Kinsmart 1:32 and Matchbox 1:64 Lamborghini Miura




How cool is this: two cool Lamborghini's from one of the first mid-engine sports cars for the company, and one of my favorites the Miura.  Matchbox has had their version competely retooled from the original Superfast version in 2011, but this latest release in the 2017 Best of World is got to be the best one.  While Kinsmart moves in on the classic after doing several versions of the new-age Lamborghini so it was time for me to check one out in the only recolor that I don't have for the Matchbox version: green.






Click for Photo Gallery



Now the history behind Lamborghini is that founder Ferrucio Lamborghini just hated how the Ferrari's of the time drove so he created his own sports car as one that you can drive on long trips, also sold alongside the tractor's that he also sold.  What you may not know is that the Miura was actually created by the Lamborghini engineers behind Ferrucio's back to try and convince him the company could make a fantastic sports car to take on Ferrari.  The result was revealed in Geneva in 1966 as the Miura.  The Miura uses a tubular frame with steel doors and shell and aluminum front and rear trunk/hoods.  The 3.9L DOHC 539 hp. V12 motor was placed transverse (an unusual layout even today) with the 5-speed manual dogleg gearbox sharing the same oil with the crankcase to conserve room.  This layout made the mechanical linkage for the clutch and shifter difficult to operate smoothly.  The stylish body was designed by Bertone and it still looks good today.  The Miura would go though several models before ending production in 1973 for the long-serving Countach to take over.




Click for Photo Gallery


The latest Matchbox release in the Best of World has got to be the best one done yet!  The blue paint is gorgeous and goes along with the gold lower side sills/scoops and gold lace wheels with rubber tires (another Hot Wheels loaner).  The front has pop-up round headlights that lay along the ribbed fins to give it a snake-like look.  The hood vents and front grille with signal lights are part of the windows but you woudn't really tell anyways.   The sides show off the beautiful roofline arch with flared fenders to add some character.  Also note the intake vents integrated along the door's B-pillar that also has the ribbed like effect as found on the headlight surrounds.  The rear has solid red taillights (some past versions had more detail here), Lamborghini and Miura badges, black bumper, and dual exhaust; on the latter I added silver and black details to make them really stand out.






Click for Photo Gallery


The base is body-colored to make the lower front and rear bumper sections match the upper metal body and shows a few body supports here and there but nothing much else.  I was disappointed to see that behind the louvered rear window there is no engine area details, but then again on the actual car there is an engine cover just below the rear window.  The interior shows off the details nicely with supportive bucket seats, shifter on the center console, and dashboar layout while not ergonomically friendly it does the job just well, and the three-spoke steering wheel is nicely done.  Even if you cannot see much of the interior Matchbox did a great job with the upper dashboard work as seen from the windshield.  So far the color range has been orange, yellow, green, and the gold that I reviewed from the 2014 Exotic Cars 5-pack review.  But this color, the wheels, the gold accents is just something on this casting!






Click for Photo Gallery


Now Kinsmart has gotten into the Miura bug as well.  This version is different from the Matchbox version as its based on the 1971 model (the Matchbox version was based on the 1968 version) with a few key details and yes this is twice as big as the Matchbox.  The louvered rear window again hides the engine details but here it gets power from a pull-back motor in the same location!  The front has round headlights that are slightly-recessed into the lens as if the pop-up unit was discarded, with the black mascara around the headlights larger and without the ribs.  The hood has dual vents, the grille has detailed signal lights, and the lower chin spoiler is part of the metal body.  The sides show separate silver side sills, the detailed ribbed door vents, Bertone badge, and while the fenders are not flared check out those cool multi-spoke wheels with spinner center caps; they're from a few Shelby castings in the Kinsmart line but look great here.







The rear features detailed tri-taillights, the Miura badge with bull outline in the letters, a bumper section that is the engine heat extractor, and dual chrome exhaust.  Now the stance is a bit high, the tires nubby, and the base has incorrect details but otherwise it looks great.  Now open the doors to check out the interior:  here you can see the details on the bucket seats, three-spoke steering wheel, the dual gauges, the auxiliary gauges in the center, the door panel, the pedals, but something's missing: it's obvious its the shifter and for a car in this scale range unacceptable.  Fortunately I had the cure with a shorten placement holder needle for sewing and super glue to finally give it the needed shifter that it was missing.  Adding a few missing details to the mix and you got one excellent Miura from Kinsmart.

Comments

  1. Motivated by the prominent Ford GT40, the Lamborghini Miura 1966 managed to stirr excitement a long time before it was also finished. After seeing the uncompleted framework at the Turin Motor Demonstrate in 1965 persons rushed straight into place their particular orders even though the body was not been made. When it finally came out in 1966, the initial design as well as the clam covering hoods required everyone by amaze. It announced several engine types that were named the P400, the P400S plus the P400SV.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment