Suzuki Hayabusa

Belated Happy New Year to you all, and welcome back!

A little history

There has been a time when a 750cc bike could be considered large and powerful. But as the Nineties dawned, announcing a struggle of huge proportions for the title of the fastest production motorcycle in the world, the big bikes of yesterday would soon be dwarfed by the modern giants.

By the late decade, the record stood in the hands of Honda, which CBR1100XX Super Blackbird could reach an astonishing 290 kph. “It’s not your father’s Honda”, to paraphrase a famous automotive slogan. That was at this moment that Suzuki entered the fray.

Admittedly, its GSX1300R wasn’t, in the early stages of its development, intended to set a world record. But from the moment it was decided to adopt a 1300cc inline-four engine, the largest block ever fitted to a sport motorcycle, the company’s engineers felt the title could be at hand. The new bike was introduced in 1999 under the name Hayabusa (“peregrine falcon”) – incidentally, this has already been the name of Japan’s most successful fighter aircraft of World War Two, the Nakajima Ki-43. With as much as 173 bhp, a rather light weight and a very sleek design, the Suzuki Hayabusa broke the symbolic 300 kph barrier and, setting a 312 kph mark, crushed its competitors.

In spite of being a remarkable machine, the Hayabusa caused controversy. First of all, the public was split over its peculiar look. Keyword during its development had been efficiency, not beauty. As it turned out, the Hayabusa announced the way most subsequent motorcycles would look like. More serious was the stir created by the escalating race between manufacturers to produce the fastest production motorcycle. Could it be really wise to let such machines roaming on open roads? Anticipating a negative reaction from the authorities of several countries, and possibly even a ban on such “hyper-sport” motorcycles, the various companies involved decided to declare a ceasefire and limit the top speed of their machines to “only” 300 kph. The Hayabusa respected the terms of this agreement from model year 2001, and was produced as such until the end of 2007, without much modification.

For model year 2008, Suzuki launched a new Hayabusa, which is actually more of an evolution of its predecessor. The controversial appearance of the first generation was by then much better accepted, so the second GSX1300R kept a similar look, though being entirely redesigned on the outside. On the mechanical side, the same engine was retained, albeit in a heavily reworked form displacing 1340cc and capable of a claimed 197 bhp. This obviously had no impact on top speed, but improved acceleration and other performances. The new Hayabusa was complemented by a new “naked bike” built around the 1340cc engine, the B-King. Production of these two models continues at time of writing.

About the model

Model: Suzuki GSX1300R-X Hayabusa
Year: 1999
Maker: Maisto
Scale: 1/18
Distributed by: Maisto
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in December 2011, in Brive, France

Excellent model among a very wide range of 1:18 motorcycles offered at quite a low cost by Maisto. This GSX1300R sports an elegant copper-silver paint scheme flanked by the traditional “Hayabusa” ideogram. My rating is 14/20.

Ford Crown Victoria

Quite discreetly, Ford has recently pulled the plug on the very last of the “real” American cars, when the final Ford Crown Victoria left the assembly line. So more than a simple post, here is an homage of sorts to an era now over.

A little history

To say the truth, even when the Ford Crown Victoria and its rival the Chevrolet Caprice appeared twenty years ago, there were doubts about the future of these huge dinosaurs, still built with separate frames and fitted with transmissions to the rear wheels. Somehow, they succeeded in surviving longer than many may have thought, thanks to the faithfulness of many Floridian or Californian seniors, who have never driven anything else than this type of cars for their whole lives, but whose market was getting smaller year after year; and even more significantly due to the high demand from law enforcement agencies and taxicab operators.

In March 1991, both the Ford Crown Victoria, which dropped at this point its traditional “LTD” name, and its fancier counterpart the Mercury Grand Marquis received a brand new body, more rounded and aerodynamic than their dated predecessors, but still based on the “Panther” chassis used for full-size sedans since the late Seventies. This followed a similar move by General Motors, which had just updated its line of full-size models – Chevrolet Caprice, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and Buick Roadmaster, and the earlier introduction of Ford’s luxury model, the Lincoln Town Car, also based on the Panther platform. Despite its older underpinnings, the Crown Victoria enjoyed a brand new 4.6-litre “modular” engine, and optional ABS and traction-control systems. Its styling was an apt balance of modern and conservative, and this proved perfect as the bathtub-like body of the Caprice had been poorly received. Within months, the Crown Victoria led the market well ahead of its GMC rival which, after a botched restyling, disappeared following the 1996 model year. From then on, the Crown Vic’ became the only option for a traditional V8 automobile in its price range.

