This was my first 1:18 scale car. I had noticed the UT BMW Z3 (more on that later) on my boss' bookcase, and we had talked about cars a while. I mentioned that now I would have to find a Boxster, because it was one of my favorite cars, and I couldn't let the BMW be the only one there.
To my surprise and delight, a couple months later, at a company picnic he presented me with this Maisto.
My boss is cool.
So that sort of started things. He brought his little Z3 over to compare, and we studied the similarities and differences between the two cars, and the two brands. Where the Boxster at first seemed exquisitely made, I later noticed some weaknesses. But it also has some strengths, and it's still one of my favorites.
To begin with, Porsche's Boxster is a fantastic car. I saw the original concept car at a car show several years back, and immediately fell in love with it. It was a masterful fusion -- 30% 911, 70% 550 RSK, and forty years of evolution. What the 914 could have been, should have been. Sleek, beautifully proportioned, and 100% Porsche. No way this could ever be mistaken for anything else.
When it came to production, it was a little changed -- the side vents, the front air intakes, the exhaust, the interior -- but they were minor changes, simply the evolution that changes a show car into a go car. The overall shape retained its charm, and the performance promise was fulfilled. At least one magazine called it, "The perfect sports car." It immediately became a regular winner in comparison tests, facing the Z3, then the M Roadster, the Corvette convertible, the Mercedes SLK, and even Mazda's outclassed Miata. Despite suffering a power handicap against all but the Miata, it won every head-to-head test it entered.
So I admit it: I'm biased. I love this car.
Do I automatically love the model? No, not automatically. It's got a beautiful shape, but it also has to do justice to one of my favorites.
So let's get down to business. How does it stack up?
First, the bodywork:
The shape is very well executed on the whole. It retains the charm of the original, and the proportions look right. The paint is a lovely light silver, approximating the color of the prototype nicely, as I remember it. There are a few rough edges where the paint comes to a panel's end, but I can forgive that in a model at Maisto's price range. The only clear flaw I can spot in the bodywork is a pair of rather rough weld seams in the outside of the rear fenders, running roughly horizontally. It's subtle enough that it's easy to miss, but, once you know it's there, you always see it.
The lighting is nicely executed, both front and rear -- the lenses look real. The decals are well placed and look good. The plastic for the front brake vents is a slightly darker gray than the general silver of the body, and one of them is slightly misaligned. (Of course, that's not a design flaw; that's quality control. It won't be the case in every example.)
The side mirrors are quite good, looking like real mirrors, without obvious distortion. A nice touch is that they seem to accurately be aligned to reflect toward the driver! There is a windshield-mounted rearview mirror but no visors, and, to be honest, I can't recall whether the real prototype had them or not. Sometimes the show cars lack details that they feel clutter the lines.
The interior is rather mixed. Most of it is pretty good, but the inside door panels are uneven, both in shape and in paint style. I know it's a show car, but I think the inside panels were at least colored the same. Where the real car had small rollbars, the model sports a rather disappointing pair of vestigial, rollbar-colored lumps behind the seats. And while the seatbelts
are separate parts from the seats, they are cast from the same plastic -- a different color would have given more character, and a greater impression of quality.
Now we come to one of my biggest gripes: the engine. That is to say, the lack of it. I know the engine is deeply buried in the Boxster, but the only clue this model even offers is the rather deco-styled split tailpipe. If you lift the lid just aft of the cockpit, you see a representation of a folded convertible top. This, of course, can't be moved -- so that's all you get. I would have liked to see at least some clues on the underside that an engine lived in there.
The front trunklid has a sort of symbolic representation of a fuel filler cap, though it's just a few lines in a circular pattern. It's hinged near the windshield, and if you lift it there's no indication below of a fuel filler tube or tank. Instead, you see a shallow forward trunk and the spare. Well, sort of a spare tire. More on that later.
The doors open easily and have a nice, precise feel -- though the fit isn't quite perfect. Both the front trunklid and the top cover open easily enough, and are easy to "wedge" fully open for display. The real rear trunklid on this Boxster doesn't open at all. It's worth noting here that Maisto doesn't seem to pay a lot of attention to painting the inside surfaces of the sheetmetal. Fortunately, this car is silver, so the lack of paint isn't too distracting.
Moving right along: I like the steering -- it has a relatively wide range, and the front wheels pretty much stay where you put them. Also, they don't scrub the fenders -- but if you turn them to the steering lock and back the car up, the front trunklid does little jumps.
The tires look pretty good -- the asymmetric tread pattern is nicely modeled (though the pattern is simply rotated for the opposite side, rather than mirrored), and the material looks and feels like real tire rubber. They lack any manufacturer's name on the sidewalls -- just fine concentric circles. But with Maisto's standard spring suspension the car has a nice, lively feel.
The four wheels are beautiful representations of modular wheels, with satin-finish centers and spokes and chromed outer rims. They lack any real attempts at brake rotors, but that's not too serious. The fifth wheel -- the spare -- is offensive to me, though. When you open the trunklid, you see it: first, you notice that, while it's the same style as the four others, it has a satin finish all over, where the others are chromed at the rims. Then, about a tenth of a second later, you see that the "tire" isn't a tire at all -- just a tire-shaped, treadless extrusion from the trunk liner. Definitely not the best Maisto could have done.
Finally, the underside of the car: well, it's basically flat, and it tells us it's Maisto's 1:18th scale Porsche Boxster. I've seen Hot Wheels cars with more undercarriage detail. Very disappointing.
You might get the vague impression that I don't like this model. Far from it -- it's still one of my favorites. But I don't delude myself that it's perfect, and you also shouldn't think that.
To sum it up:
Strengths: Beautiful shape, fine finish, pretty good general fit. It's the right color. Excellent rendering of the lights and wheels (no, I don't have the rare "gold wheel" model).
Weaknesses: Lack of engine, undercarriage, or passable spare tire. Poor paint on inside of top cover and trunklid.
In general, a fine model for Maisto's low price point. Also the only prototype Boxster in 1:18th scale. Not a must for everybody, but nice if you like European sports cars, and a must for the Porsche enthusiast.
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