My 4th trip up and 2nd trip this year. Though i had to work through the 1st and 2nd night finishing my Volvo article, everything else about the trip was fantabulous. Lovely weather, Great food and Fantastic company set in a the most wonderful location this side of Asia. (Outside Japan of course…)
Managed to make my pilgrimage to that all important store, Model Car Expo! Great stuff they had this time round, but sadly, i had other things in mind for my money and had to drag myself out of the store before i spend my money. There was one car i regret not picking up, the Kyosho Fiat 131 Abarth. The subject matter already made interesting with the always beautiful Alitalia Rally colors, the quality of the model is top notch and at Kyosho’s price range, superb value. It will surely be a future classic in everyone’s collections in year’s to come. My guess is, prices will rise for such a wonderfully made model. Silly me for not grabbing the car… Can’t find it locally. 
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Lamborghini, the name itself conjures up images of Rocketship cars with the premium price tags to go along. Unlike Ferraris with their rich racing heritage and delicate lines, Lamborghinis are brute, brash and they aren’t afraid to show it. Although everyone else out there will probably remember the cars from the Countach onwards, ask any car enthusiast which was “THE” classic Lamborghini and it might just be the Miura.
One of the most beautiful BMWs ever made, and one of the most beautiful sport coupes ever made, the BMW 3.0CSi from the 1970s, the classic graceful lines of the old sport coupes exhibited on this classic German beauty are timeless. And unlike modern cars, these old dames just keep looking better with age. Time has definitely not caught up with these classic cars. Produced in 1971, the E9 as it was called, was one of the most desirable cars of it’s time. It combined a powerful 200 Horsepower in-line6 with a light compact chassic, propelling the car from standstill to 100km/h in 7 seconds. Remember, this was in the 70’s!
For reasons unknown, my review of the E30 M3 has vanished off this site. I have no idea where it went and there is just no way for me to retrieve it. Which means, i’m going to re-write another review for this Minichamps E30 M3. I guess u guys can treat it as a 2nd opinion. 
The brand new Ford GT. So much of this car has been said already almost everywhere else that i think there’s no real need to re-introduce this car again. It is a beautiful car, it is very fast and very exclusive. Oh! And it has two crazy white stripes running down the top from end to end. Although it looks like the original GT40 from the past, everything inside it is totally high-tech and high-end.
So what do we have here? It’s an Autoart 1:18th scale version of the Ford GT. “Great! An Autoart, that’ll be a superb model then!” You might say… Well, you’ll be right, and you’ll be wrong as well. Very wrong… Let’s begin the review…
Skylines, Supras, EVOs and Impreza’s. Hear these names and images of souped up cars with massive wings and spoilers tearing down the local streets, turbos whistling and wastegates wasting away. In truth, the car that started off the Japanese sportscar revolution was a little more simple.
The latest BMW M5, powered by a 5 litre V10 engine, this unit pumps out a massive 507 Brake Horsepower and 520NM of torque. That’s ALOT of power! Mated to a 7-speed SMG Drivelogic transmission, the M5 goes from 0-100km/h in about 4.7 seconds and bangs on all the way to a limited top speed of 250km/h. Unrestricted, it will hit almost 330km/h. That’s just immensely quick. 330km/h for a car that can carry 5 passengers comfortably is pretty amazing in my book.
The Fiat X/19 Bertone. Some people call it the “Baby-Ferrari”. Debuting to the World in 1972. It was a mid-engined rear wheel drive sports car and it was small. Really small. But, it had a very unique wedge shaped styling which was attractive as well. The design allowed for 2 seperate luggage storage compartments. Performance wise, the engine pumped out a meagre 75HP (Very litle by today’s standards. But remember, this car is now over 30 years old!) But the weight as kept low and coupled with the mid engined layout, allowed for some really fun handling. I had the chance to sit in one of these before and it was really a small car, the seating position was really low as well. But, it had character. I still like the car quite alot and maybe one day, i would like to have one for myself. It wasn’t very fast though, but i guess with most classic sports car, you don’t need to be going fast to enjoy the car. Top speed was quoted to be at 170km/h. Yeah right…
The BMW M1, the first ever car to wear that much coveted M badge. It was a sight to behold. Designed by Giugaro and initially to be built by Lamborghini. It had the looks, the power and the pedigree. The development of BMW’s mid-engined M1 project began in 1976, though it was to be built by Lamborghini, the Italian supercar maker ran into financial difficulty and caused BMW to move production over to Baur. (Who made their convertibles) But by the time production resumed, the homologation rules for international Group 5 racing had been changed. Since BMW had not met the required sales figures of 400 cars in 24 months, the M1 went to the new Procar series instead. By the time BMW had sold enough cars, the M1 was no longer competitive for Group 5 racing. Quite a waste really.
“BMW Cars have always been sporty. But we regard sportiness as just another word for accelaration, speed, roadability, and agility. Another word for Performance and safety. As traffic becomes denser others too will be forced to realize how necessary these attributes are. And so they are forced to realize how right the BMW concept is.”
(statement from the original sales brochure)
The BMW 2002, the car that was the origin of the 3 series. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s BMW released a compact, sporty and stylish coupe. It was small and lightweight, powerful and agile. Enthusiatic drivers lapped it up and the car entered many competitions with great success. It was a very elegant car and it remains a beautifully executed design till today. Truely one of the great classics.
One of the most iconic cars ever produced by Alfa Romeo, the 2000 Spider, or more commonly known as just “Spider” has one of the most beautiful classic car shapes ever penned. It was no slouch either, first produced in 1958 (making it 47years old) had a 2litre engine pushing out 115BHP. It might not mean much nowadays, but in 1958, that made it a pretty quick ride. Designed by the masters at Pininfarina, coupled with the singing Alfa Romeo engine, this Spider was an instant classic the moment it was born.
In the autumn of 1971, Volvo unveiled a new version of their 1800 Coupe. It was called the 1800ES. This radical new redesign of the Coupe had an extended cabin resembling an estate, but under the body was the same technical underpinnings shared with the other Volvo 1800 Coupes. This particular car was actually the 1973 Playboy Playmate’s Car of the Year.
Minichamps made the decision to release this very unique car instead of the regular coupe. Although the coupe might have generated more sales and revenue, it’s very refreshing to see manufacturers churn out more interesting cars, like this particular Volvo. Make no mistake, this model is one of their best efforts.
The Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, probably the most beautiful car ever made. (in my opinion anyway) This car has the most beautiful and pure lines ever to grace an automobile. Already 50 years old, but it still has the visual charisma to shame many present day supercars. This car was never built, it was sculpted. To describe this car as stunning is an understatement. Cars like these are what dreams are made of.