PARA64 is starting the year off strong, with their first release consisting of two new castings and bright colors and bold trims for two other existing ones. I caught up with Adrian briefly right after he received the color samples you see today. Remember, these are pre-production pieces subject to improvements before you can add them to your collection.
With a new Civic Type R on the horizon, it was inevitable that diecast companies would be working behind the scenes with Honda to create an accurate representation of their halo model in miniature scale. PARA64 is offering two colorways come March, Rallye Red and the incomparable Championship White.
The details are all there, from the triple exhaust tips to the red detailing, including the newly tooled brake calipers. Both RHD and LHD will be offered.
PARA64’s Land Cruiser 76 is one of my favorite castings from them. In fact, I did a whole review on one release HERE. The lines are crisp and it rolls so well. Plus, the tires are treaded which add levels of realism in my opinion. The 71 Series short wheelbase is exactly that – a two-door version of the popular 76 Series.
There are slight differences beyond the truncated body, including the front grille and the addition of a jerrycan on the rear adjacent to the spare tire. The two initial colors are familiar, as PARA64 previously released the Series 76 in both, allowing for instant pairings.
Getting on with the existing castings sees the return of the BMW G80 M3. To complement the previously released greens and purples, we now see the gape-jawed German in Miami Blue and Mint Green. Speaking of pairings, the mint green would look great parked next to PARA64’s Ruf CTR in the same hue. My wheels are already turning with the possibilities…
Note: the color is incorrect for the Mint Green G80. Promotional material will be corrected.
While the casting is sharp, the wheel/stance combination is hit or miss for me. I’ve got a Twilight Purple G80 where it’s spot on, but as you can see, the Miami Blue version sits a little higher than the mint one. And the wheels leave me yearning for something. Thankfully, and Adrian will agree with me, there are legions of customizers out there that will fit custom wheels and drop them like they’re hot.
Finally, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 returns to the lineup in either Nardo Gray or a less conventional purple, the former of which appears to have white wheels. We’ll see if they make it to production or it’s just a coloring and they’re meant to be chrome in appearance. The heft of this casting is offset by a fairly open greenhouse thanks to large side window openings and a panoramic sunroof. Regardless, the GLS 600 is another nice large SUV casting worth parking up next to PARA64’s BMW X7 or X5.Â
And that concludes the first release of 2023 from PARA64. As usual, it’s mixed with new and old, in factory colors and 1/64 scaled proportions. And while it will be nice to have a new Civic Type R to go with some older versions also offered by PARA, I’m really looking forward to the Toyota Hilux which I previewed HERE. It’s available now on eBay from overseas sellers, which means US-based hobby dealers should have them soon.
Until then, head over to eBay and see what current PARA64 are available!
Like this post? Give me a follow on Instagram at Onesixtyfourland / beardedmugmedia
Those Honda Civic Type Rs look amazing! It bowls me over that they’re adding brake discs and calipers, though I do wish they’d put treads on the tires.
That’s a good point, Jim. I’ll have to ask why, although I know it isn’t cheap apparently to mold tires with treads, I’m sure adding brake details also isn’t free. Thanks for commenting.