PHOTO GALLERY: Cult Scale Models Jaguar XJR-15 • DiecastSociety.com

PHOTO GALLERY: Cult Scale Models Jaguar XJR-15

One of the positive spins of collecting scale model cars and being associated with DiecastSocety.com is learning about something new in automobile history that you did not know once existed.  In my pursuit of the ultimate 1:18 sport and supercar collection, it is truly exciting when something off the beaten path comes your way.  In this case, it was the Cult Scale Models Jaguar XJR-15.  The replica was actually released in 2019, though I just got my specimen last August.  The Jaguar XJR-15 is based on the Le Mans-winning XJR-9.  The exterior shell was designed by Peter Stevens, who went on to co-design the McLaren F1.  How cool is that!  Do you notice the similar design subtleties between the two?  Let’s just say the Jaguar XJR-15 is fashionably cool and extremely rare…

As for the model, you do pay a premium for a Cult Scale Models piece when compared to others in the sealed and resin category.  Is it worth the extra coin?  It depends on what is important to you…  The Orange Metallic exterior paint on this example is extremely good.  Under intense lighting, you’ll bring forward the metallic base.  Auto Cult also does well in defining the panel gaps throughout the model too.  Very clean and meticulously detailed, a must for sealed examples.  Wheels are a nice touch too; the chrome work is stellar!  A neat feature with Cult Scale Models is the ability to steer the front wheels. This option is usually static 99% of the time on resin pieces.

On the negative side, most if not all of the openings, combining all front to rear elements are capped with solid plastic bits.  I would give this a pass if the actual area or part location was tiny but in the case, of the Jaguar XJR-15, a perforated piece should have been used.  Also, the motor is quite primitive too.  It consists of a flat piece of plastic with the basic elements of the motor etched in, all in Black too.  The only colour added is a couple of chrome/Silver tubing parts from the passenger side.

In the end, each collector must gravitate to the model in some way for him/her to make the purchase.  What Cult Scale Models do well is deciding to craft the 1:18 Jaguar XJR-15 in scale.  That is a win in its self.  From an exterior presence, the model is superb, but hints of cost-cutting measures are evident on closer inspection.  Would I purchase it again, absolutely!  This is a perfect candidate for expanding one’s sport/supercar collection, and possibly one that will never be made in 1:18 scale again.  Enjoy the pics!

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23 Responses to "PHOTO GALLERY: Cult Scale Models Jaguar XJR-15"

  1. Vitaliy D says:

    Thank you for the review!
    This particular 1:18 scale model demonstrates us that the old (!) 1:43 (!) counterpart by Spark can have better detailed (!) engine and wiper. Because of that, I’m having both the blue one and the orange one in 1:43 by Spark. As for me, the 1:18 scale _must_ provide more details than 1:43!

  2. Pablo Pozo says:

    Cult Scale models are unjustifiably more expensive than Otto or GT Spirit, the detail and quality are about the same or even less, The steering systems are done with very simple mechanisms and the steered wheels do not look natural, I have their mercedes G240 convertible and the FJ40 Land Cruiser, both suffer from the same issue.

    • DS Team says:

      Yes, not sure if the added wheel steer will win collectors over. It more to do with the car and 1:18, only one to date, possibly never seen again… This is the only Cult Scale Model we’ve seen in the flesh. The cleanness of the panel gaps is appreciated, and this will definitely add to the cost.

  3. Evert Delanoye says:

    I have the blue XJR-15 from Cult Scale Models. I had been waiting since 1992 for someone to release this car in 1/18. It took way too long so when it finally came out, I bought one immediatly. However to me it was a bit of a let down. First of all because of the low details as mentionned in the review, but also because the overall shape is not accurate. The nose is too long and the line looking at it from the side is too flat. I’ve noticed the same issue on the XJ220 scale models. Apparently Jaguar made cars in the ninetees that’re very difficult to replicate. The shape of the model car is not as voluminous and curvy as the real car. It is as if it lacks a dimension.
    Because I’m a Jaguar collector, I had to have this one and so should every other Jaguar enthusiast. But whenever I look at it, it’s with mixed feelings. Let’s hope somebody else gives it another 1/18 try, preferably in race trim.

