[StygianMax]

Over the past couple weeks, Autoart had listed quite a number of race cars under their Motorsports division. Their choice of the Corvette C6-R to be a sealed car really puzzled me. The reason is that the fans of this car are probably North American collectors for the most part. I figured these folks grew up building plastic model kits and are accustomed to seeing lots of details inside their models ranging from the engine to the instrument cluster, fire extinguisher and pedals within the cockpit. Also, bear in mind, Corvette race fans probably have many of AUTOart's C5-Rs, all of which are unsealed. These diecasts covered the years of 1999 to 2004. I believe the choice of making a sealed C6-R would go completely against what fans of Corvette Racing diecast have come to EXPECT from AUTOart.

So, I decided to float a few polls in other diecast forums to see what others think. My question was very simple. Would you buy one? Why or why not (particularly for the folks who have collected many 1:18 C5-Rs or GT race cars)? I did not say anything that would unduly bias/influence the outcome. I wanted people to speak their minds.

Denis: After a couple days, some people have responded. Most of these people have not had exposure to the debates we've been having within DX. So, please take a look at what they have to say. You will clearly see that it is not only some members of DX who dislike the concept of sealed C6-R (and sealed 1:18s in general). This is my little bit of market research for you.

scale18.com poll

Diecast Central (UK) poll

diecast.org poll

DigitalCorvettes.com Poll

You've probably heard that marketing adage. For every one person who voices their opinion, there are 200 others with the very same thoughts.

ASIDE: I'm even more puzzled with the race version M3 GTRs being sealed since Minichamps have been making them as unsealed models. Is there no fear that people will hold out from buying the AUTOart sealed M3 GTRs and wait for Minichamps to release their equivalent of those models? :confused OR is there something we just don't know about?

My :mine

 

[MockingBird]

ASIDE: I'm even more puzzled with the race version M3 GTRs being sealed since Minichamps have been making them as unsealed models. Is there no fear that people will hold out from buying the AUTOart sealed M3 GTRs and wait for Minichamps to release their equivalent of those models? icon_scratch.gif OR is there something we just don't know about?

The folks at Minichamps muz be very happy...hehehe...

 

[mox]

Felix, if you don't mind doing a little more work, you might want to try the diecast pub as well. I haven't been there for a while, but I think they'll definately be on our side.

 

[acisne]

I am willing to bet that no one will ever say: "that is the gratest thing since sealed diecast" :giggle

Sorry, I just saw a commercial where Jack from "Jack-in-the-box" says that no one has ever said: "that is the greatest thing since sliced lettuce". :lol

 

[Guest]

Thankyou, that information is very valuable.

I was starting to get a pretty good feelling that this view on the sealed models was not exclusive to DX.

Thanks again for that poll.

:cheers

 

[BVR]

I don't get it. If the sealed models are just a test to see if they work in the market, why is AUTOart going to make about EVERY race car a sealed one? The new Pug 307 WRC cars are also going to be sealed!

 

[winstoncds]

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Good catch BVR. Should someone tell AUTOart that 'testing' on humans is banned till it is proved that it is not potentially dangerous to their health (my BP goes skyhigh and I want to :nutkick all those responsible for those sealed pieces every time I see one) and in this case the health of their wallets.

 

[Guest]

According to AUTOart, they are not trying to test the market, but rather trying to release the models as early as possible...

read this... scale18 thread

 

[JSB 33]

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Rush jobs never come out right.
I would rather wait for a correct model than end up with the sealed version as my only alternative.

 

[Guest]

Why all the rush?

I never heard someone complaining about long development, of course, that doesn't take into consideration the hundreds of announced models that never really have been taken into consideration by AUTOart.

Did someone complain when the Vipers or C5-Rs where being the released?

 

[Guest]

"If we wait for the engine photos to make it with openings, the model will be launched to the market very late, and customers are not interested at all."

WOW... TOO EASY!

Who wants to play the bad guy? I gotta take a break for a bit.

 

[Guest]

I totally agree with both of you... someone needs to let AUTOart know what the market is really after!

 

[JSB 33]

Boy, they better hurry, just look at how bad those out of date racing 996 Porsches sold :giggle
Nobody wanted them because they were already old news. :lol

Vipers? can't sell 'em too old.

Who the heck is making these desecions? ullhair

I think another diecast company must have sent in a Saboteur because this is some crazy poop :confused

 

[Guest]

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Told ya it was TOO EASY! :lol

Let's not forget all those 917Ks that no one wants.

BTW, didn't you hear? CMC is about to go bankrupt because none of those old racers are selling! <-- Sarcasm.

 

[BVR]

Really, IF it was for the good of bringing models out as early as possible, why did AUTOart start out in 2003 with models of the 2001 Skylines? They also first released the older Xsara WRC models (the ones from 2003 which weren't really 'topical' anymore in the beginning of 2005!

 

[Guest]

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Why? cause that reason is not true.

 

[Guest]

If the C6.R comes out as a sealed model :confused I won't be buying one

I can't figure out why AUTOart would release a model as sealed, unless it is a cost cutting measure...which in my :mine would not be a smart move for them.

AUTOart like C1 are known for their great quality models with fantastic details at a fair price :nicejob

 

[cobalt1959]

"Let's not do it the right way, let's do it the quick & dirty way. I think I'd rather have it done the right way, thank you. I haven't weighed in on this debate, but to my way of thinking, sealed models are just wrong! Would you buy a real car if the dealer told you, "Now the trunk doesn't open, we didn't have time to make that part work, we knew you were anxious to get the car." Not. I won't buy a sealed model. Period.

 

[gundam40]

I wanna do some devil's advocate here, even tho I'm not a lover of sealed models.

First up, tho most Revell, monogram, etc. model kits has engine detail, most Japanese brands did not (fujimi, Tamiya, Aoshima, etc.). They were pure curbside models, which have well made exteriors (compared to the NA brands), but no engine details AT ALL. These models sell really well, because of the diverse lineup.

Also, take a look at the 1:24 Tamiya Masterworks collection, they're all sealed (JGTC's), and they go for high prices (around 80USD), and yet they sell, as they're still releasing a crapload of them.

Of course, this is all based on the Japanese market, as most of the customers of these sealed models are Japanese, BUT, some company is bound to try this approach in other areas of the world, and if it works, less dev time/dev $$$ and high prices = higher profits. I seriously hope it doesn't work out in other markets, as I love my cars with opening parts/features.

Personally, I'd only buy the C6R if it's not sealed, but if the sealed version is cheap (like 30USD), I'd pick one up, just to get it signed.

 

[StygianMax]

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Just a funny thought came to mind Eddie. Imagine if those Bburagos were all sealed cars. How on earth would you have learned to do such awesome modifications to them?? :giggle I know I wouldn't have that gem of an 300SLR if that were that case. :wink

And since Jeff said something about Vipers, I just have to say one thing about them. Of the ten AUTOart Viper GTS-Rs in my collection, only two were in production at the times I bought them. All the other cars were long out of production. For that matter, I've gone about diecast collecting all "wrong". Just about 60-70% of the cars in my collection had been long out of production. I'm guessing many of them were made between 1999-2001. So, I do NOT see that the desire for a particular model drops significantly as time goes on (within some reason of course). The more historical/engineering significance a car has, the longer it remains a desireable for a while yet. Take the Aston Martin DBR9 as an example. I'd hazard to say A LOT of people want either of those cars that debuted in the ALMS at Sebring or entered into the 2005 Le Mans. The desire for those will not drop from what it is today. So to release it as a sealed model just purely for a shorter "time-to-market" seems very poorly thought out by the marketing folks.