Mercedes - Benz SL Class [2001] [Minichamps]
Arguably one of the best looking SL to come from Stuttgart since the gull-winged 300SL of 1957, the current SL is certainly a head turner. Its trump card is definitely the electric folding hard-top. The folding /unfolding process is fully automatic, and transforms the coupe to convertible or vice versa in just 16 seconds. While folding hardtops in 1:18 have been done before by the likes of Gate and UT with their Peugeot 206CC and Mercedes SLK respectively, none have come close to the intricate mechanism that Minichamps has put into the SL500, the subject of this review.
Exterior
The stance and proportion of the model looks to be just right. While the wheels do not quite fill the wheel arches, it is the same story on 1:1 stock SL500's. Panel gaps on the model are not bad, though they can be a little tighter in some areas. This particular example comes in a very shiny metallic black or Obsidianschwarz Metallic as it is officially called. The paint is so shiny in fact, that I had a lot of difficulty photographing it. The paint had been applied smoothly with no sign of orange peel, just as you would expect it to be. The size of the metallic flakes is spot on and looks very realistic.
The lights on this model are quite well done. No apparent attachment stubs on all but the rear center brake light. The central grill is perforated and the large three-pointed-star is shielded with fine mesh. The lower air intake is disappointingly made of a piece of clear plastic covered with mesh like decal. The creases along the length of the bonnet are very well defined. Also on the bonnet are 2 vents towards the rear. These are replicated with black plastic decorated with silver plastic fins. Two more similar vents can also be found on each of the front fenders just behind the wheels. All four vents are not perforated but are textured to simulate mesh.
Moving along to the middle and rear of the car. The side mirrors have inset clear lenses on the housings and they are excellent reproductions of the real car's indicator lights. The doors swing on hidden hinges and have a loose feel to them. The rear three-pointed-star badge is made of photo-etch. Exhaust tips are painted silver on the outside and matt black on the inside and are relatively shallow. Both front and back number plates are replicated with stickers stuck straight on the model. The use of a plastic piece in between the sticker and the model to represent the actual number plate would have been preferred.
The best part of the model, and certainly the main reason why people would buy this model over similar offerings from Maisto, is the working hard-top. Minichamps has done an excellent job to replicate the mechanism of the roof as closely as possible. The boot of the model swing on 2 sets of hinges. The scissor-like hinges allow the boot to open in a conventional way. The other hinge is an arm that spans the width of the boot and allows the boot to swing on its rear edge. The roof - made of plastic - folds along the point where the C-pillar meets the roof. On the real car, the rear glass folds independently of the two pillars to permit more free space in the boot when folded. This feature is meticulously reproduced on the model with spring loaded hinges. The entire mechanism on the model is a little fiddly, especially if you have large stubby fingers, and certainly takes more than 16 seconds to complete but you have to commend Minichamps for putting such a complicated feature in a 1:18 model. Very well done.
Wheels, Brakes and Undercarriage
The wheels on the SL500 are of a 7 spokes star design. It is quite well replicated on the model. Details on each wheel include a bump that is suppose to represent the tire valve and a center cap that has a blue ring with a tiny 'Mercedes Benz' label that is clearly readable. Tires have no markings but the tread pattern is of a realistic unidirectional design.
The brakes are possibly the worst part of the model. Far from looking realistic, the rotors are silver painted plastic pieces with shallow dimples that are supposed to represent cross drilling. The rotors and callipers are made from the same piece of plastic with the callipers painted black; hence the rotors do not rotate with the wheels at all. This is hardly what you would expect from a model at this price point.
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Interior
The best part of the interior has to be the leather clad seats. They certainly add a lot of class to the model. The seats and seat backs are covered in leather while the headrest is moulded plastic. Attached to these seats are real fabric seatbelts that go through perforated buckles. The center console features wood grain trim, GPS sat-nav, black dials and buttons that are all labelled in white and so on and so forth. The instruments are decals that are easily readable. Moulded stitching - tough a little out of scale - and the colour matching carpet add a touch of elegance to the interior. Overall, the interior is beautifully finished and superbly detailed. Its cream colour contrasts so well with the black exterior.
