lambodiecast

If you have been a scale model car collector for e few years you are bound to know Kyosho, and most likely have one or more of their amazing diecast models, highly detailed and very sought after these days ... just about every one of their original 1/18 Countach releases are worth their weight in gold now, but things have been changing ... for one they don't really release a lot of new diecast models anymore, and recently they took the 'sealed' path.

The Kyosho Ousia series don't offer any opening parts, they call it closed bodyshell diecast models in fact, and even the details are nowhere near the level Kyosho offered on their older models ... on the other hand these Ousia models are available at a nice price, usually in the region of €70 to €90, which when compared to makes like MR and AutoArt is peanuts to be honest.

When I got my first Kyosho Ousia model, the 1/18 Lamborghini Veneno Roadster, I was pleasantly surprised, this model looked really good, sure it wasn't up at the level of the 1/18 Lamborghini Veneno from AUTOart, but the latter was also more than twice the price of the Kyosho model ... and honestly on a Roadster you don't really need opening doors anyway ... heck even the AutoArt Veneno didn't come with an opening front hood, only the doors and the engine cover could be opened.

So when Kyosho announced they would be releasing the new Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 in this Ousia series I was waiting for them to arrive in Europe ... and they did in November 2015, available both in Rosso Mars (metallic red) and Giallo Taurus (yellow metallic) I just couldn't resist getting both of them, each at €70 at the time.

The 1/18 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 in Rosso Mars from Kyosho Ousia once again pleasantly surprised me, the paint looked amazing and after a quick wax the shine was very deep, the optional Mimas wheels nicely filled the wheel arches and the car offers a stance you just have to love ... the red metallic Huracan from Kyosho looks great in my display case, so I was happy with it.

Sure there are a few omissions on this Kyosho model ... two of the air intakes are just painted black, others don't even exist on the model while the grilles are closed up like on the even cheaper Bburago model and engine detail is something Kyosho didn't really bother with ... but all that rather fades away when you look at it from a distance sitting next to other 1/18 Lamborghini models on the shelve.

Expectations were set rather high when I opened my second box from Kyosho holding the Giallo Taurus Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 in 1/18 scale ... and disappointed set it right from the start. The paint finish on this yellow car is not even on the same continent as their red model!

Now I honestly hope I got stuck with a bad model, because if my yellow Huracan from Kyosho shows how the entire production of this shade is made I would strongly advice you to get the red one and forget all about getting this yellow one.

For one the paint is coarse ... you know when you wax a model it gets smooth to the touch ... this yellow model stays coarse, even after a deep polish it isn't smooth. The moment she came out of the box she felt like sanding paper ... not something you would expect from a €70 to €90 model from a company like Kyosho.

And it didn't stop there ... take a close look at the photos I've taken from this Giallo Taurus Huracan, there are a lot of paint flaws all over this model, ranging from dust in the paint to runners ... things that could be easily buffed out before assembly ... looks like the QC on this yellow model from Kyoso was on holiday when they packed this one up.

Now I am the first to admit painting yellow isn't the easiest shade, you have to be really careful not to put too much paint on the model at the risk of running paint drops ... but if you don't apply enough you end up with problems on the corners and inside the creases ... it is a very fine balance ... and Kyosho messed it up on this model.

Look at the rear bumper, the left side ... there just isn't enough paint on that corner, you can almost see the metal coming through here, and also on a lot of the inset lines you'll notice the paint just isn't applied well ... really a serious issue if you ask me, so I honestly hope I got a bad one from the production line.

So that's the ... let's say not so good news ... and sure enough there is good news too ... the shade of yellow looks a lot better compared to the real car, this is a rather warm shade of yellow, and when compared to the Bburago model in yellow you'll notice the latter one has a more green hue to it, Kyosho did a good job on the shade itself.

I also really love the Mimas wheels on this Kyosho model, as I already mentioned in my review on the Rosso Mars version I would have like some color coded brake calipers, but other than that the wheels and tires from Kyosho do look a lot better than those from the Bburago model, which has the standard Giano wheels by the way.

The headlights and taillights from Kyosho are also a step up from the Bburago model I compared this yellow model to, and those exhaust just look a whole lot more real on the Kyosho one too ... both models come with a decal Lamborghini script at the rear, perhaps not as nice as a metal cut one, but it does make waxing this model a lot easier.

Conclusion
If you have red my review on the Rosso Mars Kyosho Huracan you know I liked that model a lot, and I proudly displayed it in my case under bright LED light ... the red metallic paint just pops ... so do I feel the same about this Giallo Taurus model ... not really to be honest.

The paint finish is a real disappointment for me, there are too many flaws in it to warrant a €70 price tag while a Bburago model is available at half that amount and does look really close in the end.

I do have the yellow one on display too, and sure it looks good enough from a distance ... but if you would ask me which one I would advise to buy I wouldn't hesitate a second and tell you to buy the Rosso Mars version and wait for AutoArt to release their yellow one ... sure it will be a lot more expensive, but it will offer opening doors and hoods and most likely a nearly flawless paintjob.

If you don't want to pay AUTOart prices and the Bburago is just too much of a toy for you the Rosso Mars Huracan from Kyosho in their 1/18 Ousia series is perfect for you.

Originally released in August 2015.

our RATING

Overall rating

6/10

Original price : € 70