[Japanese Moderns] Japanese Off-Road : The Pajero

-First, i'd just like to thanks everybody who's looking at my blog. Views number has been constantly increasing over the past two months, and that is really motivating. Also, according to my statistics, longer/most document posts are the most popular... I'll try to keep it this way. For now, let's enter our subject of the day : the Mitsubishi Pajero (also known as Montero in the Americas, and Shogun in the UK). Being introduced in 1982, the Pajero is certainly one of the most well-known japanese off-roaders. Its name come from a special variety of cat called Leopardus pajeros.

Real Pajero.

The current Pajero is in its 4th generation. Please note that the following article will be focused on the third generation (1999-2006), obviously because of the fact that i only have castings from this era. Multiple variations of the Pajero has been produced over the years (Pajero Mini, Pajero Junior, Pajero Sport etc.), but only one of them will be covered (certainly the most interesting one though!).

Talkin' Pajero

Original 83 Pajero.

The first steps of the Pajero come back to 1973, with the first prototype showed at the Tokyo Motor Show. It was initially a three-door, short wheelbase off-road truck.... and it failed. It was seen as a commercial vehicle, but it was clearly not the purpose of the car. Success started with the introduction of the long-wheelbase 5 doors model in 1984. Even more, a luxuous model (easily recognizable with its two-tone paint) has been introduced in 1987, to confirm the Pajero's success. Lots of engines were offered, from diesel to 3L V6. The Pajero has also been reproduced as the Dodge Raider and the Hyundai Galloper in multiple countries.

Third generation Pajero.

Second generation has been introduced in 1991 and lasted until 1999. It was a popular one, not for the car in itself but mainly because of the notority gained in the Rally Paris-Dakar event. The first Pajero entered the rally in 1983, and started to win in 1985. Up to this day, it remains the most titled truck in this event (although it is being challenged by the VW Touareg nowadays). The third generation lasted from 99 to 2006, but facing declining sales (especially in the US) and increasing competition from classic (Toyota Land Cruiser) or new players (Volkswagen), it has been retired from the american market. The fourth generation is more of a luxuous high-end SUV, but still very capable out of the roads.

Talking diecats, i must say that we NEED MORE Pajero diecasts. Of course, a lot has been produced by Tomica, but they're unavailable here, and quite expensive on eBay. I just bought the 4th generation Tomica, but it didin't arrived yet. I'll probably do a new small post to cover it (along with a few additions to older posts). So let's aboard the regular third generation three-door Pajero. Recently reproduced by Welly, as mentioned in this post, the Pajero has been found in the Easter Eggs series, and is quite well done. Proportions are pretty well reproduced, and the silver color (classic color for a Pajero) fits it well. Wheels are just perfect too... i must admit that it is one of my favorite. Only thing i dislike : there's no interior doors cover, and that makes it look strange. Still, a pretty nice effort by Welly!

Evaluation : Welly Mitsubishi Pajero

• Accuracy (looking like the real car?) : 9/10
• Details (mirrors, wheels, other stuff)  : 7/10
• Color : 8/10
• Quality of the fabrication :  8/10
• Personal factor (is it a must for my collection?): 8/10
• Total : 40/50

The same car has been reproduced by Majorette, but in its Paris-Dakar version, referenced as number 292. At first glance, Majorette did a perfect job on the decals. But with a second look... it looks a bit plastic. Not quite a fan of those wheels too, they look cheap and too much generic. And what's wrong with the rear of the car, they forgot it? Besides that, tampos are a great add *on the front*, and the overall proportions are well reproduced. At least, the decals are officials, and reproduces well the 2001 Paris-Dakar edition. I quite like the casting.... but it could have been better. I must give a thumb up for the opening hood though.