    • DS Team says:

      What is the adjust piece with located underneath the centre exhaust? Tow-hook??

      • spikyone says:

        Yes, it’s a tow hook, there’s one in the front as well.

        I agree with Evert, the shape of this looks a bit off so I passed. Hadn’t realised how poor the mesh is, nor the engine detail, and those tow hooks are incredibly thick. This isn’t far off the price of a Spark but it’s only half the model.

    • Chris Walker says:

      I would disagree that the shape is wrong. I think it is fundamentally correct, which is why it is so different from the Spark (1:43) and the Kyosho (1:64). If you can find a built Provence Moulage (1:43), it is very different from the Spark and Kyosho, but matches the Cult model. In most car magazines and on the web, they photograph cars in profile too close in, so the spherical distortion in the camera lens shortens the front and rear overhangs. The front overhang on the XJR 15 is very pronounced, but most photos distort it by shortening it. Peter Stevens has recently posted his drawing of the car and it shows the long front overhang. You can see his drawing at https://www.evo.co.uk/features/204415/my-life-in-cars-peter-stevens-car-designer. The profile photo of the car in the Automobiles Classiques XJR 15 feature (issue 47) also shows the long front overhang.

      Many years ago I corresponded with a modeler in Japan who was making a 1:24 balsa model of the XJR-15, and when I found that the Starter and the Provence Moulage 1:43 kits were VERY different, I sent him some photos comparing the body shells of the kits with a ruler included in the photos, so it was possible to see exactly where the two kits diverged, and the front overhang was one of the biggest differences. When he saw that, he unfortunately stopped working on his 1:24 balsa model as it was so far off from both of the 1:43 kits.

      Soon after that, I commissioned Javan Smith to make a 1:8 scale model of the XJR-15, but about that, the less said the better. Mine was the first model he made, and it was a mess. Occasionally one of the Smith models comes up for auction, and you might like it if you had nothing else to compare it to. After that debacle, I did obtain 1:12 and 1:8 styling models of the XJR 15 from a small prototyping company in France. The Smith model had an interior, but the shape was all wrong. But Smith claims not to produce accurate models but only his “idea” of the cars he represents with his ‘models’.

  4. Henry Chen says:

    Yes, it is not perfect. But if you want a 1:18 scale model of this car, no other model maker has made it. Thus, Kudos and Thanks to Cult Scale.

  5. Eduardo Baeta says:

    This car reminds me the Honda NSX first generation. What do you think?

    • Vitaliy D says:

      They are somewhat similar, but only somewhat. Jaguar has more graceful curves and overall a supercar aerodynamic shape; Honda has more straight lines and overall a sportcar shape; Honda’s interior is more roomy and comfortable. To me, XJR-15 looks similar to NSX in the same extent as, for example, Lamborghini Diablo to Lotus Espirit.

  6. Barry W says:

    I have not seen a model so far out as this one – even from the low end manufacturers. Its so far away from the real vehicle its unbelievable. Far far too long. Its so so bad

    • Threadripper says:

      The real one does have different front overhangs. So indeed, if you take the short nosed one as a reference, it’s unbelievably off. Compared to the one with the long overhang, it looks great to me.

  7. Vitaliy D says:

    So, the Cult Scale 1:18 Jaguar XJR-15 in dark blue has arrived. Initially, I had not intended to buy it, but several factors changed my mind. First, the uniqueness of this model (it may not be perfect, but what will we say and think in a few years if no one ever produces it again?). Second, the discount that allowed me to get it for 118 euro (without delivery cost) – this is at the level of 1:18 GT-Spirit and 1:43 LookSmart looks fair to me. Finally, I do like the shape of this car – for me, it’s one of the most beautiful cars ever.

    Now, let me tell you one more thing. I had never considered buying any resin model because of its static nature, so this Jaguar became the first resin model in my collection. And I had serious doubts: what if it would look cheap or flimsy? What if the plastic films that imitate the windows would be inaccurately or incompletely glued? What if I don’t like it?

    Well, in fact, the model feels solid and not cheap. The plastic films that imitate the windows are all accurately and completely glued on my example. The dark blue colour with metallic bits is very good. The body shape may not be 100% accurate, but when you look at it, you see Jaguar XJR-15 and you think of Jaguar XJR-15. Overall, I do like this model!

