Leigh’s Diecast Diary

Today we received new deliveries from Minichamps, Spark and Norev.

From Minichamps we received their first two 1:12 2008 Moto GP bikes, the Ducati Desmosedicis of Casey Stoner (PO80001) and Marco Melandri (PO80033).

We also received Minichamps’ next two 1:43 2009 Formula One replicas, Robert Kubica’s BMW F1.09 (DC29405) and Jarno Trulli’s Toyota TF109 (DC29409).

Meanwhile, Spark released their next three 1:43 classic Formula One cars, which were Al Pease’s 1967 Eagle (SPK1621), Mauricio Gugelmin’s 1988 Leyton House (SPK1652), and Jonathan Palmer’s 1989 Tyrrell 018 (SPK1642).

Finally, from Norev, we at last received the two 1:18 ‘Wrooom’ Fiat 500s from the Ferrari 2008 pre-season media day, of Michael Schumacher (NV187732) and Kimi Raikkonen (NV187733). On the day that we heard that Raikkonen will take a sabbatical from Formula One next year too!

Today we received several samples from Minichamps of their forthcoming 2009 Formula One replicas that we will see before Christmas.

In 1:18 scale, there were the two BMW F1.09s, of Robert Kubica (DC2905) and Nick Heidfeld (DC2906).

In 1:43, there was Nick Heidfeld’s BMW F1.09 (DC29406), Timo Glock’s Toyota TF109 (DC29410), and Mark Webber’s Red Bull RB5 (DC29414).

Interestingly, the BMWs and Toyotas specifically had ‘Australian Grand Prix’ on their packaging, which was the first race of the season of course.

We also received a sample of the first release in the 1:43 Ayrton Senna ‘15th anniversary’ collection, which is the 1987 Lotus 99T (AS874312) This was a series of five cars that was launched at the beginning of this year to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Senna’s death.

This first sample answers a lot of questions. It comes in Senninha packaging (the Senna cartoon character), but it is also number 31 in the Ayrton Senna Racing Car Collection, which we were not expecting. Even though it is effectively a re-release of number 15 in the collection, the fact that it has different packaging and has its own new number (31) will suddenly make it a lot more desirable amongst collectors of the Ayrton Senna Racing Car Collection. Including me!

Mattel started off the week by announcing a price rise that will take effect from 1st December, so it will affect all of their pre-order replicas. The odd thing is that it completely reverses the price cut that was announced at the beginning of this year.

At the start of 2009 Mattel’s 1:18 Elite road car replicas were priced at £84.99. This pricepoint was then reduced to £74.99, but this new price increase takes those replicas up to £89.99.

Mattel’s 1:18 ‘Ferraris in films’ cars were priced at £99.99 at the start of 2009. These then went down to £89.99, but have now gone back up to £99.99 again.

Mattel’s Super Elites weren’t subject to the price reduction, and have now gone up from £229.99 to £249.99.

In 1:43, Mattel’s Elite replicas will be going up from £35.99 to £39.99. The 2009 Ferraris of Felipe Massa (DC29403) and Kimi Raikkonen (DC29404) will be increasing from £29.99 to £34.99, but with Massa already released and Raikkonen due out at the very end of November, if you order before 1st December you will be able to get them at the lower price.

In other news, Minichamps today confirmed the limited edition of the 1:43 Sebastian Vettel First Win special from the 2008 Italian Grand Prix (DC29415M) as 9,999. And we sold out of the 1:12 Valentino Rossi 2007 Assen Yamaha YZR-M1 (PO73096) as well!

Welcome to the Diecast Legends Podcast, which brings you the latest releases in the world of diecast models. Another Minichamps Rossi release is introduced this week. It is that of his 2002 Honda RC211V from Suzuka, where he scored his first MotoGP victory. Robert Kubica’s BMW F1.08 from the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix is also featured and the next subject from GMP is also here, that being the Ickx/Andretti Ferrari 312PB from Daytona 1972.

Keep the comments rolling in. You’ll need quicktime installed to view the video on this post.

