Sunday, January 27, 2013

1986 Toyota (Corolla / Sprinter) Trueno AE86 (GTS) 2005 Dropstars Series Diecast Custom Vehicles Mix L 6/6 Scale 1:50 by Hot Wheels


Los gustos dependen tanto de la cultura, que algo considerado agradable en un país, podría ser considerado feo o sin gusto en algún otro lugar. 

Los autos no son, ni mucho menos, la excepción... Ustedes ya saben mi opinión sobre la mayoría de autos japoneses/asiáticos de los 70s, 80s y aún de los 90s... 

Son raros (para usar un término cortés...) con unas pocas excepciones ilustres... Creo que son más prácticos y funcionales que cualquier otra cosa... 

Diminutos, eficientes, confiables son adjetivos que podríamos usar para describirlos, ¿pero hermosos?... Sería un poquitín forzado en lo que a mí concierne. 

Estoy hablando sobre los vehículos cotidianos, no sobre los autos deportivos japoneses o asiáticos y por favor recuerden que soy un hombre de pensamiento occidental. 

Sin embargo, pueden escarbar en los contenidos de mi blog y encontrarán que hay una mezcla de cosas de las culturas occidental y oriental, porque trato de ser de mente tan abierta como sea posible en mi afición. 

Esa es la razón por la cual me traje esta "oveja perdida" de regreso al rebaño... Por así decirlo, pues una vez más, fue un regalo inesperado. 

El Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 de 1986 es uno de esos coupés deportivos subcompactos que ponen una sonrisa en mi rostro y me hacen decir: "bueno, de eso estaba hablando"...

No es el epítome del diseño automotriz pero tengo una debilidad por los autos con luces delanteras retráctiles. 

El motor de 4 cilindros, twin cam 1.6, clasificado en 112 bhp, no me estremece precisamente, pero una vez te das cuenta que es un vehículo pequeño y liviano, el balance entre potencia y peso arroja un resultado favorable. 

De hecho, el AE86 tiene una buena reputación entre los competidores de rally / drifting y el motivo para eso es: este es un auto de tracción trasera, algo completamente inusual para un coche japonés al presente y parece funcionar bastante bien para estos "quehaceres"

La Serie Dropstars Escala 1:50 de Hot Wheels es una línea no muy común de autos personalizados, principalmente modelos recientes de varias marcas alrededor del mundo. 

Por razones que desconozco todavía, esta línea es "un tris" difícil de encontrar, algunos modelos específicos pueden ser realmente caros y aún más escasos que el resto (como el que estoy publicando, ¡cuyo precio puede superar los US$60 por unidad, antes de envío e impuestos! Excesivo, si me lo preguntas). 

La escala más grande le permite a HW agregrar más detalle aún en los interiores, con un asiento de competición en plástico rojo brillante -no pintado- y por supuesto el timón a la derecha. 

Los trabajos de pintura y tampos son imponentes, especialmente en este modelo con un esquema de color púrpura policromado/negro y una decoración ostentosa. 

Tiene llantas ultra-delgadas de competición con rimes Phat Lip ultra-profundos y pueden verse los monumentales discos de freno... Carrocería en diecast con chasis plástico... 

Al final, cuando tienes un amigo y colega coleccionista que conoce tus gustos (¡aunque él no sabía cuánto podría costar, OSH!)... ¡Super!... 

Agradezco al DIOS de la Biblia por mi familia y por los amigos que Él pone en mi camino, porque son instrumentos de bendición de muchas maneras... 

Espero verlos de nuevo.. =)

ENGLISH
The tastes depend so much on the culture, that something considered nice in a country, could be considered ugly or tasteless somewhere else. 


The cars are not, by no means, the exception. You already know my opinion about most of the Japanese / Asian vehicles from the 70s, 80s and even the 90s... 

They are weird (using a polite term for that...) with a few illustrious exceptions... I think they are more practical and functional than anything else... 

Tiny, efficient, reliable are adjectives that you can use to describe them, but beautiful?... It would be a bit forced as far as I’m concerned. 

I’m talking about the vehicles for everyday, not about the Japanese or Asian sport cars and please remember that I’m a western minded man. 

However, you can dig in the content of my blog and you will find that there is a mix of stuff from the western and eastern cultures there, because I try to be as open minded as I can in my hobby. 

That’s the reason why I brought this "lost sheep" to the fold... So to say, since it was an unexpected gift again. 