Evaluation : Majorette Mitsubishi Pajero Rally

• Accuracy (looking like the real car?) : 9/10
• Details (mirrors, wheels, other stuff)  : 5/10
• Color : 9/10
• Quality of the fabrication :  7/10
• Personal factor (is it a must for my collection?): 7/10
• Total : 39/50

For the special edition part of this article, we need to talk of the Pajero Evolution. Initially introduced as a sport model on the second generation, the Pajero Evo was also a concept introduced in 2003, used to show new Mitsubishi's style. Equipped with a double turbo V6 delivering 450 hp, it was quite a beast. The car is the actual Paris-Dakar Mitsubishi Pajero, in a red racing livery. This concept has been reproduced by an obscure diecast brand called Boley.... Boley only made 9 repertoried cars in 1/64 scale, and they're quite cheap to buy (around only 1$). It is an awesomely detailed car for the price, with interior, mirrors, nice wheels and real glass lights. I must say that the proportions are pretty nice done, and for one time, the car is really 1/64!  The color doesn't represent the real deal though.... and i must say that the car looks really fragile. Still a nice piece to have, they'll surely become rare in the future!

Evaluation : Boley Mitsubishi Pajero Evo

• Accuracy (looking like the real car?) : 9/10
• Details (mirrors, wheels, other stuff)  : 9/10
• Color : 8/10
• Quality of the fabrication :  5/10
• Personal factor (is it a must for my collection?): 8/10
• Total : 39/50

Enjoy the pics, don't forget to comment!

[Japanese Moderns] Acura in diecasts, are there some?

Acura is the luxuous division of international Honda japanese maker. Only offered in Canada, USA and Hong Kong, the brand has been introduced in 1986, as well as other similar brands such as Lexus and Infiniti. Originally, all the Acuras were only japanese Honda with another badge, but in the 2000s, a few exclusive models has been introduced. Acura is somewhat a rare brand in diecasts, such as its competitors previously named. Of cource, since it's only offered in America, only american brands reproduced them...

1. Acura NSX : racing version

Last NSX version.

The Acura NSX, known as Honda NSX in every country outside America, has been introduced in 1989 to promote Honda's savoir-faire in technology. The car was using a central V6 engine offering 274 hp, and the body was entirely made in aluminum. The car was somewhat popular in USA, but was lacking of image comparatively to Porsche or Ferrari. Also, lack of motivation from Honda to bring some modifs to the car killed its career, and it disappeared in 2005, with only 18 000 units sold. A lot of variations of the NSX has been produced, such as the NSX-R, easily recognizable with its white and black paint. Also, the NSX was a big player in Japanese`s GT championship. It also won the LM GT2 first place at the 1995 Le Mans.

The Acura NSX has been introduced in Hot Wheels regular line in 2008 as a brand new casting. Unfortunately, it's supposed to be a "tuner version"... i must say some variations are better than others. As usual with HW, some variations of this casting are absolutely horrible, but the one i have is pretty nice, coming from the 2010 Speed Machines serie (a special Hot Wheels line with more detailed cars). Although it's supposed to simply be tuned, it kinda looks like the Japanese GT NSX. The big rear spoiler is well done, as well as the roof scoop. The car is suffering of a lack of tampos, but the colors are pretty realtistic, and wheels are well made too (rare fact in a Hot Wheel replica).

The NSX was also offered by Majorette, as the number 220 in the 200 casting line. It has also been offered as a Majorette Novacar #117 (remember : Novacar was a cheaper Majorette's line, with plastic bodies, and produced in Portugal instead of France). It has been produced in a large variety of colors, some plain ones and also racing ones. First introduced in 1994, this casting quickly became a rare one, mainly because of Majorette's money problems in the late 90s. I personally own two Novacar replicas. The casting is overall well made, but clearly lack details. The plastic body made the car hardly recognizable. In the two versions i own, the red one more looks like the real one, but the purple one is..... "funky", to stay polite?

2. Following the NSX, the HSC

That would have made an awesome new NSX...

