This month, we will cover a few new releases, along with a few, goodies that have been recently discovered. Since its getting close to Christmas, might be a good idea to make sure that your spouse/significant other just "happens" to find this article!
First up (in 1/12th scale!) is this amazing Lotus 97T! This was the car driven by Aytron Senna in Portugal in 1985, where he scored his first victory in the rain. Minichamps has done an outstanding job with this one, complete with rain tires. What makes it even better for the discerning collector, is that the top half of the car come off, revealing the Renault engine underneath! It's great to finally look at the underpinnings of the car, and see how the Lotus engineers put this all together. This is a limited edition release of 6194, and is sure to sell out. For the purists, there are aftermarket JPS decals available to complete the look. This one is highly recommended!
If 1 12 scale is a bit too big for your needs, Minichamps has also released a 1/43 scale Lotus 98T. This particular Lotus was driven by Bruno Senna (Ayrton's nephew) in 2004, at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he drove a commemorative lap around the track. This model is limited to 4,444 pieces, and is already decked out in the proper JPS livery.
This next set is of a British three pack, released by Cararama. This pack contains three 1/43 scale models, a Morgan. Europa, and a Capri. Seems I wasn't aware that this even existed! These models are great because of the detail ... each one has opening doors! Although I have not been able to confirm this. I have heard through various sources that the Lotus Europa is based on the Kyosho model, with the addition of the opening doors- so you know it's high quality. The Europa even contains the proper gold pin striping!
To round it out for the month. I present these 1/92 scale pewter sculptures, made by Autosculpt Miniatures in England. Keep in mind that these are smaller that a Matchbox car! The detail is incredible for the scale, and come nicely presented on a felt base. Both the Europa and Seven are available (in very limited numbers). Here's a picture of the Seven:
All of these cars are available from Diecasm. I suggest if you would like them, you contact Jim, as the Autoscuplt and Carararna sets are extremely limited, and no longer in production. Next month, we will offer a few more lotus goodies... perfect for stocking stuffers! Happy Hunting!
