The legend of Godzilla

The legend started with Nissan's Skyline GT-R R32, nicknamed after Japan's monster of a myth, Godzilla. However awesome the R32 was, it all but died down with the fourth generation R33. Even the manga Initial D referenced the BNR33 as "meh". Then, taking a cue from another mythological creature, the phoenix, the R34 finally solidified the Skyline legend to the end.

The next GT-R that Nissan let escape from its bowels was nothing short of amazing, sans the "Skyline" badge. The sky wasn't the limit anymore. 0-60 miles per hour in 2.7 seconds could rocket the sixth-generation GT-R to the stars. Reality check? The world's fastest production car, the Bugatti Veyron, with twice the number of cylinders (16) and turbochargers (4), could only do 0.3 seconds better. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches, with their price tag premiums, could only equal the time.

The sixth-largest automobile manufacturer did everything right with the R35. From the engine to the body styling, it just seemed perfect and worthy of being nicknamed "Godzilla".

On to Tomica's casting. Everything's pretty much in order. The proportions, the details, and the tampos, they're all fine. I just didn't care too much for the basic wheels that Tomica is fitting its models. If a GT-R was fitted with 13-inch wheels, this is how it'll probably look like... which is absurd.

Despite all these, however, I'd still pick its older brother, the R34, over it. For me, the R34 is more brute while being refined at the same time. Which practically means that I love its design more than the R35's.

By the way, a film is due the summer of 2014:

Let's just hope that it actually has a plot.

Click on the thumbnails below to see more images in Flickr.

Two eggs

Or should I say, two EGs.

Enough of the rant blog posts about diminutive die-cast cars made by blue-chip companies for tens (or hundreds) of thousands of kids and adult collectors. For now, at least.

This time, eyes will be on the beautiful craftsmanship of Tomytec, Takara Tomy's subsidiary which produces highly-detailed road-going vehicles that is the Tomica Limited Vintage line.

I can still remember the package arriving from Japan...

I got so excited that I took a pic at my office while the boxes were still in bubble wraps.

Once I got home, shots were fired...

...and the first time I got hold of one, there was no doubt in my mind that this is how 1/64th-ish die-casts should be produced. I let out a "Whoah!" when I took the black VTi out of its box.

Almost faultless (no rants on this post, remember?). This is how I could describe TLV and TLVN (Tomica Limited Vintage Neo) offerings. With the proper proportions and scaling to the tampo work, they're just glorious things to behold... and to hold... carefully, as these are a bit delicate.

They're definitely not for kids who would basically throw Hot Wheels into walls on a whim.

Going back, more shots ensued, and as a result, here's the black VTi:

And here's the yellow SiR II version:

Having owned a boosted, apple-green-painted EK9 (pic below), I'll always have a place in my heart for Honda Civics, especially the ones from the 4th (EF) up to the 6th (EK) generation.

Click on the thumbnails below to see more images in Flickr.

Finer points

If Tomica could make finer metal flakes in their metallic paint, their models would be more fun to photograph up close.

Their silver die-casts look nice to the eyes, but macro photography reveals flakes that look out of scale with the model's size. The only thing lacking from the current Tomica metallic paint are sparkles when the sun hits the models... something I'm pretty sure that teeny-bopper vampires like Edward would be really proud of. He would wish that instead of rolling around Forks, Washington in that lame Volvo C30, he's inside a 1:1 silver Tomica — like this First Release Special Color Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4.

Vampires love sparkly things... like their skin... bathed in sunlight. Well, except Blade. Blade hates sparkly vampires. I like Blade.

Click on the thumbnails below to see more images in Flickr.

Successor

To the mighty Lamborghini Murcielago.

Compared to the Hot Wheels version, this Tomica rendition of the Lamborghini flagship model looks a bit pudgy.

Maybe the cast on the front air dam is just thick. Maybe coats of paint made the front profile even thicker. It maybe because Tomica overshot the Arancio Argo (Pearl Orange) color a wee bit. Or maybe it's the improper ride height. But maybe, it's just me.

Meh. I really don't care for any shortcomings. If a casting is featured in this blog, it means that it is worthy of attention (which is probably why I bought it in the first place), and photo-gallery-worthy.

Click on the thumbnails below to see more images on Flickr.

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Speaking of Aventadors, you may want to see this video of one breaking into two pieces as a result of a collision with a sedan. It's one of those "Oh f*ck." moments:

Two pieces? Yup. Two. Pieces.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the accident.