We’re sure many of you do appreciate the craftsmanship behind a full access scale model, we surely do.  In today’s market, there isn’t much available in full race trim for the avid race collector to purchase, unless they chase down some past successes from various brands.  But we all know too well that can get quite expensive.  So, what’s the alternative?

Kyosho as of late is resurrecting a slew of classic material from their vault, most of which has primarily featured streetcars.  Well, just released this month are two classics from their past, the 1:18 Lancia 037 and 1:18 Fiat 131 Abarth.  Both of these in rally trim!  At about 190 Euro a piece is the money worth it?  Read on.

The focus of this review here will feature the Lancia 037 Martini #1 Winner – Rally Montecarlo 1983, driver W.Rohrl and Co-driver C.H.Geistdorfer.  In due time we’ll post a DiecastSociety.com Photo Gallery entry which will highlight the remaining assortment, they include the Lancia 037 Jolly Club Totip #18 Rally San Remo 1983, driver M.Biasion and Co-driver T.Siviero and last, the Lancia 037 Team Club Grifone Wurth #16 Rally Costa Esmeralda 1983, driver G.F.Cunico and Co-driver E.Bartolich.  All of these are dubbed the ‘Night Version’, we assume this is due to the massive auxiliary lights in front.

No matter the dress size or shape, the Martini livery is so easily recognizable.  This iconic brand has a long-standing alliance with race cars, and winning race cars are plentiful.  This leads us to the exterior side of the model.  The base paint is obviously in White, the application on the Lancia 037 Martini car is consistent throughout, the results are great!  We find no glaring issues with the paint.

As will most rally cars the decals are plentiful, a quick count lands us at 49 ( LOL, don’t quote us on it).  What we appreciate with Kyosho is there method is to apply the decals underneath the clear coat.  And if you’re a collector of race cars you all know too well that in due time with age the decals with dry and eventually peel or crack or a combination of the two.

Our team is definitely no authority of rally or race, so commenting on the historical accuracy would not be in our best interest.  We’ll leave that up to websites brass to comment below.  However, what we will say, and this is based on limited photos of the actual car, Kyosho’s representation is a respectable effort.

The replica does show some age, as this is a re-release of an original mould the team did many years back.  Based on today’s standard for shut-lines and panel gaps the model falls a little short.  Though we will comment some still appreciate this nostalgic look and feel.  I know we do.

It’s hilarious how pristine and good-looking these models look, most of their existence was quite the opposite.  Dirt, mud, snow, gravel!  You name it these rally cars raced on it!

Six lights in total share the space of the front of the model.  Kyosho does a great job with executing them along with the support decals and secondary lights.  The lower grille on the bottom centre is perforated though it presents nothing in behind other than White painted metal.

Note the quality amber side markers on each side of the fender.  Also, the hinge work to secure the hatch to the lower fame, it actually locks in place.  In reality, the Lancia 037 has two access doors to the underside here, only one is accessible on the model.

First off, the grille on the lower section of the hatch is perforated and fabricated in metal.  The smaller of the two access points feature the Lancia crest, as shown above, it is sealed, though the larger of the two access points (the entire hatch) does allow one to enter the inner working of the front suspension and related components.

Inside the detail is well established but is a far cry from the original car.  The spare tire is found along with a battery and various suspension components; suspension here is static and not functional.  What Kyosho presents is a neat and efficient package, just enough to inspire one’s imagination.  Adjacent to the wipers you find the kill switch and a chrome puck looking metal piece.  However, not sure what this part is.  Anyone?

As we move to the rear, the upper roof section does provide good detail.  You need to install the supplied antenna, and the emergency flaps/cooling vents are not accessible here.

The rear hatch does open, however, before we go inside we wanted to note the massive cooling intakes on either side.  Nice work by Kyosho to cap each with a metal grille.  Opening the hatch is achieved using a pair of primitive dog-leg style hinges.  Our example worked without issue, and the hatch comfortably stays in the open position, but we would have preferred some sort of prop rod to aid in the overall realism.

Once inside you’re treated to a wealth of detail.  It’s not Exoto level but neither is the price!  In comparison, we’d give the nod to Kyosho on overall definition over the comparable AUTOart Delta S4.  Kyosho uses colour, texture, and multiple levels of definition for the motor to create a realistic setup.

You get a nice view of the suspension and braking machinery from this view, once again suspension bits are static.

The rear body does look great from far, but under closer inspection, the primary grille is a solid piece and lower cooling is painted in place.  There are some jewels here, taillights are quality pieces and the rubber mud flaps are too cool.

As for the wheels, we’re sure there were a number of specifications based on the race and or elements.  What Kyosho presents here isn’t far off from the original car.  Not much of the supporting detail of the brakes are visible from the front, though looking from the back-side parts are present.

This leads us to the undercarriage.  Surprisingly there is much to see, more so than what is presented in scale offerings of the last few years…  The front area highlights suspension, cooling and provides a glimpse of the spare.  The rear side is even more enticing with the transmission in full view alongside suspension bits.  Overall, we like the effort.

Inside the cockpit is another treat.  Kyosho proves well once again by defining each area of the cockpit with care; colour and texture throughout help with the end result.  The full race equipped harness uses fabric and photo-etched parts on both sides.  Co-driver space adds additional supporting hardware with applicable labels.

We weren’t privy to review the original release by Kyosho, but we can definitely confirm the latest variant, the ‘Night Version’ Lancia 037 Martini #1 Winner is a very capable piece. The overall results are fabulous and the shelf presence cannot be disputed.  The model relies on some techniques of the past, though some of these are dated while others not so much.

In the end, we believe a full access representation is that much more engaging than a static one.  And Kyosho has proven full access can be achieved with more than respectable results, even at a fair price too.  Enjoy the pics!