Gunmetal wheels. Racing decals. How could you not like it?

And I don't even care one lick about the real car. That's how good this one is. And that's how good this 5-pack is. Go out there and get it!