It's Le Mans Day!

The big race is today and, while I likely won't be watching it, it never hurts to break out models of some of its past contestants.

Old-School Beetle: The Porsche 911 GT, by GT Spirit (1/18)

Vintage 911's, for all their greatness and exponentially-increasing popularity, are cars I try to stay away from for fear of falling into the trap that is wanting to collect way too many things. There are so many variants out there, with each brand making entire swarms of these old bugs, that it's become impossible to keep up with all of them. Then you add in all the tuned ones, from RUF to RWB to Singer, and it's a total nightmare. And that's before we get into those racecars. You could fill an entire house if you collected one of each variation of 911's alone.

But every now and then, there's one that catches your eye and has that must-have cachet, and such is the case here. This is the European-exclusive recolor, limited to 504 pieces, of GT Spirit's 911 GT resin model, in a silvery-blue hue reminiscent of one of my favorite car colors of all-time from another brand: BMW's Silverstone Metallic. The first iteration debuted in a dark blue colorway (with gold wheels for contrast) that has been repeatedly criticized for being too dark and not blue enough.

Whatever the case, this one is better anyway. Execution by GT Spirit is superb as always. Death, taxes, and them doing a great job with their models - you can take it to the bank. If it's not the color, then it's the wheels and the wing that won me over. Or the fat fenders and flushed stance. Or all of the above. It's got me feeling like I've been missing out this entire time.

The Updated Nissan Fairlady Z (Z34) NISMO, from GT Spirit (1/18)

It's no surprise I'm a sucker for anything Nissan, particularly work by NISMO, their in-house tuning department. Enter the Fairlady Z, better known under the bland and boring name of 370Z here in the U.S. The Z receives a new bodykit, new wheels, a duck-tail spoiler, and splashes of red to make it uniquely NISMO. Whether you like it or not, current NISMO styling trends dictate that there must be red trim throughout the car (see: GT-R and Juke), and such is the case here.

The 370Z underwent a significant facelift at one point during its long, strung-out production run, and this model reflects the most current NISMO version. The original NISMO, with (in my opinion) a sleeker and more simplified look, larger wing spoiler, and lack of tacky, red trim, has also been done by GT Spirit in a white colorway. I am still in search of that one, but as a huge fan and obsessive Nissan collector, I'm glad that GT Spirit gave us both variants. For the completists or those who think silver is too plain, the model shown here is also available in black as an Asia-exclusive colorway.

Whatever I may have thought about the way this car looks in its real form is irrelevant when it comes to the model. It's not unusual to realize that cars have a tendency to look better in miniature form than they do in actual scale. I might even be starting to like this Z after all. Credit to GT Spirit, who once again pulls out all the stops and makes a perfect replica of the car - not a single area of complaint whatsoever.

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.