For the 1998 model year, the styling of the Crown Victoria was largely revised, and the car benefited from an improved suspension. While the general public was less and less attracted by the heavy car, it was still hugely popular with policemen – to whom Ford proposed the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor version – and taxi drivers. It also enjoyed a healthy following in the Middle East, which actually had soon become its only export market. At the end of the 2007 model year, the Crown Victoria stopped being available to private buyers in America, those being redirected towards the Mercury Grand Marquis, and remained only available for fleets and export markets.

In 2008, Ford decided to concentrate the production of all its Panther-based cars in its St. Thomas plant. The Canadian unions were rather anxious about the future of the car, or more specifically those of thousands of workers at this Ontario factory. Ford reassured them by announcing that large amounts of money would be invested to update the car. This was nothing but a lie. The last Mercury Grand Marquis was produced in January 2011, the brand being discontinued. It was followed by the last Lincoln Town Car in August, the car not being in conformity with new safety regulations imposed by Washington on all cars built for model year 2012. Though the Ford Crown Victoria was also affected by these new rules, it was maintained in production until September to fulfil foreign orders. On September 15, 2011, the very last Crown Vic’ left the assembly line of a factory due to close.

About the models

Model: Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
Year: c.1997
Maker: Motor Max
Scale: 1/18
Distributed by: Motor Max, ref. 73125
Acquired: brand new, in February 2005, in Manila, Philippines

A nice surprise among Motor Max range of traditionally poorly assembled and painted die-casts. Their Crown Victoria certainly isn’t outstanding, but very few reproaches can be made to it. A rare feature for a model in this price range, it offers four opening doors. My rating is 13/20.















Model: Ford Crown Victoria
Year: 1998
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.52 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: brand new, in March 2004, in Souillac, France

Altaya could hardly avoid proposing a Crown Victoria in its series about world taxies and cabs, as the large Fords have replaced the traditional Checkers as the iconic transportation of the New Yorkers. Its die-cast has been provided to the Italian distributor by Ixo. Again the rendition of the large car is accurate enough to be worth 13/20.







Model: Ford Crown Victoria
Year: 2002
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.70 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

In its pursuit for more money pocketed from its faithful customers Altaya has extended its taxi series by offering new decorations to models already proposed earlier in different forms. The Crown Victoria was one of those, being sold a second time as a Dubai taxi. Decoration is somewhat simpler than its New York’s counterpart’s, but overall level of quality still deserves a 13/20.

Jaguar S-Type

A little history

While for many years the XJ was the only saloon available from Jaguar, it has not always been so. During the Sixties, the posh and fast 420 was supplemented by a smaller model, the iconic Mark II. Between the two even stood an S-Type, which borrowed from both models and seems now the least remembered model of this period. The XJ put an end to this confusion by replacing all these cars in 1968.

By the Nineties, Jaguar’s salon had grown larger, so arose the need for a smaller alternative. Though the name S-Type was resurrected, the new car owed much to the Mark II, borrowing from its glorious ancestor many design cues inside and out, most notably the typical front grille and the overall rounded body. As Jaguar was then owned by Ford, the S-Type’s platform was shared with some of Fomoco’s American products. On standard S-Types, a 3.0-litre V6 engine drove the rear wheels. After the car’s introduction during the 1998 Birmingham motor show, new engines were added, including a smaller 2.5-litre V6 and a 2.7-litre diesel. An “R” variant was added in 2002; with a supercharged 4.2-litre V8 good for 400 hp, it allowed thrilling performances – not bad for the car’s image as the mainstream V6-powered S-Types suffered from lacklustre performances, a shameful trait for a Jaguar.

With the presentation of the new XF at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show, the days were numbered for the S-Type. Indeed, the car was gradually replaced after the XF went on sale during the spring of 2008 and, for model year 2009, was gone for good.

About the models

Model: Jaguar S-Type
Year: c.1998
Maker: Maisto
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Maisto, “Classic Collection” series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2004, in Manila, Philippines

A nice model considering the price. The passenger compartment in particular has been carefully reproduced, including a lovely steering wheel. My rating is 13/20.









