One of my favorite Hot Wheels new models of the year has now spawned a larger version in the same color. This is the 1/18 '17 Ford Focus RS produced by Ottomobile, and it's another magnificently impressive resin piece that makes you question why you still feel that plastic models are inferior to metal ones.
This is the most recent model to come out of the Otto line and there is one particularly notable upgrade that I haven't seen before on a couple of the older models that I own. It starts with the grille. Finally, a proper mesh unit that replaces the paint-on-top-of-plastic of old. This, to me, was the largest difference between Otto's and the slightly-more-expensive-sister-brand GT Spirit's models, and it looks like they are starting to close the gap between them. All other aspects of the RS are spot-on, as you have come to expect from these resin models.
I do have to say that, now that I have a replica I can stare at, the style of the Focus RS has not grown on me as much as I had thought it would, and I love hot hatches. The front end, still too tall, too bulky, and too awkward. It doesn't have the sleekness of the original Mazdaspeed 3 or the muscle of the former WRX STi hatchback, two of my all-time favorite cars. Nonetheless, you can't go wrong with the combination of 350 HP, 5-door utility, and a price tag of just around $35k. It's sad to see other manufacturers starting to move away from hatchbacks in this segment (for example, the STi is no longer offered in 5-door form and there is no current Mazdaspeed 3), but Ford keeps the spirit alive with the Focus RS.
Long live the hatches.
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| Minor blemish. |
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