 

 Diecast Legends Podcast - 16/11/2009 [3:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (258)

You can also view this podcast on youtube by clicking here

The replicas featured on this weeks podcast are;

1/12 Honda RC211V Suzuka 2002 #46 V. Rossi - Minichamps
1/18 BMW 730i 1986 Black - Minichamps
1/18 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 2004 Orange - Minichamps
1/43 BMW F1.08 1st Canadian Grand Prix 2008 #4 R. Kubica - Minichamps
1/43 Alfa Romeo 159 British Grand Prix 1951 #3 C. Sanesi - Minichamps
1/43 Ford Escort ITC 1st San Remo Rally 1968 #16 Andersson - Minichamps
1/43 Bentley Continental Supersports 2009 Black - Minichamps
1/43 Mercedes ML63 AMG 2008 Black - Minichamps
1/43 Mini Aero 2002 Yellow - Minichamps
1/43 Opel Astra Twintop Cabriolet 2006 White - Minichamps
1/43 Volkswagen Polo 1975 Orange - Minichamps
1/18 Ferrari 312PB 1st Daytona 1972 #2 Andretti/Ickx - GMP
1/18 Porsche 935 K3 DRM 1980 #2 - True Scale Miniatures

Remember you can subscribe to the podcast by clicking the purple podcast icon at the top right or use this link if you wish to subscribe via itunes.

I hope you enjoyed watching the podcast. Please feel free to leave any comments on what you thought of it or anything you would like us to feature in future shows below.

On a rather quiet day in Diecastland, AUTOart did at the end of a day announce a new 1:43 two car set. It is from the Mad Max 2 film, and consists of Mel Gibson’s Road Warrior Interceptor, and the baddies’ car (AA52745). That’s it, have a good weekend!

Today we received GMP’s second new 1:!8 replica of 2009. It is the Ferrari 312 PB of Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx that won at Daytona in 1972 (GMP1972).

As with the 330 P4 that preceded it, the 312 PB is extremely highly detailed, and comes with removable front and rear bodywork to show off all the mechanical workings underneath.

GMP don’t make many replicas, but when they do release one, it’s a belter!

Like yesterday, today’s news is all about Minichamps as well!

They started the day with four brand new 2009 Formula One announcements, the first two being replicas of Jenson Button’s Brawn BGP001 from the Brazilian Grand Prix, in 1:18 (DC2922SP) and 1:43 (DC29422SP). Brazil, of course, is the race where he won this year’s world championship.

The third new announcement was the first Formula One pit stop diorama that we have seen in a few years, which is another one for your 2009 Jenson Button collection (DC29422PS)!

Finally, there is a 1:43 replica for Kamui Kobayashi’s Toyota TF109 (DC29410K) from the end of the season.

We also had another cancellation from Minichamps. The replica to get the chop today was their David Coulthard First Win special from the 1995 Portuguese Grand Prix (P950206).

And on top of all that, we also had Minichamps’ release schedule for the rest of the year!

It is heavily dominated by Formula One replicas. In the week beginning 30th November we will see the 1:43 2009 Toro Rosso showcars of Sebastien Bourdais (DC29411P) and Sebastien Buemi (DC29412P), as well as the first release in the 1:43 Ayrton Senna ‘15th anniversary’ collection which we still haven’t been told too much about, which is his 1987 Lotus 99T (AS874312). 

The following week we are down to receive Mark Webber’s 1:43 2009 Red Bull RB5 (DC29414), and the next 1:12 classic bike, the Yamaha Vmax (P163700).

Then the week beginning 14th December we will see Timo Glock’s 1:43 2009 Toyota TF109 (DC29410).

In the last week of the schedule (week beginning 21st December), just in time for Christmas, we will see the two 1:18 2009 BMW F1.09s of Robert Kubica (DC2905) and Nick Heidfeld (DC2906), and Lewis Hamilton’s 1:43 2008 McLaren MP4/23 from the Brazilian Grand Prix (DC28422B). We will also receive the 1:12 Kawasaki Mach III (P164700).

Conspicuous by their absence from the schedule are Valentino Rossi’s 2008 1:12 Yamaha (PO83046) and the 2009 1:43 Jenson Button Brawn BGP001s from Australia (DC29422A) and Britain (DC29422), but I am hoping that these will be added to the weekly release schedules as the end of 2009 approaches!

Today sees the launch of a new website from GPL towers, The Really Useful Gift Company. It was created in order to provide gifts and presents to people that are both useful and be something you too would be happy to receive. There is currently free UK delivery when you spend over £50. Once you have caught up on all the diecast news give the link a click and make Christmas shopping that little bit easier this year. The Really Useful Gift Company.

Today’s news is all about Minichamps. This morning we discovered that they’d made a bit of a cull through their back catalogue, cancelling a few replicas that we’d built up several pre-orders on.

These were Niki Lauda’s 1:18 1984 McLaren MP4/2 (PG841808), Alain Prost’s 1:18 1985 McLaren MP4/2B (PG851802), and the two 1:12 2007 World Superbike Suzukis, of Max Biaggi (PO72203) and Yukio Kagayama (PO72271).