Model: Jaguar S-Type
Year: c.1998
Maker: Hongwell
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Cararama
Acquired: brand new, in January 2005, in Manila, Philippines

The same S-Type is also proposed by Hongwell/Cararama as an even cheaper alternative. In all respects though the Maisto, though far from perfect, is superior to this model, to which I cannot give more than 8/20.









Model: Jaguar S-Type
Year: c.1998
Maker: Hongwell
Scale: 1/72
Distributed by: Cararama
Acquired: brand new, in November 2003, in Manila, Philippines

Hongwell also reproduced the S-Type in 1/72 scale. The result is good enough this time to be given a 12/20.

Honda Integra

A little history

With the Integra freshly removed from Honda’s range, it is time to wonder what will be remembered of this car. For most, the Integra was a sporty coupe but, squeezed between the Civic and the Accord, it actually enjoyed a full line-up for most of its existence, which spanned three decades.

True enough, the well-known three-door hatchback was the first to be introduced in February 1985, and also the very last to disappear, but from October 1985 it also existed as a five-door hatchback and, starting in October 1986, as a plain four-door saloon. The existence of this latter model was justified by the simultaneous introduction of the Integra, rebadged as an Acura, on the North American market. On the technical side, the Integra was a standard mid-range car of the era, powered by a 1.6-litre four driving the front wheels. The car’s boldest feature was its pop-up headlights, which were for a short while a trademark of all Honda vehicles.

The first-generation Integra sold well enough, particularly in America, to substantiate the continuation of the nameplate when, in April 1989, its replacement was introduced. Once again, the three-door hatchback appeared first, closely followed by the four-door saloon in May. The five-door was discontinued at this point. With the disappearance of the pop-up lights, the new Integra looked rather plain, but developed a sporty image thanks to its potent engines – a 160 hp now topped Honda’s offer.

Following a now well-known scenario, the third-generation Integra coupe was introduced in May 1993, while the four-door saloon had to wait until July. Japanese buyers were somewhat disturbed by the car’s look, and most particularly by its four small, round headlights. A rapid facelift (September 1995) solved the problem by giving the Integra a very classical front end, while on export markets, the car remained unchanged as its design hadn’t brought the same controversy as on its home market. Yet more performance was offered by the third-generation, which proposed several engines up to a 180hp, 1.8-litre four when introduced, and a real-time four-wheel-drive transmission. The model that would put the Integra name on the automotive map finally appeared in August 1995: this was the Type R, usually sold as a coupe, though a saloon was also available, powered by a specially-tuned fuel-injected 1.6-litre engine. Equipments such as stiffer suspensions, more efficient brakes, a close-ratio five-speed gearbox and Recaro seats of the Type R unmistakeably gave a very different character to the Integra.

The muscular image thus gained by the Integra after the Type R was released probably played a lot when the fourth-generation of the car was introduced in July 2001: in the midst of a range rationalization, Honda dropped the saloon and concentrated on the sole coupe, which was also an indirect replacement for the departed Prelude. By replacing two coupes by a single model, Honda had also taken notes of the progressive decline of the coupe market, a trend which in turn played against the Integra. Despite its new 6-speed manual gearbox and a standard 160 hp, 2.0-litre four which was boosted to 220 hp in Type R guise, the Integra didn’t generate sales high enough to justify its continuation and, in mid-2006, the last Integras retired, their place in Honda’s range being taken by the more-modest-yet-cheaper performance versions of the Civic.

About the model

Model: Honda Integra Type R
Year: 1998
Maker: Ebbro
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Ebbro “Trendies”
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Ebbro obviously chose a Type R to represent an Integra. Its model its made in the usual quality the Japanese die-cast maker is known for, and deserve a 14/20.

Isuzu VehiCross

A little history

For a long time, four-wheel-drive cars were regarded as utilitarian and rather clumsy vehicles. One of the first manufacturers to break away from the yoke of habit was Isuzu. With its VehiCross prototype, first revealed in 1993 during the Tokyo motor show, the Japanese company allowed a glance to the forward-looking sport utility vehicle of the future. Better yet, it entered production four years later as a relatively similar two-door car, graced by an unusual-yet-pleasing styling. With its short wheelbase and large wheels, the VehiCross looked compact, but aggressive. Designed as a showcase of Isuzu’s technology, the VehiCross had as much to be proud of on the inside than on the outside, most notably its advanced transmission system.

