Sun Star's Back to the Future III DeLorean

by Mr. Stinkhead

Ooh, I've been inspired. One of my favorite pieces in my collection is the 1:18 scale die cast Batmobile (from the 1989 movie). I love the detail, the die cast and the size. It's huge! Now the good people at BTTF.com have released the latest SunStar DeLorean from Back to the Future III. They sent us one to look over, and now I'm plunging head first into a new collection.

This is the fourth 1:18 scale DeLorean that SunStar has offered from the BTTF series. Right about now you may be recalling an earlier review we did of the trilogy DeLoreans. Those were 1:24 scale, and made by Welly. Fine models to be sure, but when you see the 1:18 scale next to the 1:24 scale, you can't help but fall in love. In fact, I have now been inspired to start up a new collection. I will begin collecting scale model cars, mainly from favorite movies, in the 1:18 scale. I have the Batmobile, I have this DeLorean (I definitely need to get my hands on SunStar's BTTF II DeLorean that has fold-down wheels!) I just ordered KITT from eBay, and Lando da Pimp is going to show us his General Lee in a few days, so stay tuned.

In case you're unfamiliar with scale model cars, 1:18 basically means that for every 1 inch on the model, it represents 18 inches on the original car. So if the model is 8 inches long, then the real car is 144 inches (or 12 feet) long. Thus, a 1:24 scale model of the same car, would be only 6 inches long. Make sense? Good.

First off, the packaging is beautiful. I'd almost say that it would look great if you left it in the box, but that's ridiculous. You must bust this piece out to display it properly. You'll also notice a nice BTTF.com sticker on the window. Once again, the experts there were called upon to help in verifying the accuracy of this model. The packaging was designed by Tony Acosta from Tek2Graphics.com

One of the nice touches of this gem is how great the sculpted rail road base is. Truth be told, this particular DeLorean looks a little odd when just displayed by itself. Though completely removable from the base, it looks best resting on the tracks. You can also easily remove (or keep) the cardboard backdrop. Since I won't have card board backdrops for my other pieces, I am choosing to display the DeLorean on the base, but sans backdrop. I'll keep it around though in case I change my mind later. Also the base is not 100% level. The rear side is slightly pitched, to give you a slight view of the top of the car if you were to display it at eye level.

The first thing I noticed was the great size and heft of this baby. I was only previously familiar with the 1:24 scale DeLoreans, so this was like having a 400% Kubrick Batman. Sure, the traditional sized Kubrick is one of my favorite, but when you see the 400% sized one, wow! Back to the DeLoreans, this larger size afforded more detail all over the car, and a few additional features, such as the opening hood. And speaking of Kubricks, the BTTF Kubricks look a little better next to this car.

Most 1:18 scale cars I've encountered have responsive front wheels when you turn the steering wheel. That isn't the case with this particular model, because it's got the railroad wheels. But you definitely don't miss it. The detail on the dash board, including the modified gauges for the steam engine's boiler, and the chrome accents on the hood really make a sharp looking display piece. There's even Pepsi logo markings on the circuit tray.

The two things I like most about the 1:18 scale die cast cars is that A) I don't have to put anything together. There are some amazing things people do with building model cars, and some people get a real sense of satisfaction in putting them together, but I am impatient and have no faith in my painting skills, so I prefer popping them out of the box. B) you can handle them a bit. I'm not down on the rug simulating demolition derbies, but with traditional model cars, you have to be really careful if you ever touch them. Here I can pick up the car, hand it to an admiring friend, and show them the doors all opening or other special features, without holding my breath.

So now I'm on a quest to hunt down pop culture cars. I'm not a gigantic car enthusiast, but when I find something I like, I go nuts about it. My favorite car in the world is the Smart Roadster. It has the benefits of a Smart car engine (50 mpg city/ 70 mpg highway) but it doesn't look like those freak show phone booths with wheels. It looks like a real man's roadster. So I got a die cast of that one too. But mainly my collection will consist of tv/movie based vehicles.

I need your help. I have pretty much just begun checking out eBay and online retailers, but I am having a hard time finding the following. I'd just like to know if you know a place to get them, or if they definitively do not exist, so I can change my search.

• 1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible - Green with white pin stripes. (from 1999's Thomas Crown Affair) The closest I can find is a hardtop.
  


• 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California - Red (from Ferris Bueller's Day Off) All I can find is burgundy or blue. Do they make a red one? Or will I have to customize it?
  


• Oldsmobile Delta Royale - the car from any Sam Raimi movie. I haven't found anything close.

Check out our Back to the Future coverage for more reviews, and for absolutely everything relating to Back to the Future, be sure to visit BTTF.com And if you like die cast cars, check out our die cast car coverage.

These cars are made by SunStar and are available from BTTF.com's online store. You can go there and order one with confidence.

Article and all images © 2006 MillionairePlayboy.com