We also received news of the next weekly release schedule from Minichamps, which will be for the week beginning 23rd November.

It’s a big week for 1:43 Formula One collectors, with the highlight Sebastian Vettel’s First Win special Toro Rosso STR3 from the Italian Grand Prix at Monza (DC28415M). We will also see a 2009 Formula One race car, Nick Heidfeld’s BMW F1.09 (DC29406), and two showcars, the Force Indias of Adrian Sutil (DC29420P) and Giancarlo Fisichella (DC29421P).

We have also heard that two more 1:43 2009 Formula One race cars will join the release schedule for next week’s delivery, which are Robert Kubica’s BMW F1.09 (DC29405) and Jarno Trulli’s Toyota TF109 (DC29409).

We should receive the Minichamps schedule for the rest of the year shortly. I wonder what else we will be getting before Christmas?!

Today Mattel had some news for us regarding their 1:12 Batcycle from the 1960s Batman TV series. The more detailed Elite version (HW0006), which we had originally been told would be with us the week before Christmas, has now been delayed until 2010.

However, a few examples of the standard Foundation version (HW6923), which had not been announced before, will make it to these shores in time for Christmas. This version will not be as detailed as the Elite version.

In other news, AUTOart showed that Mattel aren’t the only ones to have come up with a replica of the Lamborghini Reventon that doesn’t exist; Mattel have already released a 1:43 white colourway (HW9962), and today AUTOart announced a 1:18 black version (AA74592)!

Welcome to the Diecast Legends Podcast, which brings you the latest releases in the world of diecast models. After a three-year wait, the AUTOart Koenigsegg CCX has finally arrived at Grand Prix Legends. Two new Valentino Rossi figures and the latest Sebastian Vettel model make up a rather packed podcast. Bizarre, Mattel and Spark are also included.

Keep the comments rolling in. You’ll need quicktime installed to view the video on this post.

 

 Diecast Legends Podcast - 9/11/2009 [6:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (354)

You can also view this podcast on youtube by clicking here

The replicas featured on this weeks podcast are;

1/12 Rossi Riding Figure GP 250 1998 - Minichamps
1/12 Rossi Riding Figure Valencia 2003 - Minichamps
1/6 Ayrton Senna Statue Japanese Grand Prix 1993 - Minichamps
1/18 Opel Kadett C SR Coupe 1976 Green - Minichamps
1/43 Red Bull RB5 2009 #15 S. Vettel - Minichamps
1/43 Porsche 936/76 1st 500km Dijon 1976 #6 - Minichamps
1/43 Aston Martin DBS Black Top Gear Edition - Minichamps
1/43 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Green Top Gear Edition - Minichamps
1/43 McLaren Mercedes SLR Silver Top Gear Edition - Minichamps
1/43 Mini 850 MkI 1960 Green - Minichamps
1/43 Toyota IQ 2009 White/Black - Minichamps
1/12 Bugatti Veyron 2005 Blue/Black - AUTOart
1/18 Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1300 Spider 1959 Red - AUTOart
1/18 BMW 2002 Monte Carlo Rally 1973 #255 W. Stiller - AUTOart
1/18 Chrysler Charger E49 1971 Metallic Yellow - AUTOart
1/18 Koenigsegg CCX 2006 Black - AUTOart
1/18 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 2007 White - AUTOart
1/43 Allard J2 Mille Miglia 1951 #435 - Bizarre
1/43 Matra 630 Le Mans Test 1967 #31 - Bizarre
1/18 Ferrari F60 2009 #4 K. Raikkonen - Mattel
1/43 Ferrari F60 2009 #3 F. Massa - Mattel
1/43 Matra MS120 French Grand Prix 1971 #21 J-P. Beltoise - Spark
1/43 Renault RS11 1st French Grand Prix 1979 #15 J-P. Jabouille - Spark (SOLD OUT)
1/43 Shadow DN1 Spanish Grand Prix 1973 #19 J. Oliver - Spark
1/43 Aston Martin DBR9 Le Mans 2009 #66 - Spark
1/43 Chevrolet Corvette C6R 1st GT1 Le Mans 2009 #63 - Spark
1/43 Matra Simca MS670B 1st Le Mans 1974 #7 - Spark
1/43 Porsche 935 K3 1st Daytona 1981 #9 - Spark

Remember you can subscribe to the podcast by clicking the purple podcast icon at the top right or use this link if you wish to subscribe via itunes.

I hope you enjoyed watching the podcast. Please feel free to leave any comments on what you thought of it or anything you would like us to feature in future shows below.