Exclusive and perhaps a little too daring for the times, the VehiCross sold on its home market and in the U.S. in quantities that from the very start had been intended to be limited – the car was, above all, an image-builder. Though many Californians seemed to appreciate the fun offered by such a concept, this wasn’t enough to justify maintaining the car in production for long, all the more as Isuzu was facing increasing difficulties. Even if a four-door variant and a ragtop were once contemplated, the VehiCross was pulled out of the assembly line as early as in 2001. By that time, less than six thousands had been constructed, guaranteeing its status as a future collectible.

About the models

Model: Isuzu VehiCross
Year: c.1997
Maker: Hongwell
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Cararama
Acquired: brand new, in November 2004, in Manila, Philippines

Far from perfect, but cost-effective! As you probably noticed by now my preference goes to vintage cars so that’s a nice way to save a little budget for more desirable items. My main concern goes to the opening doors that don’t fit particularly well but, hey, that’s a toy! My rating is 9/20.











Model: Isuzu VehiCross
Year: c.1997
Maker: Hongwell
Scale: 1/72
Distributed by: Cararama
Acquired: brand new, in November 2003, in Manila, Philippines

Cararama succeeded in retaining most of the details of its 1/43 scale model for its smaller 1/72 variant. The opening doors are unsurprisingly gone though – good riddance! Worth a good 13/20 in my opinion, considering the size.





Model: Isuzu VehiCross
Year: c.1999
Maker: Hot Wheels
Scale: 1/64
Distributed by: Hot Wheels
Acquired: second hand without packaging, possibly in 2005, in Manila, Philippines

Hot Wheels proposes its own interpretation of the VehiCross. All of what is to be expected from HW models is here: eyes-hurting decoration, (slightly) oversized wheels and gross simplification. Overall shapes are rather well respected though, so it’s 12/20.

Austin FX4 “Black Cab”

A little history

The FX3 was already a legend when its replacement, the FX4, was introduced in July 1958. No one would guess back then that the new London taxi would become even more famous than its predecessor, and that its lifespan would be close to four times longer.

Still, there was nothing revolutionary about the FX4. On the contrary, this was an extremely conventional car, which used a chassis almost identical to the FX3’s one. Uncommon back then on European cars, but regarded as desirable on a taxi, the diesel engine and the automatic gearbox had already been pioneered by the FX3. Another trademark of Austin’s cabs that had remained was the very small turning radius – a London taxi “turns on a sixpence”, as the saying goes. Actually this characteristic is made mandatory by the British capital’s public transport authorities. As the legend has it, this is originally due to the narrow path with tight corners leading to the entrance of the Savoy, the most prestigious palace hotel in London.

Though the passenger compartment of the FX4, which body had been designed by Carbodies, can now be looked as typical, it was then common in taxis from most European countries: the driver was separated from its customers by a divider, the absence of a seat near him allowed to carry bulky luggage, while additional passengers could take place on two jump seats.

Designed as a very conventional vehicle as we have said, the FX4 changed little over the years. The only two conspicuous evolutions were the use of rear lights borrowed from the new ADO 16 for the sake of standardization (1968) and the replacement of the original 2.2-litre engine by a larger 2.5-litre (1971). A noteworthy trait of the car was that, due to its very long life expectancy (many FX4s’ milometers were able to approach two millions kilometres), older cars could generally be retrofitted with most small improvements later brought to the original car.

As we mentioned every time we discuss a Seventies British car, the country’s automotive industry was struggling then simply to survive. Austin had much more important things to do than caring for the relatively low-volume FX4. Would the traditional London cab simply vanish, to be replaced by converted family saloons? Fortunately this didn’t happen: in 1982, it sold all its productions dies and intellectual rights to Carbodies. The small manufacturer faced a problem nonetheless: Austin simultaneously stopped the production of its diesel engine, so a new plant had to be found. Carbodies thought an ideal replacement would be the 2.3-litre block from the Land Rover. Unfortunately FX4s so equipped didn’t give satisfaction to their operators.