After 2005, Honda made a lot of tries to replace the NSX, but never produced a real replacement. The 2008 economic crisis really cut Honda's future projects in this domain. The Acura/Honda HSC (simply standing for Honda Sports Concept) was one of those tries, and has been introduced at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show. Many journalists thought it was a preview of the future NSX, but Honda clearly stated that it was a pure test concept car. Its slick styling was a pleasure for the eye, and the rear window form added a nice touch. As well as the NSX, the HSC was mounted with a V6 VTEC mid-engine, but also had a 6-speed F1 style transmission. On the other hand, the body was made with carbon fiber, making it really light.

Only showed in silver, the original Hot Wheels HSC has been introduced in 2005. Although the car was missing tampos and the windows were black, it was a nice replica of the real version. I love those kind of concepts in my collection.... but not so much the one i have. Why? Because i own the 2007 Honda HSC offered in the Exotics 5-pack of the same year, and well, it's ORANGE! I don't dislike the color in itself, but it's totally unrealistic. Also, the front looks really undetailed in the orange color. I would surely be happy to exchange it for a silver one... At least i bought the 5-pack for other cars, not this one.

3- Acura's most important one : The Integra.

First Acura Integra, 1989 generation.

The Integra has literally been Acura's savior, it was the brand's bread and butter in the 90s. The first generation debuted in 1986 in Japan, under the Honda's badge. The car was offered as a 3 and 5 door hatchback, as well as a 4-door sedan. Also sold as a Rover in Australia, the original one had hidden headlights. It has never been so much popular in Europe, but USA loved the model, and it quickly became a big player in this market, and made Acura known. The 5-door hatchback has quickly been discontinued in 1990, and has never been imported in the US. The new generation introduced in 1989 has been really important in Honda's history, because it came with the first VTEC engine ever. This generation was known for its engine's toughness, that was easily able to reach 500,000 kms on the counter.

The famous third generation Type R.

The third generation introduced in 1994 is certainly the best known one. Offering a much more modern styling, it also became sportier, mainly with the introduction of the Type R version. Only offered in white, the Integra Type R offered surprising performances for a compact car : it was able to do the 0-100 km/h in only 6.2 seconds. This generation lasted until 2001, but the small sport car market was really starting to decline, so the fourth generation has been introduced in 2002. The name Integra has been abandoned in Acura's offer (renamed as the Acura RSX), but still used by Honda in Japan. It was only offered as a sport coupe this time (3-door hatchback), but never encountered success of the previous generations. It has been discontinued in 2006... and sadly, the market restarted a few years after. The gap has been filled by the cheaper Civic Si.

Johnny Lightning introduced an awesome diecast of the Integra third generation model in the Import Heat serie, in 2003. The casting has mainly been used as tuners with vinyls and flashy colors, but there's a few nice ones. Originally intended to be a Type R replica, JL also made a normal 3-door hatchback one in the Classic Gold serie, and this is the one i have. Details are simply stunning on this model, and the blue color fits it well. Mirrors are there, and the overall shape is perfectly reproduced... it's one of the best castings i've seen.

There's also a nice replica of the last generation, identified with the "DC5" tag. Reproduced by Welly, it's the Type R version, easily identifiable with its big rear spoiler and body kit (unfortunately, it's the Honda and not the Acura one). Originally offered in white, i have the yellow one that can be found in Welly's Easter Eggs (kind of Kinder Surprise eggs, but no chocolate and cars inside. That's a nice idea, you buy an egg, but you don't know which car is inside...). Welly's older castings are a bit miserable sometimes, but this one is particularly nice, and details are well reproduced. It's suffering from a lack of more detailed tampos, but it's really looking like the real one. Detail i don't like : why are there no interior body panels? It makes the interior looks strange...

Enjoy the pics, throw some comments in here :)

[Euro-American Classics] European Ford Taurus : the Sierra

Euro-American? That's starting to sound weird... but a lot of models of american brands have been specially produced for European countries. Ford is a big adept of this kind of work, and the well known Fords in Europe aren't the same as USA... for example, Mustang, Focus, Taurus, F-150 are all unknown cars for Europeans. Let's talk about the Taurus's european cousin, the Ford Sierra (don't mix with the GMC Sierra sold here!)

