Hasegawa Mini Cooper 1.3L (1997)

[niteowl7710]

So answering a question I'm not sure anyone actually asked, we have here the brand new tool Mini Cooper from Hasegawa. Expected for October Release.

Now apparently these later year Mini Coopers were exceptionally popular in Japan with a significant portion of the Mark VII production landing there in the final years which might explain why they chose this specific version opposed to earlier Marks.

Full photos of the test shots and built prototype here - https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10907116

[dbostream]

Cool I want one. I wonder what the engine looks like if you cut off the hood? I suspect it is just the front of the engine/engine compartment that they bothered to do.

[rrb124@sbcglobal.net]

Very good ? Looking exactly like the one I saw in person in the UK in 97. Same green color and driving lamps. Considering buying this kit.

[unclescott58]

Can the kit be built with left-hand drive? That will make a difference in me considering buy this kit. 

[stitchdup]

Cool finally one of the last minis instead of the common 60s versions or old fujimi 80. I can build my sisters car now

[Fat Brian]

3 hours ago, unclescott58 said:

Can the kit be built with left-hand drive? That will make a difference in me considering buy this kit. 

It has a custom dash that looks like would make it very easy to move the steering wheel over.

[Fat Brian]

This is pretty tempting, I have the Tamiya 60s Mini but this would be cool for a modern version.

[niteowl7710]

6 hours ago, unclescott58 said:

Can the kit be built with left-hand drive? That will make a difference in me considering buy this kit. 

No it doesn't seem like it, minus Brian's comments about swapping the dash yourself. It's 3D scanned from a local (Japan) car, so that would be RHD.

Moreover does anyone even know if these last year Rover Minis were even made in LHD and exported here? By 1997 BMW had bought Rover and was allowing them to wind out production of the "Mini Classic" via licensing agreement while they prepped the BMW Mini that we have now. 

[stitchdup]

14 minutes ago, niteowl7710 said:

No it doesn't seem like it, minus Brian's comments about swapping the dash yourself. It's 3D scanned from a local (Japan) car, so that would be RHD.

Moreover does anyone even know if these last year Rover Minis were even made in LHD and exported here? By 1997 BMW had bought Rover and was allowing them to wind out production of the "Mini Classic" via licensing agreement while they prepped the BMW Mini that we have now. 

minis stopped being officially imported to the usa in 1968, the later ones are personal imports mostly from canada. Its easy to swap the wheel over anyway, the centre clocks are by far the most common so its just a side to side swap. The top dash shown is a japanese marker dash, all the uk ones i've seen have the centre clock. my sister and my aunt own 6 minis between them, one being the last mini sold in scotland, the first and last sold locally, a mini van, a mini pick up and my sister a 1989 mini mayfair thats been reshelled into a 96 shell

 

https://mossmotoring.com/rise-fall-rise-mini-america/

Edited August 1, 2022 by stitchdup

[jaymcminn]

Hasegawa did the smart thing by tooling up a late Mini. Looks like a seriously nice kit.

[keyser]

The late Japanese cars had AC as standard iirc. Only Mini that came that way. LHD can be seen as a status symbol in that market, but most RHD. Didn’t know this was coming. 

[dbostream]

Is this the same version of the Mini as Tamiya's 1:12 kit?

[Justin Porter]

While the Tamiya Mini is a fine kit, and the Fujimi is reasonably available, I have no doubt having the Hasegawa on hand will be fantastic. They've been on an absolute tear for quality kits lately with really great subject choice.

[Chuck Kourouklis]

Old Tamiya 1/24 always seemed a bit "puffy" to me. This kit has it cold. I'm happy.

Would I really LOVE Hasegawa to get on a couple-four BMW E9 variations, especially now that they're rediscovered separate interior door cards? Sure.

But I'll certainly have this. ?

[Jordan White]

2 hours ago, dbostream said:

Is this the same version of the Mini as Tamiya's 1:12 kit?

