| The White Elephant | |
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Its only right that CMC should make some of the best Mercedes-Benz diecast models in the world; the two companies have such similar philosophies. Each puts engineering excellence above all else to create exceptional vehicles in their respective fields. If there is a difference, it is only in scale and in timeline. Mercedes has been doing it for generationsa fact thats beautifully illustrated by CMCs latest model, the 1931 SSKL. This car is an 1:18-scale replica of the one Rudolf Caracciola piloted to victory in that years Mille Miglia road race. The SSKL was nicknamed The White Elephant, but ironically, it was built on Mercedes shorter-wheelbase chassis, and the distinctive holes in its frame kept its weight down to a svelte (for the day) 3,000 pounds. One mammoth characteristic was under the bonneta 7.1-liter inline-6 engine equipped with a Kompressor (supercharger), produced 300hp and a mountain of torque while delivering typical Mercedes reliability. It was the class of the field, just as CMCs version is today. Workmanship on this prototype is beyond precise; each of its 1885 parts shows unfathomable attention to detail. CMC proudly calls attention to its wheel spokes, each of which is connected to the rim through an individual nipple stem. CMC has raised the bar again; order one and prepare to be awed. CMCClassical Model Cars (585) 292-7280; cmc-modelcars.de |
| Another Horse in the Race | |||
Dont look now, but the race for the lead in the premium 1:18 segment is wheel to wheel, and BBR is taking the fight straight to its rivals with an immaculate classic-era Ferrari sports racer in its gorgeous 375 Plus. The 375 was Ferraris championship contender in sports car racing for 1954, and its Lampredi V-12 was gargantuan for the marque and the era, displacing 5.0L instead of the 4.5L prescribed by its 375 moniker (hence the Plus). With 330 horses to propel its roughly 2,100 pounds, it is no wonder that it
dominated the season by winning Le Mans, the Carrera Panamericana, and ultimately, the 54 world title. BBRs model has all the requisites to play in this leaguereal leather for functioning hood straps and upholstery, wire wheels and hinges on every flap, port and hatch that the full-scale car did. It packs a few new tricks, too, such as a movable shifter in its signature metal gate and functional hood and trunk spring-catches. The model arrived just at press time, so we didnt have time to cover it in this issue with the detail it warrants, but check back next time for a full story on this amazing piece!
BBR, distributed by Minichamps North America (305) 971-1171; minichampsna.com |
| Setting the Pace | |
| Greenlight Collectables is quickly becoming the authority when it comes to Indy-related diecast. One of the coolest sub- categories in racing models are the pace vehicles. As we show you in this issues Real World Road Test, the new C6 Corvette Z06 is rocking the automotive world, and a big part of Chevys PR blitz for its launch was to have it pace the biggest racing events in the countrythe Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. Greenlight marks the twin occasions with a pair of 1:24 diecast Z06s done up in the racing livery of the official pace cars for both events, and we got sneak peeks and the prototypes. Greenlight was quick to point out that a few final tweaks are still in the works, but honestly, these already look fabulous and are a steal at less than $20 apiece.
GreenLight Toys (317) 287-0600; greenlighttoys.com.
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