An european Taurus

The original 1982 one.

When you first see the pic of a Sierra, it's hard to believe that the model was introduced in 1982. Designed by Patrick Le Quément, it was intended to replace the more classics Ford Cortina and Taunus, but is shocked a lot of people, mainly because of its futuristic style (futuristic for the 80's, you understand :)). Its styling was called the "aero" Ford design, but a lot of people nicknamed the car "Jellymould" or "Salesman's Spaceship" because of it. Sales were effectively low at the beginning, but it paid off around 86-87, and the car became really popular.

1991 Sierra Sapphire.

Initially, the car was sold as a 5-door sedan and 5-door wagon, as well as a 3-door hatchback. Strangely, even if it was intended to be a large family car, no 4-door saloon was offered, and this was another reason of the lack of the popularity of the beginning. Ford addressed this mistake in 1987 by introducing the 4-door Sierra, along with a facelift of the car. The 4-door was named Sierra Sapphire. The Sierra is registered as the tenth most popular car sold in Britain's history, with a total of nearly 1,300,000 units! In the beginning of the 90's, it was clear though that the car has fallen out of step against more modern Japanese rivals, and it was replace by the Mondeo in 1993.

Majorette, the mighty european maker, introduced the Sierra as the number 272 in its regular casting line. As you can see with the pictures, it is the 5 door original sedan, before the facelift. As always with old Majorettes like this, it's an awesome casting, really accurate, with opening doors and working suspensions. Unfortunately, i tried to repaint the one i have when i was a kid.... and well it didnt give a sooo good result. I saved the car recently, but before i bought a drill, so it's still average. The original had red decorations everywhere though.

Sportier versions

Sierra XR4i.

In 1983, Ford introduced a sportier version called the XR4i. The car was easily distinguable with its huge rear spoiler and strange multiple rear pillars. It was equipped with the same 2.8L as the Ford Capri. Unfortunately, it was recognized as over-stylized, and never been so much popular in its time. It was also sold in the USA as a Merkur, a special brand created by Ford to sell european cars. The XR4i appeared in a lot of races, noticably in the BTCC racing league. Further sporty versions were introduced after 1985, such as the XR4x4 (four wheel drive with a V6) and the famous Sierra Cosworth (famous for its rally success). Turbocharged versions were also availabe, reaching up to 280 hp. Those were real killers!

Matchbox produced a nice version of the XR4i from 1982 to 1997 in its regular line. It was produced in a variety of colors, from flower "kid-version" to a fire department one! The one i own is the yellow with black interior one. Strangely, it's written XR4x4 on the sides, even if it's a XR4i... This Matchbox #120 is really well made (i must admit, i'm a huge fan of those 80's Matchbox). It lacks the side mirrors, but the spoiler is really well made, and the sunroof is a nice addition!

I also own an intriguing white Welly Ford Sierra XR4i. Welly earned a reputation of copying other diecast brands (not with their recent diecasts though), and this one is a clear rip-off of the Matchbox one. Although it's nowhere identified as a Ford Sierra, you can easily recognize the model, and the blue oval on the hood screams Ford. Cheapier than the Matchbox, it's still a nice diecast in my humble opinion, and the rear spoiler is admirably well done. Offered in the Speed Wheels serie, it was one of my favorite as a child (why? i don't remember that :)), and i still keep it carefully.
Enjoy the pics! Don't be afraid to leave comments!

A few rainy pics...

With a brand new Welly Formula 1. This is a generic car, but really well made and with great details. This has been offered in Welly's 20 cars set a few years ago. Unfortunately, information is quite elusive about the Welly cars, but this is more an article for pictures. With the rainy day, it was a great occasion to put the cars and camera outside!

Enjoy the pics :)

Rainy asphalt makes a wonderful pic.

Can you see the car :)