I can’t say for sure if it’s the exact same year and model, but it certainly looks to be the same as the Tamiya kit.

[niteowl7710]

50 minutes ago, Jordan White said:

I can’t say for sure if it’s the exact same year and model, but it certainly looks to be the same as the Tamiya kit.

According to the instructions in the Big Scale Tamiya Mini, it's a 1992 (Mark VI), the first year for fuel injection.  So the Hasegawa kit is a little different in that it's the Mark VII (last 4 yrs of production) which introduced the full dashboard & driver's airbag steering wheel, and as Keyser points out were almost all equipped with A/C in Japan.  Although parts exist on those test shots to do the older "shelf" dashboard, and a non-airbag steering wheel, so it could probably slide up and down between Mark IV-VII.

Within the 1/24 kits, the Tamiya Minis are Mark 1 1967s (based on the idea that there are Morris & Austin versions and the separate names ended in 1969), also the Rally kit is specifically the 1967 Monte Carlo Rally Winner. 

The RevellAG (later "California Wheels" U.S Rebox) Mini is also a Mark 1 of the same vintage, although it's a 998cc base model vs. the 1275cc "upgraded" Mini that Tamiya did. 

Then Fujimi did a series of kits based on the later Mark V through Mark VII special one-offs.  Sold often as a "Old Mini", there are variants for the 25th Anniversary & Mayfair Editions which are 1984s (although the Mayfair was made all the way until 1996), the 35th & Monte Carlo Editions which are 1994, and the Mini Kensington Export Edition which were made in 1996 & 1997.  The Fujimi kit comes with both style dashboards and 3 steering wheels.  It was new tooling in 1993, but is really showing it's age and was a mediocre curbside even compared to the 10 year older Tamiya kit.

[Oldcarfan27]

On 8/1/2022 at 12:43 AM, dbostream said:

Cool I want one. I wonder what the engine looks like if you cut off the hood? I suspect it is just the front of the engine/engine compartment that they bothered to do.

I wouldn't expect complete engine detail, only an insert  and let's just hope it doesn't include provisions for motorization either!

Anybody else notice the aftermarket AM/FM cassette player on the dash? A '97 and no CD?

Think Mr. Bean would approve?

Edited August 19, 2022 by Oldcarfan27

[Oldcarfan27]

.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Oldcarfan27

[stitchdup]

6 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

I wouldn't expect complete engine detail, only an insert  and let's just hope it doesn't include provisions for motorization either!

Anybody else notice the aftermarket AM/FM cassette player on the dash? A '97 and no CD?

Think Mr. Bean would approve?

thats just how rover were, slightly outdated even when brand new

[OldNYJim]

8 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Anybody else notice the aftermarket AM/FM cassette player on the dash? A '97 and no CD?

Think Mr. Bean would approve?

Looks like that's accurate - found pics of a '98 car and that has the cassette player too:

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1998-rover-mini-cooper

[Justin Porter]

Test Shot pictures taken from the article at The Modelling News covering the release of the kit. @Oldcarfan27 you have no need to worry about "provisions for motorization" with this one.

[Oldcarfan27]

2 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Looks like that's accurate - found pics of a '98 car and that has the cassette 

Detail on it looks excellent. I could see resin copies made and used in other 80s cars!

[Oldcarfan27]

2 hours ago, Justin Porter said:

Test Shot pictures taken from the article at The Modelling News covering the release of the kit. @Oldcarfan27 you have no need to worry about "provisions for motorization" with this one.

Looks good. I'd be up for one.

Wonder why they included engine detail, but molded the hood shut?

That's also a nice grille!

[Chuck Kourouklis]

It's not complete engine detail, just the bottom and forward-facing side - essentially whatever you can see of it through the grille.

I'll place my order, a bit more because Hasegawa than subject this time.  Revell stack-up will be interesting too.

[Matt T.]

Looks very nice! Thanks for sharing.

Do I see the lid molded such that the drip rails are body color and the roof can be painted easily? Yessss