BMW F650

A little history

A rather elitist brand on four as well as on two wheels, BMW decided during the early Nineties to address a slightly less affluent and much younger clientele. In 1993, this willingness translated into the F650. Available in two versions, the Funduro and the ST, the F650 was powered by a single-cylinder 650cc Rotax rated at 50 hp. Both models were built until the end of 1999, when they were replaced by a single model, the F650GS. Fitted with an injection engine and a catalytic converter, the GS stood higher, yet had a lower centre of gravity thanks to a modified fuel tank.

At the end of 2007, BMW deeply updated its F650GS for the Milan motorcycle show. Since then, it has appeared as a simplified version of the new F800GS. A little odd perhaps, the F650GS actually shares its larger sister’s smoother 800cc engine. Once more provided by Rotax, it is an inline twin delivering 85 hp in F800 guise, but limited to 71 hp when fitted to the F650. Again designed for a public of bikers with limited experience, both GS models can also be restricted to a friendlier output of only 34 hp. They are still proposed by BMW today.

About the model

Model: BMW F650GS
Year: 2007
Maker: Maisto
Scale: 1/18
Distributed by: Maisto
Acquired: second hand with neither stand nor box, in December 2011, in Brive, France

A rendition of the F650GS that is well in line with what Maisto usually produces: nicely done overall but the high content of plastic parts sadly makes it look a little toy-like. My rating is 12/20.

Ford GT40

Hard to keep it concise, but here is…

A little history

As the story goes, what would become the most successful American racing sportscar in history was born out of Ford’s resentment to having been turned down by Enzo Ferrari while attempting to purchase the old man’s famous company. Revenge would be sweet if the Dearborn giant could beat the Commendatore’s small outfit on its own grounds. Enzo Ferrari cherished endurance races above anything else, well above Formula One actually – this would be right where Ford would defy him. The clearly stated objective was to win the Le Mans 24 hours, in which Ferrari was triumphant since 1960.

Though Ford has huge resources at its disposal, it had absolutely no experience in sportscar racing. The American company therefore shopped for the most valuable partners available, recruting John Wyer, the team manager who had led the Aston Martin team to a brilliant victory at Le Mans in 1959 ahead of the Scuderia cars, and acquiring the services of Eric Broadley, Lola’s founder.

A few months before, Broadley had unveiled the Lola GT, a fibreglass coupe powered by a centrally-mounted engine – a V8 borrowed from the Ford Fairlane… Great promises were perceived in this sleek little car. Though Broadley refused to see Lola directly involved in Ford’s racing program, he accepted to personally cooperate on a short-term basis. Progressing at a high pace, the “Ford GT” project was already quite advanced when the Lola GT was entered at the 1963 Le Mans race, and though it ended up in smoke (literally), it was able to put up a potent demonstration beforehand, comforting Ford in its technical choices.

By the end of 1963, Broadley ended his direct involvement and the project was moved from Lola’s factory to a plant set up in Slough near London by a specially-created division of Fomoco, named Ford Advanced Vehicles. By the spring of 1964, the GT40 was ready to race.

Despite all of Ford’s efforts and investments, the beginnings of its touted sportscar were difficult. The GT40 was fast indeed, but all too often unable to reach the finishing line. After a dismal 1964 season, Ford installed Carroll Shelby, of A.C.-Cobra fame, at the helm. Things slightly improved, a GT40 winning at Daytona early in the season, but failing again in most other major events. Ferrari remained victorious, and the American effort started to raise some smiles in the Old World.

For 1966, a new GT40 Mk.II was unveiled. Thanks to this improved version, benefiting from a huge 7-litre engine, fortune started to smile at Ford. The Mk.II dominated the season, most notably taking a historical win at Le Mans. For this latter race, a specially designed J-Car, with refined aerodynamics and all-new chassis, had even been designed, but not raced after the tragic death of its test pilot Ken Miles occurred during its development. Some characteristics of the J-Car were used to design the Mk.IV for the 1967 season. It ended with another Ford triumph. Having nothing more to prove and being one of the major teams targeted by the new rules in effect in 1968, Fomoco decided to pull out of endurance racing.

