TLV Model Of The Year? Enter The Lancia Delta Integrale

2016 is the first year in which I started to seriously collect TLVs. I bought my first TLV, the Mercedes 190E 2.3, a few years back. It not only put a dent in my wallet but also was an epic disappointment for something I expected to be as spectacular as the sticker price. I could never get over how awful the wheels looked. As a matter of fact, I no longer have it in my collection anymore, having dealt it away in a trade months ago. It was a rather easy decision to make at the time, and I still have zero regret about it.

Then there was the TLV Toyota Supra, third generation. Copy and paste the same story here as well. I've kept a couple along the way: the Toyota Century and the Nissan IDx. Those will stay with me forever.

This year when I opened up to getting diecast off the interwebs, I saw my options suddenly expand not only past my limits but far beyond what I ever imagined. I could now reach out and grab any model, any brand, any scale. The first thing I did was to make sure I got up to date with my favorite maker. I went and nabbed GT-R after GT-R. Those are still, to me, TLV's best efforts, personal bias notwithstanding.

However, there's one that took me by surprise, and it's this little red Lancia.

Who Did It Better? Two NISMO GT-R's Fighting For The Top Spot

Black: TLV.

White: Kyosho.

Ready.
Set.
Fight.

It's almost not a fair comparison to begin with. The TLV costs about double what the Kyosho does. Both are such fantastic models that it's a heresy to pick a winner and a loser in this battle. And truth be told, there should be a third contestant, Oversteer. In any case, there's one that's clearly superior, and you might already be able to guess which one.

Let's start on a macro level and then examine them in closer detail. First, the proportions and the bodywork. Both are exactly the same. If you pulled the wheels off, stripped the paint, and compared them, you would not be able to discern one from the other. From the moment I saw the Kyosho through its clear window packaging, I knew I had made a good choice buying the set. The model just looks right. Can't say the same about the Oversteer model, which is wrong on so many levels, and which is why I didn't bother getting one of those.

While they look similar from afar, these two brands took different approaches to replicating the NISMO GT-R. TLV opts for a gunmetal finish to mimic the carbon-fiber trim on the real car; Kyosho goes with flat black instead. This is reflected on the front grille, bumper skirts, and rear wing. I prefer the gunmetal look. As production processes become more advanced, we might one day see carbon-fiber print at this scale.

In fact, there is a Tomica in my collection that has just that. Hint: it's also a R35 GT-R.

Throughout the car, the TLV simply has more depth on virtually every concave surface. It's most evident in the front grille section. This gives it that realistic, larger-than-scale, look that is unmatched in the diecast industry. I couldn't get it photographed properly, but the TLV's detailing carries into the interior with its red racing seats.

The TLV also rides slightly higher than the Kyosho, most of which is due to its larger wheels. And that's how it's supposed to be. The wheels on the Kyosho aren't large enough in diameter or width. TLV nails it. Bonus points for the brake details and (here comes the knockout punch) the NISMO badge on the rim, neither of which the Kyosho has.

I think it's pretty much game over at this point.

At the rear, both models are very similar. Again, more depth from the TLV, particularly with the exhaust. Should I mention that I had to push in one of the Kyosho's taillights because it was about to pop out?

Also worth nothing: the TLV has a weightier and higher-quality feel, if you're into that kind of thing.

At the end of the day, you can't go wrong with either. Kyosho puts up a heck of a fight but has a few compromises due to its lower price. The TLV is superior in virtually every facet. Tomytec once again defends its title as King of the R35.

This is one of those situations that calls for "why not both?"

Is the Kyosho worth it? Totally.

Is the TLV worth twice the price of the Kyosho? Hell yes.

Godzilla is Good: Two Expensive GT-R's From Tomica Limited Vintage

Wow. How long has it been since I actually posted something on the blog?

If you're a kid, or an adult with the brain of a kid (like me), you've probably been playing too much Pokemon Go in your free time. Oh, the allure of catching them all. As a result, I haven't had the time to photograph, much less post, about my toy cars. However, the hauling never stops, and I keep on collecting no matter the situation. Over the past few weeks, I've had quite a few packages land on my doorstep, filled with goods ranging from old-school Matchbox to super-overpriced diecast pieces. Like these here.

But Godzilla is good and, as a fanboy, you do what you have to do to get these.

Here are two R35 GT-R's done by Tomytec: a NISMO GT-R dressed up in camo print and a standard GT-R in cop car guise from Abunai Deka, a show which I know nothing about. Tomytec charges more than they normally do for these two models right here. Think $40+ at retail.

No one should have to pay those prices for 1/64. Luckily, I was able to get these for not much more than your regular TLV releases. Heck, no one should have to pay those prices either, but we collectors have become so accustomed to it that it's no big deal anymore. This TLV stuff is addicting. The detail, the quality, the accuracy. Let's see what we have here.

First is the Nissan GT-R NISMO N-Attack Package in a wild camouflage pattern that will surely harm your vision. Long name, but a monster like this deserves to have one. Having this in hand, I can now see what Tomytec charges what it does for this model. The camouflage print is perfectly executed. It's no easy feat to get the patterning continuous throughout the whole car, but they pulled it off - wing and all too.

Another point of notice are the headlights, which are printed over rather than left as clear plastic.

Then, we have the Nissan GT-R Premium Edition from Abunai Deka, in police form. This one stood out to me because of the wheels, which are different from any of the other TLV GT-R releases. These are the wheels I'm familiar with: the kind I see on newer GT-R's on the streets, and the same design that Greenlight uses for its own renditions of Godzilla. It goes without saying that Tomytec does it better.

This one also has a gorgeous orange interior that none of the other TLV models have. Other than that, and a few minor details such as license plates and the cop light, there isn't anything here that's particularly unique. Why the price hike? I don't know, but if you have the chance to grab it for "cheap", it's well worth it. No other company makes Godzilla like Tomica does.

A Hot Hatch: The TLV-N Honda Civic SiR-II

Some things just don't make sense. Like spending $20 on a 2-inch model of a Honda Civic.

I bet you could find me a 1:1 that costs less.

The good thing is I'm not the only one falling for this shenanigans. This is the Honda Civic SiR-II from the much-heralded Tomica Limited Vintage Neo line. Older releases of this model go for insane resale prices. Therefore, it's probably a wise decision to grab these while they're available. I received this in a package from Japan Booster the other day (and I would highly recommend them to anyone searching for Tomica or Kyosho models):

The GT-R's are for another day. You've seen them before here, just in different colors. The Civic is a first for me, so it was more "exciting", so to speak.

There's also a dark green one with gold five-spoke wheels, but I chose the duller grey with the cheap-looking blade wheels. Why?

I wanted to see just how good Tomytec is. Those wheels aren't easy to replicate at this scale. But they pulled it off very, very well, and that's what you expect when you spend too much money on a miniature of a mundane car.

As usual, Tomytec puts all the details of the real car into the model. I'm a fan of the blue interior, which I've heard is 100% accurate based on the trim model of this car. The wheels are a bit grainy, but I'm glad the spaces between the spokes are blacked out to give it that depth that many other TLV models are lacking.

Realistically, was it worth $20 to me? Probably not, but I'm not regretting it either.