Tiny Japanese Car Heaven Is Open if You Can Afford It

I've recently been part of a discussion between Hot Wheels collectors, and it has become apparent that most of them also have several other brands at home. Not only that, but some have also given up on buying 1/64th-scale cars, as they could afford to switch up to either 1/43 or even 1/18. And that's the key word right here: they could afford it. Because more often than not, people choose Hot Wheels cars because they're less expensive than products from other manufacturers. You should look at a Spark or Autoart catalog one day and tell me what you think.

Sure, you'll see plenty of Mattel's star items listed for enormous prices on various online markets, but that's mainly down to scarcity, exaggerated hype, or scalpers. For some time, I've come across a diecast manufacturer that is focused solely on JDM castings. Initially, I wanted to start this story as a "Dear Santa" letter, but then I realized that buying all the cool Ignition Model cars would amount to the same budget I needed to finish my project car. So let's do some window shopping for now, shall we?

1/64th Scale

This is the same scale Mattel uses for its Hot Wheels line-up. A 1/64 car is about 2.5 to 3 inches long. Ignition has over 150 variations of collectibles in this size, with prices ranging from $24 (for the Hobby Japan 64 castings) to $40 (for the IG items). What's remarkable is that some of the cars in the webshop also come with additional display items. For instance, the Honda Civic Type R EK9 has a separate, tiny B16B engine on top of a black pallet.

The same goes for the Honda NSX Coupe, which has a V6 next to it. Things become more extreme once you look at the more expensive Ignition Model cars. First, I was stunned by the selection of RE-Amemiya FC3S RX-7s: there are seven different colors to choose from! I've been eyeing the tuner's website for years now, and it has unfortunately discontinued this body kit, which is an excellent choice if you're a fan of Time Attack events.

The casting has all the details it needs, including the Enkei wheels, so it's no wonder these collectibles are more expensive than a Hot Wheels RLC-exclusive. And then there are the RE-Amemiya FDs, the Pandem Supras, the LB-Work GT-Rs, and the RWB Porsches. The only way you can have peace of mind is by buying all of them in bulk, which should add up to thousands of dollars. And this is just for the most miniature cars on offer.

1/43rd Scale

If you can still bear the agony, let's move on to the 1/43rd scale items. These are 3.5 to 5 inches long. The 1984 Paris Dakar Mitsubishi Pajero is one of the cheapest collectibles in stock, but it will still cost about $150. The Toyota Crown Police Car takes the level up to $170, but most of the Ignition Model cars will cost around $200. I have my eyes on the FC RX-7 from Initial D, which comes with a tiny Ryosuke Takahashi figurine.

As expected, the Liberty Walk ER34 Super Silhouette Skyline comes with a replica of Wataru Kato. If you're as big a fan of R32 GT-Rs as I am, two variations are available on Pre-order: the 1993 JTC HKS machine is a monster even at this scale! You can already see more details on the inside of the vehicle, and the wheels on this race machine look familiar for some reason. I'll have to double-check to see if they are Panasports, which is the same brand I've bought for my FC RX-7.

1/18th Scale

If you're used to collecting premium 1/18th-scale cars, then the Ignition Model items might seem reasonable. With 60 vehicles in stock, prices range between $290 to $360. So, the whole lot would cost under $20,000. And I'm not even counting the ones that are available on pre-order, which will ship out in a few months from now. The Datsun Bluebird (510) is a popular car with Hot Wheels enthusiasts, so it's no surprise that the figurine next to it is a scaled-down version of Mattel's former designer, Jun Imai.

But this is just an appetizer, and I think I'd rather have either the Pandem GR Yaris or the LB-ER34 in Blue and Black first. Many RX-7s are available for pre-order, although some are already sold out. The FEED GT3 FD is out of this world, and I'm sure it would look fantastic in any color. The team at Ignition has already developed a Pandem version of the FC, too, and it's still available in neon green, metallic green, and red if you want one.

Last but not least, I have a soft spot for the Advan GR Yaris and the Greddy GT-R (which feature yellow bucket seats inside). At this point, if I buy all the Ignition Model collectibles that I find appealing, I'd spend as much as I would if I purchased a pristine-looking FC3S RX-7. So this kind of expense isn't reasonable if you can't afford both simultaneously and have some more cash on the side, too. But either one of us would be just as happy with one single Premium 1/18 JDM weapon on display. In a future story, I will tell you more about the Ignition Model 1/12 cars, which are even more expensive at around $500 apiece.