Some were still seeing some potential in the GT40. Though its most recent versions were now outlawed, the older Mk.I respected the requirements of the new 5000cc Sport class. Many privateers continued to race GT40s with various degrees of success, but none as brilliantly as the stubborn John Wyer himself. With Gulf’s support, Wyer allowed the ageing car to remain one of the major contenders in endurance for two more seasons, and also scored two more wins at Le Mans for Ford. In 1969, the manufacturer’s fourth straight success was a narrow one, Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver beating the Porsche 908 of Gérard Larrousse and Hans Herrmann by a tiny margin in the race’s very last lap. Though insufficiently prepared yet, the new Porsche 917s had dominated the beginning of the race. It was clear that the GT40 wouldn’t be able to follow the pace in 1970. Wyer and Gulf carried on with their successful partnership but switched to the 917, while only a few private teams entered GT40s until the end of 1971, when FIA’s rules definitely excluded all prototypes with engines displacing more than 3000cc.

This could have been all, if not for the wave of nostalgia which engulfed the automotive industry from the Nineties on. During the 2005 Detroit motor show, Ford presented a modern GT40, which closely mimicked the style of the original but was larger overall. Finally named “GT” due to trademark ownership problems, this exclusive gran turismo coupe was designed as a limited-production image-builder, officially selling for a whopping $140000. In reality, Ford never even built as many GTs as it planned, and the very last one was sold in 2007. Interestingly, a few GTs returned to the racetrack, more than forty years after the legendary machine which they took their inspiration from.

About the models

Model: Ford GT40 Mk.II
Event: 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon (overall winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.33 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in February 2005, in Souillac, France

Rather detailed compared to other models within this Altaya series. Nice wheels, too. My rating is 14/20.





Model: Ford GT40 Mk.II
Event: 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon (overall winner)
Maker: Del Prado, or whoever builds models for Del Prado
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Del Prado through an unknown Japanese press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

This is exactly the same car as the previous one, but this time as seen by Del Prado. Unsurprisingly, overall quality is inferior to the Altaya/Ixo, but it remains quite good compared to other models distributed by the Italian company. My rating is 12/20.





Model: Ford GT40 Mk.II
Event: 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Dan Gurney and Jerry Grant (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.5 of its Les monstres sacrés de l'endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

Here is a second works Ford from 1966. Though they set the fastest time in practice, Gurney-Grant's radiator forced them to retire. Altaya released this model in a later, more detailed series, so #3 ended up being even better than #2: I'd give 15/20 to it.







Model: Ford Mk.IV
Event: 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt (overall winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.23 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in August 2004, in Souillac, France

A nice model of the 1967 Le Mans winner: 13/20.







Model: Ford GT40
Event: 1968 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi (overall winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.42 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2005, in Souillac, France

Ford's third victory at Le Mans was not the most joyful, as winner Lucien Bianchi learnt on the finishing line that his brother Mauro had been severely injured in the accident and subsequent fire of his Alpine. Another good die-cast by Ixo for Altaya, deserving a 13/20.









Model: Ford GT40
Event: 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver (overall winner)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.18 of its Les monstres sacrés de l'endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2007, in Souillac, France

One of the most extraordinary race in the Sarthe: after Ickx started last in protest against the safety flaws induced by the typical Le Mans start, he and Oliver won the race after a final sprint run to the finishing line. This time, the switch to the slightly more refined Monstres sacrés series didn't bring much improvement over the previous car, hence an identical 13/20 rating.









Model: Ford GT
Year: c.2005
Maker: Yat Ming
Scale: 1/72
Distributed by: Road Signature, "Petite" series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2006, in Manila, Philippines

Very correct rendition, despite the small size. My rating is 14/20.

Porsche 911 (997)

Just after adding this post I noted that we have a new follower, so welcome aboard lalax8!

A little history

The coming of each new generation of the famed 911 renews for Porsche the challenge of being up to the legend this car has become over the years. Its previous incarnation, also known as the 996, was only seven years old when the German manufacturer introduced its replacement, the 997, in 2005.

The new car wasn’t exempted from receiving critics. Sure, Porsche worked a lot to further improve its car’s performance and handling. Nonetheless it’s an automobile’s style one would notice first. And here, it seems that Porsche’s designers made a total waste of the allotted budget by conceiving a totally new car… that looked exactly like the old one, except for its round headlights – which I personally utterly dislike… Actually, the original 997 didn’t last until July 2008 before being slightly facelifted.