Arguably one of the best looking SL to come from Stuttgart since the gull-winged 300SL of 1957, the current SL is certainly a head turner. Its trump card is definitely the electric folding hard-top. The folding /unfolding process is fully automatic, and transforms the coupe to convertible or vice versa in just 16 seconds. While folding hardtops in 1:18 have been done before by the likes of Gate and UT with their Peugeot 206CC and Mercedes SLK respectively, none have come close to the intricate mechanism that Minichamps has put into the SL500, the subject of this review.
Exterior
The stance and proportion of the model looks to be just right. While the wheels do not quite fill the wheel arches, it is the same story on 1:1 stock SL500's. Panel gaps on the model are not bad, though they can be a little tighter in some areas. This particular example comes in a very shiny metallic black or Obsidianschwarz Metallic as it is officially called. The paint is so shiny in fact, that I had a lot of difficulty photographing it. The paint had been applied smoothly with no sign of orange peel, just as you would expect it to be. The size of the metallic flakes is spot on and looks very realistic.
The lights on this model are quite well done. No apparent attachment stubs on all but the rear center brake light. The central grill is perforated and the large three-pointed-star is shielded with fine mesh. The lower air intake is disappointingly made of a piece of clear plastic covered with mesh like decal. The creases along the length of the bonnet are very well defined. Also on the bonnet are 2 vents towards the rear. These are replicated with black plastic decorated with silver plastic fins. Two more similar vents can also be found on each of the front fenders just behind the wheels. All four vents are not perforated but are textured to simulate mesh.
Moving along to the middle and rear of the car. The side mirrors have inset clear lenses on the housings and they are excellent reproductions of the real car's indicator lights. The doors swing on hidden hinges and have a loose feel to them. The rear three-pointed-star badge is made of photo-etch. Exhaust tips are painted silver on the outside and matt black on the inside and are relatively shallow. Both front and back number plates are replicated with stickers stuck straight on the model. The use of a plastic piece in between the sticker and the model to represent the actual number plate would have been preferred.
The best part of the model, and certainly the main reason why people would buy this model over similar offerings from Maisto, is the working hard-top. Minichamps has done an excellent job to replicate the mechanism of the roof as closely as possible. The boot of the model swing on 2 sets of hinges. The scissor-like hinges allow the boot to open in a conventional way. The other hinge is an arm that spans the width of the boot and allows the boot to swing on its rear edge. The roof - made of plastic - folds along the point where the C-pillar meets the roof. On the real car, the rear glass folds independently of the two pillars to permit more free space in the boot when folded. This feature is meticulously reproduced on the model with spring loaded hinges. The entire mechanism on the model is a little fiddly, especially if you have large stubby fingers, and certainly takes more than 16 seconds to complete but you have to commend Minichamps for putting such a complicated feature in a 1:18 model. Very well done.
Wheels, Brakes and Undercarriage
The wheels on the SL500 are of a 7 spokes star design. It is quite well replicated on the model. Details on each wheel include a bump that is suppose to represent the tire valve and a center cap that has a blue ring with a tiny 'Mercedes Benz' label that is clearly readable. Tires have no markings but the tread pattern is of a realistic unidirectional design.
The brakes are possibly the worst part of the model. Far from looking realistic, the rotors are silver painted plastic pieces with shallow dimples that are supposed to represent cross drilling. The rotors and callipers are made from the same piece of plastic with the callipers painted black; hence the rotors do not rotate with the wheels at all. This is hardly what you would expect from a model at this price point.
Interior
The best part of the interior has to be the leather clad seats. They certainly add a lot of class to the model. The seats and seat backs are covered in leather while the headrest is moulded plastic. Attached to these seats are real fabric seatbelts that go through perforated buckles. The center console features wood grain trim, GPS sat-nav, black dials and buttons that are all labelled in white and so on and so forth. The instruments are decals that are easily readable. Moulded stitching - tough a little out of scale - and the colour matching carpet add a touch of elegance to the interior. Overall, the interior is beautifully finished and superbly detailed. Its cream colour contrasts so well with the black exterior.