The 1986 Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 is one of those subcompact sport coupes that puts a smile in my face and makes me say "well, that’s what I’m talking about"... 

It’s not the epitome of car design but I have a weakness for the vehicles with retractable headlights. 

The 4-cylinder twin-cam 1.6 engine, rated at 112 bhp, doesn’t thrill me precisely, but once you realize that is a small and lightweight vehicle, the balance between power and weight yields a favorable score. 

Indeed the AE86 has a good reputation among the rally/drifting competitors and the reason for that is: this is a rear wheel drive car, something completely unusual for a Japanese car at the present and it seems to work pretty fine for those "duties"

The Dropstars Series Scale 1:50 by Hot Wheels is a not so common line of customized vehicles, mainly recent models from several brands around the world. 

For reasons I don’t know yet, this line is "a tad" hard to find, some specific models can be really expensive and even scarcer than the rest (like this one I’m publishing, whose price can rise above US$60 per unit, before shipping and taxes! Excessive, if you ask me). 

The bigger scale lets HW to add more detail even in the interiors, with a racing seat in glossy red plastic -not painted- and of course the steering wheel on the right. 

The paint and tampos are awesome, specially in this model with that purple polychrome / black color scheme, complemented by a flashy decor. 

It has great ultra-thin racing tires with ultra-deep Phat Lip rims and you can see the huge brake disks... Diecast body with plastic chassis... 

In the end, when you have a generous friend and fellow collector who knows your tastes (although he didn’t know how much it could cost, WOW!)... Super!...

I thank the GOD of the Bible for my family and the friends He puts on my way, because they are instruments of blessing in many ways... 

Hope to see you again... =)

7 comments:

Bera said...

Although I'm not an avid fan of drift cars, the Trueno is something... it is one of my favorites. I just love the way it looks..classic style, stance is very different from the other drift cars especially when it's painted in white with black carbon hood.

This is a cool catch pal, more truenos to come I'd love to see them :D

chrismandesign said...

when you mentioned the black & white version of this car, i guess you’re referring to the Initial D anime Trueno, which is very popular (although i have not seen this series)... that particular color scheme is not so attractive for me, but the car itself has its own personality (something very unusual in this segment) and yeah, i like it very much... unfortunately i don’t think there will be more AE86 in my collection (at least, there are no more scheduled LOL) but this gift certainly put the Trueno in my radar and the better if it’s a very scarce diecast model... =D

Bera said...

yep I know the Initial D anime and like you, I havent watched it despite of its fame lol. The white and black I think is also the most common design of trueno.. Dropstar series is hard to find nowadays and it's a Trueno so it's really a valuable piece.

Dennis aka Katsuden said...

I know about Truno only through Initial D and the car was such a drifter in the anime and the anime had restricted my view that the car would look nicer in plain white and black. Pardon me. The and colour and decals on this 1:50 scale do appeal to me but the additional detailing and tyre tread are rather nice... You are a lucky lad to receive unexpected gifts from time to time.

chrismandesign said...

Initial D seems to be an influential anime but not my kind for sure... the black & white color scheme could work in some cases but a high contrast will always be a demanding choice if you want an aesthetic result, which is not the Initial D’s case in my personal opinion...

however, i’m glad that you liked this atypical color scheme and yep, the work on the overall model and specifically on the wheels is very good (uhmmm... i forgot to mention that it has rubber tires as well)

a gift is always welcome and i guess you already know how much i appreciate them... =D

David John Shewsbury said...

Holy fuck!!!! I want this mother fucker... "Hachi Rokku" as it's known to the Japanese car fans... damn this is awesome... plus it comes with right hand steering wheel (British/Japanese style) surely you know this is exactly what I'm looking for in any scale model for Japanese cars.... awesome, simply awesome!!!!

soon I will drive a Toyota that is more or less the same like this car but still different, from the 80's era, now still inside a workshop for the restoration work, I spent quite large amount of money... sigh

chrismandesign said...

WOAH !!! i wish i could get my own car but i’m barely thinking in a motorbike (much better for the traffic mess here), congrats !!! it doesn’t matter if you invest a fortune in your car, provided that you get a nice result...

on the other hand, THX for your compliment on my car, i was quite sure you will love it !!!... for me is just a fabulous gift, the Hachi Rokku with this decor looks delicious !!! =D