Model: Muscle Machines Daishin Advan Silvia S15
Line: Muscle Machines JGTC series
eBay link: Muscle Machines Silvia S15
Why I am featuring it: I have a huge thing for the JGTC or SuperGT as it’s now known. When we managed to get satellite TV at home when I was younger, I immediately searched out the JGTC highlights I knew to be on Motors TV. One of my big passions is Japanese cars, and I’d grown up with Gran Turismo, Sega GT and GT Advanced Championship amongst other games. I used to love scrolling through the JGTC website galleries, transfixed at the array of amazing cars. The Daishin Advan S15 was always one of my favourites simply because it was orange, my favourite colour. Nothing else mattered much!
I’ve never had much from the Muscle Machines diecast range beyond a 1/18 Nissan R34 I had in my youth. The other ones I saw were all cartoonish American cars with overblown proportions that really didn’t interest me that much. I never really paid any attention to them as a result, and therefore missed the small number of JGTC cars they released in 1/64 and 1/24. These were fantastic replicas of cars from both the GT500 and GT300 categories of the JGTC, and they didn’t stay on the market long. Subsequently second hand prices are sometimes astronomical.
Thankfully I managed to get hold of this one at a price I was more than happy to pay before the prices exploded. And it’s a keeper. There are a few comments on forums knocking these for their scale, as it’s not quite true 1/64. But honestly, who cares when the subject is such an awesome thing?
It’s rather well made, weighty, decent paint, sharp decals and tiny details like the rear tow hook and the aerial are faithfully replicated. It rolls incredibly well on rubber tyres and the doors open revealing a well detailed interior. It’s got a lot going for it. It’s one of the favourites in my collection. I wish I’d have jumped on the rest of the Muscle Machines JGTC line up in both scales a lot sooner but that doesn’t at all detract from how made up I am to have this one.
the opening doors on these models is the whipped cream with a cherry on top for these beautiful models. i’m lucky to have a few of them in my collection, including this beautiful example.
I wish I would’ve bought the entire series. I bought 2 on clearance for about $3 apiece. The RE Amemiya FD3S Mazda RX-7 and the Reckless Toyota MR-S.
I live in the UK and more than a decade ago we used to sell the Muscle Machines range at my work (Toymaster) and I oversaw the Diecast department. These were very well made and came in 1/64,1/24 and 1/18 IIRC – I used to have a good collection of the Muscle Tuners (JDM) from Honda Civics to Scions. Only priced at £3.99 for the 1/64 each model would be metal and often come with opening bonnets.
How I wish I kept mine…