Looking at Inno64, we finished last year in style with the presentation of the massive Inno64 2020 Macau GP collection. Why not to start the year in style again with the Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 Calsonic Collection ?
Calsonic blue liveries are so iconic in the racing world. Calsonic Kansei Corporation is a Japanese automotive company, founded long ago, specialized in radiator cooling. The fact is that this company is known to be the longest-running title sponsor of a motor sport in the world. Eh.
Calsonic sponsorship is mostly associated to the famous Japanese driver Kazuyoshi Hoshino, and the Impul Racing Team (an aftermarket automotive company). That is precisely what we will focus on today with the Inno set, which is a perfect tribute to all this small world.
The Inno64 Calsonic set is a set of 4 cars built in the same way of the Macau 2020 GP set. It’s a very qualitative display in acrylic, in white with Calsonic inscriptions in blue and orange lines. Very nice efforts in design have been made, the set is clear, simple but harmonious. You can of course hang it to the wall, and the back has the same inscriptions, with a cool design of the side of a R32. Love it. The set comes in a very super protected double cardboard system, and once you’ve opened the first white layer, here comes the very qualitative blue package made in thick cardboard. It opens like a book, and you can find nice specifications, details and photos about the cars. It’s a very fan high end product.
We know the Inno64 team loves the R32, and I know the set has been done with care and love. One can argue that the models are very repetitive, but in the end it is the goal of the set. I must admit my first thought was it looked redundant. But all things considered, those sets are amazing, and of course the cars are all different too. It is fun to spot the – sometimes tiny – differences between them. Sometimes it’s the number of the car, sometimes the antenna, or different sponsors. The set is focused on the 1990 to 1993 seasons of the Japan Touring Car Championship (JTCC).
So the set includes :
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 Calsonic Racing Team JTCC 1990 Overall Champion
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 Calsonic Racing Team JTCC 1991 Overall 2nd place
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 Calsonic Racing Team JTCC 1992 Overall 4th place
- Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 Calsonic Racing Team JTCC 1993 Overall Champion
Of course the wheels are different on the 1990 version, kind of BBS style, where I’ve already said it looks like photo-etched parts. The 1991-1992-1993 versions sport white rims I really love too (I love white rims), that are pretty well proportioned. The Skyline R32 is such a legend that you can find it in almost every brand catalogue – Kyosho, Tarmac Works, Mini GT, and soon Tomica Limited Vintage (asking 65$ for it, good luck) – and I’m very fine with the Inno64 standards for this car, which are the stance, the true care of interior details, fine details like antennas or exhausts, and detailed rims. And I say it again, for a price under 20$ …
In this case, I do love the custom white base with blue and orange inscriptions, even if I think there are many information. Inno64 really adjusts the colors and materials of the bases, and I think it’s cool. Thought I love the very first transparent bases of the first models. I really care about the bases and the way the car is highlighted because I take a great care of how I display my cars, mainly in my wall displays. Space is limited (and it is always THE same big problem), so it is really something I will care about.
I don’t have much more to say about this set, that I encourage you to get if you are fond of GT-R R32. The brand managed to distinguish themselves by offering a complete set of iconic cars you see everywhere now in the diecast world. The retail price is around 100$, and you can find some here on eBay. To me, the Inno64 GT-R R32 is the best value for money you can get on the market, being understood we are talking of premium cars. Let’s see how Tomica Limited Vintage will enter into the dance, but until, you can focus on a nice display to hang on your wall (it’s only 25 cm x 20 cm!).
I really thank Inno64 for this sample, and I hope this presentation will please you.
For sure, my Inno64 GT-R R32 collection is growing, and I’m sure new versions will come. For now, here I am :
To be precise, I believe that the 1990 car is similar to the 1990 car issued some months ago, whose packaging is different. The very nerd Calsonic R32 will need both, cause the packaging is different.
Let me present quickly another GT-R R32, which is a very recent release from January, with the Zippo / BP R32 from 1993 Inter TEC Fuji Winner.
Those Brazilian colors must not fool you, it’s indeed a Japanese car. Here is a picture of the real car :
You can see the amount of details Inno64 brings into 1:64 models in metal in a “non ultra limited production run”. Look at the TRAMPIO inscription on the front air cooling, how cool is that ?! This livery is an instant fave, really highlighting I’m missing a Civic Ferio with that livery in my collection …
@Willdiecast