And Then There Were Two: Otto Mobile's 1/18 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 NISMO 400R

Godzilla is back.

This is what happens when one in not enough: you go out and get a second. You know the saying: the grass is always greener on the other side. From one grail to another, here's the NISMO 400R, produced by Otto Mobile, in 1/18 scale.

The previous one, which I posted a couple weeks ago, is a NISMO R-Tune by AutoArt. Two R33 GT-R's. Two NISMO's. Matte black versus bright yellow. Gloss black wheels versus flat white wheels. The AutoArt is diecast; this one is resin (read: plastic). The former has opening parts, steering, and suspension. The latter has none of the above, So similar, yet so different.

This was really a spur-of-the-moment purchase. I did not know this model existed until I randomly went browsing around on the web. What a stunner it is. I had to have it. I thought about it for a few hours and ultimately made the decision. Was it worth it? You bet.

Being a resin model, I wasn't quite sure what I would be getting. I expected it to be like something you'd get from a plastic model kit, but already assembled for you. Maybe with a little more detail to justify the price. I did not expect to get a model that's actually heavier than its diecast counterpart. Yes, the plastic Godzilla is heavier than the metal Godzilla. This is some really thick plastic right here. It's rock-solid and has the quality feel you'd expect for a high-end piece. I don't have to be careful moving it around like I do with the AutoArt. To me, that's a huge bonus. Life's too short to worry about scratching a toy car. This is something you could probably give to a child and expect it to hold up just as well as a budget model such as a Maisto (try it at your own discretion). Advantage: resin.

That's essentially where the positives end. From a purely display-model standpoint, you have to give the benefit of the doubt to diecast. Resin models have a number of drawbacks. One, there are no opening parts. The interior detail is still there; you just can't access it without taking the car apart. I haven't tried myself, and I probably never will, but I'm willing to bet there's no engine under that hood. The underside of the car lacks detail. It's easily worse than any budget model you can find on the market right now. Two, there's no steering, meaning you can't "pose" the car for photos. For a photographer like me, it's a damn shame. Go back to my post of the AutoArt and compare the photos with the ones you see here. It really makes a big difference.

That's not to say this is a bad model; it's fantastic. The exterior details are all there. It looks just as good sitting on the shelf as the other one. As a collector, it ultimately boils down to which variant of the R33 (or whatever model you choose) that you prefer. Why not both?