Porsches have to be hard to replicate in 1/64 scale. The rounded edges and sloping lines, from what I hear from designers, can be very difficult to shrink into small scale. The canvas to work with is much smaller, and moving from one point on the car to another in such a small space can create problems.
Learning that has made me less inclined to harp on a particular Porsche casting. I have not been particularly kind to the Boxster Hot Wheels put out a few years ago, and the same can be said for the Porsche 918 Concept. As much as I was looking forward to both castings, they both were badly disappointing. The angles seemed off, the proportions off, and the cars distorted.
Well, something must have been figured out, because the Hot Wheels Team just released a new 918, and it is a massive improvement.
The one on the right is the old one – obviously – and based on the concept. The new one is on the left, based on the actual production model. That is all I need to point out. You can see the rest for yourself.
There are obvious differences, like the removal of the exhausts on the side and the top is now a tampo and not part of the interior. But the biggest difference is the shape. The Concept didn’t capture the Porsche. The new Spyder really really does.
I didn’t realize that the 918 Spyder I saw on the Hot Wheels Mainline list was a new casting. I guess if I did I didn’t really think about it. But this casting is superb. The black 10-spokes really enhance the look, and everything else – the lines, the stance – make this a surprise. In a year loaded with fantastic new castings in the mainline, this one is up there.
(Find it among the Porsches at Wheel Collectors.)
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