    The front wheels are a little bit too high, as for me. Well, let’s think they are in their higher “city center” mode :) The front wheels can turn but can’t roll; the back wheels do roll smoothly. I’d prefer the front wheels to roll too. The center parts of the wheels look rather metallic (good!) comparing to the border parts of the wheels that rather remind chrome on cheaper models. The windows are tinted (except the windshield), which is good taking into account very low detailing of the engine. The interior is rather basic (seats are plastic, no belts), with a few small details (on the dashboard and inner parts of the doors), that is nice.

    So, given all the above, would I buy this model again? Personally, I would do!

    • DS Team says:

      So your resin virginity is broken :) Thank you for the collector insight!

      It really becomes challenging not to add a specific car when something other than diecast/360 isn’t an option. Like you said, and we 100% agree, will this car ever be produced again? Chances are NO. It’s not perfect but does display well.

    • Vitaliy D says:

      Can’t stand from sharing one more detail about this model. I believe, such sort of detail is just amazing! While inspecting the front headlights, I noticed something that looked like a black line in the middle of each headlight. Looking harder at it, I realized it is a small two-line text where the first line says “BOSCH” and the second line contains so small letters that I could not read them! But what a neat miniature touch it is!

    • Vitaliy D says:

      The model is already 5 months with me, and I’m still happy with it. The only thing I should mention, though, is that some edges of the films (that that imitate the windows) are starting to unglue. If this continues, I’ll have to re-glue them very carefully…

  8. Chris Walker says:

    Despite the doubters, I find the 1:8 Cult model to be the best of the few commercial models of the car. The only other model that is worthy of attention is a 1:43 kit produced in the early 1990s by Provence Moulage. The XJR-15 has a really long front overhang and only the PM and the Cult models get this right. The Starter 1:43 kit is a botch, as are the Spark 1:43 (which looks like a build of the Starter) and the 1:64 Kyosho. In the early 2000s, I commissioned two styling models of the car (in 1:8 and 1:12) by everfel, who scaled up the PM kit using CAD/CAM to produce the large-scale models. The best photo essay of the car, to my knowledge, is in the article in issue 47 (Dec 1991/Jan 1992) of Automobiles Classiques, which is reproduced in the book Fantastiques Jaguar (E.P.A.), which shows the front overhang correctly.

  9. Chris Walker says:

    By the way, I forgot to mention it, but Peter Stevens, the designer of the car, has been working on a book which will be THE reference book for the XJR 15. The book may well be announced (available) December 2-3 2023 at the Porter Press Motoring Literary & Art Festival, where Stevens will give a talk entitled “My XJR-15 Story.”

    • Chris Walker says:

      The XJR-15 book by Peter Stevens has been available for preorder on the Porter Press website since March 12, in 2 editions, one limited to 400 copies, and the other, Collectors Edition, of only 20 copies. It is due out by April 13. There will also be an Owners Edition (price, details and date of availability not specified) which will be available for general purchase once the car owners have first been offered copies. There are previews of the book contents, including the Table of Contents, on The Porter Press Facebook page.

  10. Chris Walker says:

    The Collector’s Edition of the new JaguarSport XJR-15 is still listed on the Porter Press UK website as a “pre-order” but the ‘standard’ edition no longer has the the status of a ‘pre-order’, so Porter Press are probably shipping beginning this week.

    • Chris Walker says:

      The book is now widely available and it exceeds my expectations. It is a large coffee-table book and it has many large 2-page spanning photos that really show the car in the best light. No car looks great from every angle, but Peter has picked the best ones. And the book really covers everything, including background on TWR and Tom Walkinshaw, details of the development that only Peter would know, the XJR-15 tie-in with the Nissan R390s and the XJR-15LM. It is pretty much the last word on the car. One omission that will not trouble anybody but obsessives like me is the wonderful Paul Bracq painting of the car (Maybe Bracq refused to let them include it or maybe his copyright fee was excessive) that appears in the Dec 95/Jan 95 issue of Automobiles Classiques magazine. The fact that one of the greatest car designers of all time commemorates such an ‘obscure’ (unknown by most people) car is a great testament to the importance of the XJR-15.

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