Tomica 1983 Honda Civic and Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT R

Here are two wild extremes of the Tomica line that includes the fierce green of a Mercedes-Benz sports car and a compact car that is currently a hot item.

1983 Honda Civic

Everyone knows that the Honda Civic is a popular car with enthusiasts thanks to performance modifications, Si and Type R models, and the Fast and Furious franchise so diecast models are also just as popular now that JDM models are at their peak, but did you know that the earlier and frugal Civics are also popular?  Case in point is this 1983 Honda Civic hatchback.  The first Civic was introduced in the 1970’s and was popular for its small size and fuel efficiency thanks to the complex CVCC emissions system, but styling was old-fashioned and would be out-of-date in the 1980’s.  The third-generation goes into the future with a more modern wedge profile inspired by the Lancia Megagamma show car, a roomier interior with a modern dashboard layout, and the smaller two-seat CRX that would become a performance icon for Honda even though it was built as a fuel-efficient runabout.  The handing was excellent with front strut and rear twist beam rear axle, while the engine is a 1.5L SOHC I-4 that produces 76 horsepower through a 5-speed manual transmission.  By then the seeds of Civic popularity were planted and would blossom in the next-generation Civic.

This red and silver two-tone hatchback has some nifty pieces in this casting.  The front has flush chrome headlights with a smaller lip grille between them and a larger grille below on the front bumper, while the sides have a clean hatchback look with Tomica wheels that perfectly match this small car and also note the added details that I added to finish off the completed look of the model.  The rear has a wider rear hatch with black trim surrounding the rear window and a taillight bar just above the rear bumper, while the metal base has detailed exhaust, fuel tank, drivetrain, and suspension components.   Notice at the front of the engine a round white dot that looks like a tab: it is used to push up the flush hood to open it and expose the 1.5L engine details with the visible valve cover, battery, and strut towers.  The interior is simple Tomica with four seats, floor shifter, steering wheel, and a lack of a dashboard.  The clean look and nifty opening hood features of this Civic is why this casting is high in value and is very popular with collectors.

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R

I am surprised to see Tomica being a bit behind releasing a replica of the new AMG GT coupe by Mercedes-Benz, so instead of making another GT coupe they went for the track-oriented GTR model in that wild green color.  The AMG GT coupe replaces the SLS AMG with a new look that is smaller and sleeker than the SLS with traditional doors over the gullwing of the SLS coupe.  The model was designed to go after the 911 with the smaller size and brute power of the 4.0L DOHC twin-turbo V8 with turbos mounted inside the Vee of the engine and in the GT R it produces 577 horsepower and 516 Ib-ft of torque to the rear wheels by a 7-speed automated manual transmission.  To add to a track-focused ride the springs are mechanical instead of auto like the standard GT models, the rear wing is adjustable, there are active aero flaps under the car, and any extra features inside of the car are removed and replaced with standard mechanical features.  The interior carries over the basic look with center floating touchscreen and rising center console, 3-spoke steering wheel, supportive front seats, and dual gauge pod.  The exterior gets larger front side scoops, vertical fin front grille and revised front and rear bumpers.  Most of the GT R’s modifications have made their way into the 2018 AMG GT line.

The hulking green color is a good start to gain attention to this wild Tomica casting with a blacked-out roof and a black plastic rear spoiler.  The front has a large separate grille with vertical fins and three-pointed star, silver headlights, and a lower bumper with large black scoops.  The sides have large front fender scoops that join the hood ones to extract the turbo heat and 5-spoke Tomica wheels borrowed from the race cars to give it that aggressive look, though I did have to add missing black trim pieces here and there to make the car look more like the GT R and not a special GT model.  The rear has slim taillights that could’ve been a bit more detailed (like the headlights), the missing bumper slot added, and the dual center exhaust in the lower rear diffuser panel.  The plastic chassis could’ve been plain smooth, but they did at least add the suspension and dual exhaust detailing as best as they can, while the front doors that lack exterior mirrors open to the interior that has an interesting component: the top-half of the dashboard is part of the metal body and yet it still has the detailed air vents and center touchscreen.  The rest of the interior features the 3-spoke steering wheel, floating center console, and supportive front seats with 5-point racing harness.  It’s a nice model, though I would like to see some exterior mirrors and finished details to the exterior but otherwise a fantastic turnout for Tomica’s first AMG GT casting.