In 1984, the FX4 saw yet another nameplate affixed onto it: LTI. The new company, which name stands for London Taxis International, had been created by the merger of Carbodies and the major London cabs’ operator, both companies being under the same ownership. Soon LTI addressed the car’s engine problem by replacing the 2.3-litre by a 2.5-litre, also provided by Land Rover but distinctly sturdier. Nonetheless this still wasn’t enough and – a sign of changing times – LTI turned to a Japanese engine from 1989 on, namely a 2.7-litre Nissan diesel. This larger block not only improved reliability, but also gave higher performances, which prompted the need for a new disk brakes system. Under this latest guise, the FX4 carried on for ten more years, addressing as it could the multiplying environmental rules. While prototypes for a replacement had been proposed since the Eighties by various manufacturers, it was finally LTI itself which provided the new London “black cab”, the TX, after the very last FX4 left the factory in October 1997.

About the models

Model: Austin FX4
Year: 1965
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.4 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France

A die-cast I really wanted but had to wait for long before I put my hands onto one. No regrets when I opened the package: this is a nice model Ixo made. Nothing fancy (door handles and rear lights are moulded with the body then painted, for example), but correct all around. It's just a pity silver paint materializing the chromed rim around the windows has been applied to only five out of the car's eight windows - why? My rating is 12/20.







Model: LTI FX4
Year: 2000 (see below)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.60 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: brand new, in July 2004, in Souillac, France

Today the FX4 remains the most iconic London taxi, and many second-hand vehicles have been exported, some for collectors, other for publicity purposes. This is the case of this LTI, that can be approximately dated from the Nineties, and which Altaya chose to reproduce as a Singapore taxi - though probably authentic, not necessarily typical from the South-Asian metropolis. Anyway the model is original and... colourful! My main reproach is that though the model is recent (note the black grille, bumpers and door handles), unwilling to modify its mould Ixo kept the little round rear lights of the pre-1968 cars. This detail is nevertheless discreet so I'll still give 11/20 to it.

Dallara F397 - Opel

A little history

Dallara’s dominance of all Formula Three series allowed it to venture into new territories in 1997: it not only designed the chassis of the Toyota GT-One, but also created its very first Indy car. As for F3, its newest chassis, the F397, proved as successful as its predecessors had been. That year, Dallara allowed Jonny Kane to win the British title, Oliver Martini the Italian, Nick Heidfeld the German one, while Patrice Gay dominated the French championship and Tom Coronel won in Japan – no major Formula Three crown escaped Dallara that year!

About the model

Model: Dallara F397 - Opel
Year: 1997
Event: 1997 Italian F3 championship, driven by Oliver Martini (champion)
Maker: Vitesse
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Onyx
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Such dominance from Dallara upon Formula Three racing gives the possibility to die-cast makers to reproduce these little single-seaters, a single mould being able to represent virtually all champion cars. Vitesse did the job rather correctly with Oliver Martini’s RC Motorsport winning entry. My rating is 13/20.

BMW V12 LM and LMR

A little history

Though the association of BMW and Williams’ names is more reminiscent of Formula One than endurance racing, the two companies’ cooperation indeed started with the construction of a sportscar. It was called the V12 LM – the combination of a Williams chassis and a BMW engine, a 6.0-litre similar to the blocks that had powered the McLaren GTs. BMW wouldn’t run its own cars, delegating this task to Schnitzer instead. Poor reliability due to deficient engineering and imperfect aerodynamics caused a rout during the LM’s only race, the 1998 Le Mans 24 Hours. BMW immediately abandoned the car, deciding the return only when an improved machine would be ready.

This new car appeared for 1999, as the V12 LMR. After a successful outing at Sebring, the Schnitzer team concentrated on Le Mans. This time, BMW was victorious, its very first win in the Sarthe as a constructor despite its long history.

In 2000, BMW’s involvement in Formula One as an engine manufacturer brought the Bavarian company to scale down its endurance racing’s program. Its efforts were limited to the American Le Mans Series, where the LMR now faced an implacable opponent: the new Audi R8. At the end of a meagre season, the BMW spyders were retired for good.

(This car’s history will be expanded in due time, please be patient.)

About the model

Model: BMW V12 LMR
Year: 1999
Event: 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Joachim Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.29 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France