Hot Wheels
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The legacy of the MASERATI MC12 – FEATURETTE
The legendary MC12 in a nutshell: The MC12 (Maserati Corse, 12 cylinders) represented Maserati in its most extreme performance form. The Stradale – the road version – was created to homologate the model for GT racing. With the MC12, Maserati returned to international GT racing and the GT1 version was the car to beat on race tracks around the world. The MC12 is the fastest Maserati ever built: acceleration from standstill to 200 km/h in less than 10 seconds. The top speed was 330 km/h. The technology of the MC12 was based on the Ferrari Enzo, but significant changes were made to the engine, chassis and aerodynamics. At the end…
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Chibi Cars: A tooned modelcar world FEATURETTE
What the heck are CHIBI CARS? They are literally rising from absolutely nowhere: Chibi cars. Numerous different manufacturers have them in their programme, such as Hot Wheels, YM Model or, more recently, MGA. But what exactly are chibi cars and why do we need them? We get to the bottom of it here. In short: the origin of the whole thing can be traced back to Japan, as chibi is a form of illustration from the Japanese manga and anime genre. Chibi means like βtinyβ. This character illustration depicts figures in a very childlike form. In the illustration, the head puffs up while the body becomes smaller. The chibi is…
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Hot Wheels ELITE64 Bugatti Type 59 FEATURETTE
Elite64 Series by Mattel Creations The Mattel Creations website has been offering highlights for collectors for years, focussing on special collector’s items that are usually limited to 30,000 pieces. The so-called Red Line Club with the Red Line models. Many of these have the potential to increase in value. This is partly due to the limited number of models, but also to the exceptional details and functions. Because we’re not talking about $2 Hot Wheels models here, but tangible collector’s items! These more or less include the Elite64 side series, which was launched in 2023. Elite 64 is a Premium-style series featuring true 1/64-scale cars. All castings feature multiple separate…
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An automotive Icon turns +30 || McLaren F1 RED LINE CLUB FEATURETTE
F1 turns +30…. In the early 1980s, former mechanic Ron Dennis took over McLaren – and turned the new McLaren Group not only into a successful racing team, but also into a technology company. Dennis always managed to bring new partners on board – which made him one of the richest men in England. And he also repeatedly found engineers and specialists who became the best in the world in their field at McLaren. One of them was Gordon Murray. The South African had worked at Brabham from 1969 and joined McLaren as Technical Director in 1987. His vision became reality with the McLaren F1. Between 1993 and 1997, around…
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In Memory of MARCELLO GANDINI – FEATURETTE
Design language for eternity! Marcello Gandini designed the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, but also everyday cars for BMW, Citroen and Renault. He now died in Rivoli at the age of 85. If his father had had his way, Marcello Gandini would have become a pianist. But he invested the money he had received for a Latin book in a book on cars and engineering. Fortunately, Gandini rebelled against family tradition and took a different path to his father, who was a well-known conductor. The automotive world would be poorer for some of the most spectacular cars. Lamborghini Miura and Countach In 1965, Marcello Gandini joined Bertone, succeeding Giorgio Giugiaro (legendary…