Most versions of the 996 were carried over in the new car’s range. Traditional badges as Carrera, Targa, Turbo, GT2 and GT3 were all worn by the 997. Base engine is a 3.6-litre flat six, rated at a respectable 325 hp. Those fearing that the car would be short on power had to wait until November 2007, when the new GT2 was made available. One could think that with 530 hp, the twin-turbo version of the flat six was well enough for any would-be Schumacher… However, we live in times when the very meaning of the word “enough” has been forgotten, so a limited-edition GT2 RS was introduced in May 2010. The newest car in the 911’s range offers 620 hp packed in a lightweight body. Acceleration is instant, top speed tremendous. Unfortunately, an anti-G suit is not provided as standard equipment.

About the model

Model: Porsche 911 Carrera S
Year: c.2005
Maker: Hongwell
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Cararama
Acquired: brand new, in July 2009, in Manila, Philippines

Once again I preferred to reserve my budget for classic cars rather than modern ones, so I turned to this new Cararama release. My verdict: today’s kids are so lucky to have such brilliant toys! Considering the rock-bottom price, the Chinese company did a superb job in reproducing this slightly beefed up Carrera S. My rating is 12/20.

Fiat Croma

A little history

You can’t help it: in the mind of most people, Fiat is exclusively constructing popular cars. Though the main Italian automobile company also built luxury cars both before World War Two (we have already seen the 2800, for example) and, to some extent, after (my favourite would be the coupe version of the 130, but there was also the Dino and the 8V), this is cars as the Topolino, 500, 600, 850, 127, 128 or Punto that most people remember. As a matter of fact, during the difficult Seventies, Fiat preferred concentrating on its lower range, preparing the modern Ritmo, than finding a successor to its larger saloons, the 132 and 130. Despite having been introduced in 1972, the 132 was nothing more than updated in 1981, becoming the Argenta. Finally, a brand-new car topped Fiat’s range in 1985: the Croma.

Actually, the Fiat Croma wasn’t exactly new when launched. Since the previous year, Lancia was proposing the Thema as a replacement for its Gamma, and gave its chassis, suspension and central structure to the Croma. Though the Pininfarina-styled Thema was offered as either a strict saloon or an estate, the more plebeian Croma was exclusively built as a practical 5-door liftback penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Some engines were also shared by both cars. Two years later, Alfa Romeo launched its elegant 164, also based on the Croma/Thema platform, but enjoying a totally different body. This cooperation didn’t stop at the Italian borders, as a fourth derivative was introduced as the Saab 9000, a Croma slightly adapted by Giugiaro for the Swedish company.

Designed as a family car, the front-wheel-drive Croma relied on plain 1.6- and 2.0-litre gasoline fours, along with a 2.5-litre diesel, that could be turbocharged or not. Those who wanted more performances could also find the car of their dreams among the Croma’s range, as a 16-valve injected 2.0-litre engine was also listed, as well as a turbocharged version rated at 150 hp.

After a 1991 facelift, the Croma was produced until 1996. Despite being successful both within Italy and, to some extent, without it, Fiat’s largest car left without a successor. Finally, the manufacturer was conforming to its image by sacrificing its upper range and concentrating on more saleable popular cars.

Croma could have been a forgotten nameplate today if, by 2005, it didn’t make a surprising comeback. Fiat re-entered the large family car market with a new Croma, available only as an estate but often classified as an MPV in order to avoid any comparison with its competitors’ saloons, better established in this segment. Fiat’s short-lived partnership with General Motors brought it to base its Nuova Croma on a platform already used by the Opel Vectra and – a case of history repeating itself – the Saab 9-3. Interestingly, this also linked the new car from Fiat, the paragon of cheap transportation, to the BLS, the smaller model proposed by… Cadillac! Today, the Croma still pursues its career – a rather discreet one.

About the models

Model: Fiat Croma
Year: c.1985
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.14 of its Fiat Story press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in January 2007, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Though quality is unremarkable, this is nonetheless an accurate model of the Croma. My rating is 12/20.





Model: Fiat (Nuova) Croma
Year: c.2005
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Hachette as no.25 of its Fiat Story press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in February 2007, in Shenzhen, China.

