The 1:1 Nissan GT-R probably needs no further introduction, since it has already garnered rave reviews around the world, as well as making Porsche very very worried, or worried enough to start a school yard fight with Nissan over the GT-R's Nurburgring lap time.
First looks of AUTOart's 1:18 offering:
I must say, the model is massive and cuts a very imposing figure, much like the real car it is based on. When placed next to cars such as the Audi R8 or maybe even a Lamborghini Murc/Gallardo, you almost forget that those exotics are there. The GT-R just fills the view and draws attention to itself.
The heft of the GT-R is just right, having the same feel of the 2 times pricier Signature Bugatti Veyron model. This is a significant improvement in value for money over AUTOart's recent releases, which felt light and cheap, when oil prices were sky high.
Perhaps having a quality competitor like Kyosho producing the same GT-R made AUTOart put in that much more effort for customer dollars.
Overall look of the car is excellent in my books. All the GT-R logos on the car are photoetched, so be very careful while cleaning and polishing your car! The paintwork is also of high quality, with the pearl flakes on the white and dark metal grey colours fine enough to appear very scale.
AUTOart has captured the subtle curves and angles of the GT-R perfectly.
The next thing anyone looks at when seeing a sports car are the brakes. Any sports car worth its salt would have, at the very least, massive Brembo calipers and even larger disc rotors.
It is here that AUTOart excels in again. The GT-R's Brembo calipers are painted a constrasting shade of burnt gold, as per the 1:1, and also has very scale looking drilled disc rotors. Movement wise, the rotors spin without lag together with the rest of the wheel.
The colour of the 7 spoke wheels are silverish, personally, I would've liked them better in gunmetal grey, but that's just a preference. The wheels are very well molded. The only niggle I have with the wheels are the sometimes-off-center Nissan logo.
Detailing of the tyres' contact surface are well done and look realistic, but lack the sidewall details of the 1:1 scale's Bridgestone run-flat ones. However, the sidewall height appears perfect, not too high and not too low.
Next up, the bonnet and boot.
Gone are the days of dog-leg hinges on this model! Replacing those are "proper" and better looking hinges.
The movement of the bonnet and boot have a nice resistance to it, not too tight and not too loose, which adds on to the feel of quality in the model. Too loose and it cheapens the overall feel, too tight and it'll be especially hard to open the bonnet.
The only problem with these hinges, other than their good looks, is that it takes a little bit more effort to ensure that the bonnet and boot sits properly once closed, if not you'll have some really odd looking shutlines. Pressing them (gently!) at the edges closest to the windscreen will do the trick, after that just lightly press down the rest of the bonnet/boot till you're satisifed.
Now for the engine bay.
Detail is pretty good here. You get a photo-etched Nissan logo sitting in the V6 block, piping brought over from the real car (where it can be seen), as well as other details which you might even miss if you don't look carefully.
For example, the "CARBON FIBRE COMPOSITE" decal.
and the PREMIUM MIDSHIP decal on the underside of the bonnet.
The GT-R's doors open easily enough, without having to resort to excessive force.
Detailing of the interior is also excellent, with the various gauges and dials clearly visible. Carpeted interiors now come standard on models at this price range, so no surprise here. One might complain that the cockpit looks a little plasticky though.
Steering of the front wheels feels nice and tight, which again adds on to the quality feel of the GT-R model. The rear wheels spin much more freely than the front wheels, however, it is important to note that they do not wobble and reflect the low tolerances which AUTOart has put into making this great model.
Another view which most drivers will have to get used to looking at is the rear.
Again, AUTOart has done a commendable job in capturing the look of the imfamous round tailights, the GT-R badge and the hugely massive and fear inspiring quad exhaust pipes.
In conclusion, AUTOart has most certainly produced its best quality Millenium range of models, in recent times, with its Nissan GT-R. The overall look and stance of the model captures the real GT-R perfectly.
Given its reasonable price after membership discount at Nikko, the AUTOart Nissan GT-R represents excellent value for money for such a popular model.
Hits:
- Captures the 1:1 GT-R's looks perfectly.
- Better and more scale looking bonnet and boot hinges.
- Excellent quality feel throughout the whole car.
- Well detailed engine, engine bay and cockpit.
- Photoetched logos all round.
- Superb value for money as compared to recent AUTOart releases.
Misses:
- Off-center Nissan logos on some wheels.
- No sidewall tyre markings.
- Wheels not gunmetal grey.
The end for now, thanks for reading!
