Realtoy 2006 Audi RS4 sedan and Majorette 2001 BMW M3 Coupe

German automakers are known for currently making hot-branded examples of current models as a separate sports brand: Audi has RS, BMW has M, and Mercedes-Benz has AMG.  Each brand takes a current model and hot rods it up to create a special performance machine, though today with specialty packages making normal models look like sports cars those brand identifiers become more complex than they should be.  Here are a few nice examples of some 2000 German performance with the RS4 sedan and BMW M3 Coupe.

Realtoy Audi RS4 sedan

The RS4 was one of the first Audi models to use the RS moniker and this new name upstaged the S-line with more power and advance technology.  After first debuting in 1999, the RS4 took a break from the second-generation A4 to arrive on the third-generation A4 in 2006.  Offered in sedan, wagon, and convertible the RS4 uses lighter aluminum body panels up front, larger lower grilles to accommodate larger radiators, flared fenders for the wider tires, and dual exhausts at the rear.  Inside the interior retains the stock A4 layout but with a flat-bottomed steering wheel and front Recaro bucket seats.  The engine is the 4.2L DOHC V8 from the S4 and R8 and produces 414 horsepower through a six-speed manual transmission and to all four wheels with the famed Audi Quattro all-wheel drive system with active hydraulic suspension dampers.  This generation RS4 reinforced the popularity of the RS brand with more models and high-performance and ended up being the line to take on the BMW M and Mercedes AMG counterparts.

Realtoy has made a nice assortment of castings at the time (some more I’ll feature later) and this RS4 is a nice one.  Painted in yellow or red the RS4 looks like a stock A4 but with some visual clues to indicate that this is an RS4 model.  The front has slight off-set headlights that connect to the large Audi ring grille with rings logo, RS badge, and Audi RS4 front plate, while the lower bumper has the larger side grilles and round foglights.  The sides of the car seem a bit plain as it lacks the flared fenders of the real car and the 5-spoke wheels are nice, but could be a bit more sporty, while the rear has detailed taillights, rear plate, badging, and dual exhausts.  As usual most of the undercarriage is covered up in today’s modern German sedan, but there is enough detail to see the dual exhausts and rear-axle for the all-wheel drive system.  What really pays off for Realtoy castings is the detailed interior and this RS4 sedan has just that: the front seats are the supportive Recaro’s, the rear seat is there, the center console has the shifter for the six-speed, and the dashboard has the correct control layout in the center and the 3-spoke steering wheel.  Only the dashboard that tends to sink forward a bit and the lack of side door panels upset the otherwise fantastic interior details.  Again, not that sporty-looking but unique in its own right as this is the only second-generation RS4 made in 1:64 scale and it’s a pretty decent one.

Majorette BMW M3 coupe

On the other side the popular M3 line has grown after the successful E36 line with more refinement, though the sedan disappears for this E46 M3.  The introduction in 2001 for the new M3 shares the new and smoother styling with the 3-series coupe that premiered a year before and was also offered as a convertible.  The look is very familiar with the larger lower grilles in the front bumper, the quad exhausts in the center of the rear bumper, and the option of vibrant colors, though those colors were a bit toned down and the components along the body look more integrated as the separate trim pieces of the previous model were eliminated.  The interior has the familiar stock 3-series coupe layout with the center controls angled toward the driver, though it gets a flat-bottomed steering wheel and supportive front seats in the M trim.  The engine is a 3.2L DOHC I-6 that produces 333 horsepower through a six-speed manual transmission and to the rear-wheels that include an all-independent suspension.  This would be the car that manufacturers would try to beat and the M3 still continues on as a successful sports car, though by the next-generation the I-6 would go in favor of a V8 and the sedan would return, then by the generation after that return with a twin-turbo I-6 and the coupe and convertible now called M4 models.

Despite the success of the real car Majorette has not had the same success with the 3-series: the E36 sedan was awful and the E46 convertible looks a bit crude, but this M3 coupe is a nice gem of the bunch.  There are plenty of cool colors and the 5-spoke wheel s really fill the wheelwells nicely on this car, but I had to do with the nice silver with tan interior and torqued 5-spoke wheels with a rather small rim.  The front has clear headlights with integrated quad round lenses, twin kidney grille, and large lower bumper grilles, while the sides have a clean profile with sweeping roofline, mirrors on the doors, and a sunroof.  The rear has L-shaped taillights, license plate area that is also the base tab, and those quad exhaust tips below the rear bumper.  In contrast to past Majorette models the base is plastic and now has detailed drivetrain, exhaust, and suspension components, yet the working suspension is still there and works really well with the handling of this car.  The tan interior is a nice touch and features detailed seats front and rear, large 3-spoke steering wheel, and smooth dashboard layout that tends to look a bit flat on some corners.  Oh, and don’t forget it also has opening doors with detailed inner door panels.  All-in-all this is a pretty nice M3 coupe casting and being an M3 separates this Majorette casting from the other 3-series E46 coupes offered in 1:64 at the time.