The same remarks apply to this model, pulled out of the same Italian series. Same rating too: 12/20.

Nissan Micra

A little history

The March, also called Micra on export markets, is Nissan’s offer for a popular car since late 1982. A remarkable performance for a Japanese car, it has been renewed only twice since its initial introduction, in 1992 and 2002 – will its fourth generation appear in 2012 is anybody’s guess.

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

About the model

Model: Nissan Micra C+C
Year: c.2005
Maker: Norev
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: not known for sure, either Norev or a Japanese press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

An excellent model of the Micra C+C, a retractable top version designed and built in England. Norev made itself the specialist of functional retractable roofs in 1/43 scale, and though switching from one position to another is a little touchy, the effect is spectacular. My rating is 15/20.

Hong Qi HQ3

Something a tad more original now with this Hong Qi. The complex Chinese nomenclature didn’t helped me much here in researching a few information: the model is sold as a H6430, though the real thing appears to be widely called a HQ3, despite the fact that I also saw it described as a CA7300N and CA7430N.

A little history

Among the state-owned First Automotive Works (FAW), Hong Qi specializes in building quality automobiles which cater to the needs of the party officials. For decades, these have been driven around in this baroque limousine called the CA770. This venerable automobile, which had been launched during the late Fifties, is now retired, but the demand from the small elite remains, so Hong Qi embarked on constructing a brand new saloon, the 3.0- or 4.3-litre HQ3. Unveiled in November 2006 after much expectation, the Chinese automobile industry’s present flagship is closely related to the Toyota Crown Majesta. Actually, upper-range Toyotas aimed at the Chinese market are built, as far as I know, in the same new Tianjin factory as the HQ3.

About the model

Model: Hong Qi HQ3
Year: c.2006
Maker: unknown, please let me know if you have any clue
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: unknown, possibly through dealerships
Acquired: brand new, in February 2007, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

To make things even better I don’t know who built this die-cast, but the job is excellent. The model is heavy, well detailed and perfectly assembled. The bonnet can be opened, revealing an engine that is, once again, brilliantly reproduced. My rating is 16/20.

Audi R8 and R10

A little history

Audi decided to enter sportscar racing in 1998, at a time when many automobile companies were involved in the competition. Apart from rallies, the racing experience the German company had dated back to… Auto Union, six decades back, so the development of its machine was cautiously subcontracted to specialized Italian outfit Dallara. Designed by famed engineer Tony Southgate, this R8R was a spyder competing in the LMP class. Nevertheless, uncertainty about what formula would dominate all others after the introduction of a new LMGTP class led to the study of a second design, the R8C coupe built in England by NRT. Both models enjoyed very advanced aerodynamics, which resulted in very high top speeds (Audi claimed 350 kph) thanks to their powerful 3.6-litre V8 engine, fed by twin turbochargers and rated at 550 hp for the R8R and 600 hp for the R8C, the former receiving smaller air restrictors in order to follow the rules of its class.

Nowadays automobile manufacturers don’t develop racing cars thoroughly as they used to; as we saw, the development of both the R8R and the R8C was entrusted to specialized companies. The same often applies to entering these cars in the races they are designed for; this was the case with Audi which let Joest Racing, one of the greatest name in endurance racing, manage its R8s on its behalf. For their first season, the Audis proved slower than their competitors, but enjoyed appreciable durability. At Sebring, an Audi spyder finished 3rd for its very first outing, while at Le Mans, avoiding much trouble during a race of attrition, a 3rd place was again achieved.

During 1999, the R8R had scored some encouraging results while the R8C hadn’t much to boast. Audi consequently decided to retire its coupe and concentrate on the development of the spyder, now simply dubbed R8. Its design was refined, and its engine was now officially rated at 610 hp. With most competitors retiring from endurance racing, Audi had an open road to glory, winning Le Mans and dominating the American Le Mans series.

Success was complete for Audi, but the German company hadn’t proved anything by being the only worthy competitor in sportscar racing. Volkswagen allowed another of its subsidiaries, prestige automobile builder Bentley, to return to Le Mans seventy-one year after its last victory in the Sarthe. To most of the public, the Bentley Speed 8 was merely an Audi re-bodied as a coupe; though this is untrue, the British car owed a lot to Audi’s experience, notably using its V8 engine. The challenge proved a weak one and the suspense non-existent. Bentley failed to win the Le Mans 24 hours both in 2001 and 2002, finally achieving its goal in 2003 (works Audi were absent for that purpose) and retiring immediately thereafter.

Bentley’s departure again placed Audi in a very favourable position and, though only private teams were now racing the R8, its domination on both sides of the Atlantic continued. During 2005 though, the R8 showed the first signs of old age. The car again won Le Mans, but only after overcoming a strong challenge from Pescarolo, a team of rather limited means. A new model was needed.

In December 2005, Audi unveiled its new machine for 2006: the R10. While the R8 had proved the efficiency of Volkswagen’s FSI fuel injection system, the R10 would demonstrated the company’s mastery of diesel engines – yes, a diesel-powered car finally won Le Mans, three months after it dominated the Sebring 12 hours, its very first race. Nevertheless the R10 proved heavy and cumbersome on slower tracks due to a much longer wheelbase than the one of its predecessor, thus the R8 was entered instead in several events.

Finally opposition surfaced in 2007 and 2008 as Peugeot declared its challenge to Audi’s supremacy. Its 908 too was powered by a turbocharged diesel, but lacked the preparation of its rival. The main event of the season, the Le Mans 24 hours, was again won by Audi on both years. Advantage was slowly turning to coupes over open cars in endurance racing though, and Audi announced its R15 coupe would replace the R10 spyder for the 2009 season.

About the models

Ixo produces a wide range of Audi R8/R10 models both for itself and for Spanish distributor Altaya. All are excellent, reflecting all the little changes of the original cars' bodies over the years, featuring nice details and sporting good decorations. Therefore I'll collectively give a 14/20 rating to all the following models:

Model: Audi R8R
Year: 1999
Event: 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela and Didier Theys (finished 3rd overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.32 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

The original R8 - though it didn't win under this guise it is one of favourite R8s due to its wonderful silver/black paint. My rating, as said above, is 14/20.





Model: Audi R8
Year: 2000
Event: 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Stefan Johansson, Tom Coronel and Patrick Lemarié (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as a gift to subscribers of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in November 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Antibes, France

Swede Stefan Johansson didn't go far at the wheel of his older R8 during the 2001 Le Mans, though for a die-cast collector a car sporting the elegant light blue/orange Gulf livery is always a winner. My rating is 14/20.



Model: Audi R8
Year: 2001
Event: 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.1 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

Though nowadays most racing cars are decorated with such an intricate patchwork of sponsors you cannot tell what colour they are, Audi is a notable exception, having had several very elegant liveries, including this beautiful silver and red. My rating is 14/20.







Model: Audi R8
Year: 2004
Event: 2004 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Seiji Ara, Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.1 of the second release of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2005, in Souillac, France

The first 24 Heures du Mans collection was apparently such a success that Altaya decided to issue a second series even as the first one was still running. Though its very first model was this 2004 winning Audi, an update over the 2001 similar car of the previous series, all following die-casts were strictly identical. Unsurprisingly, no one was interested, and after about five or six models it was announed that sales would be limited to subscribers. Actually Altaya probably provided its mail customers with the models they expected, but refused any new order and let this second series slowly die for lack of interest. In case you skipped what I wrote above, I let you know that my rating is 14/20.







Model: Audi R8
Year: 2005
Event: 2005 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by J.J. Lehto, Marco Werner and Tom Kristensen (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.9 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l'Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

Tom Kristensen won his seventh Le Mans 24 hours with this car, breaking the record set by Jacky Ickx. Wow. Possibly because I lost interest in motor racing along the way, possibly also because motorsports have changed and not for the better, or most probably for both reasons combined, I have no idea who Tom Kristensen is. Anyone, help me out of total ignorance. Now for my rating, it is again 14/20 - Ixo's idea of presenting its model covered with "race dirt" doesn't bring much more over a standard model, in my opinion.







Model: Audi R10
Year: 2006
Event: 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.20 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l'Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in June 2007, in Souillac, France

The long wheelbase of the R10 doesn't make it the most elegant race car on the track, but Ixo's work is again impeccable. Guess what? My rating is 14/20.