Aston Martin DBS

[Mike]

I was most forunate enough to receive Tamiya's new Aston Martin DBS kit for review. I'll be getting a couple more for sure. It went together beautifully. Thank you Tamiya!!!

[Harry P.]

Nasty! Long, low and black... I love it!

[Stang67]

Hey Mike,

Nice job. When does it actually come out?

Thanks.

[Mike]

Hey Mike,

Nice job. When does it actually come out?

Thanks.

I think it's slated for next month, but a couple online places show it in stock presently.

[Stang67]

Did that have box art with it?

Thanks Mike.

[Stang67]

Hey Mark,

Have you seen box art yet?

Thanks.

[Mike]

Box art

[Stang67]

Thanks Mike!!!

[Foxer]

That is one beautiful automobile! And soon I can add it to my basement garage!

[Darin Bastedo]

That looks great, and thanks for sharing...

That said, I'm a little disappointed it seems there are a LOT of these DBS kits floating around for people to review. It's unfortunate that Tamiya can have them ready so far in advance for promotion, but has moved back the release.

Unfortunately it's a common problem with mass production and marketing. It's easy to get a few dozon kits its into the hands of a few reviewers it's another thing to get 10's of thousands into an international distribution chain.

Mikes build is excellent, but the kit has some major proportion issues. I'll probably build one to have as a shelf model though.

[simonr]

I had read that the price will be runnung in the $50-$70 price tag...ouch!!

Simón P. Rivera Torres

[Zoom Zoom]

Nice work! Great looking model . My review sample was finished a couple nights ago. People who like Tamiya models and/or Aston Martins should really dig this kit.

I think it is amazing that Tamiya can announce a kit like this in February (Feb. 4th by my records) and have advanced copies in reviewer's hands 2 months later, and on the shelves worldwide roughly a month after that. It's also amazing that people actually complain about something like that...objectivity goes completely out the window when we don't get our toys yesterday

I compared the model w/photos and I've seen a few of the 1:1 versions in person. To my eyes Tamiya nailed the shape...as usual. One of the most gorgeous cars on the road today.

[Joe Handley]

I had read that the price will be runnung in the $50-$70 price tag...ouch!!

Simón P. Rivera Torres

Wow, until I saw that price, I wanted one BAD!

[bsoder]

That looks downright menacing Mike!!..very nice

[Jeff Sauber]

Nice, clean, work.....I like the paint detailing on the chassis.

[Matt Bacon]

Mikes build is excellent, but the kit has some major proportion issues. I'll probably build one to have as a shelf model though.

I think you're gonna have to justify that - comparing the photos of Mike's excellent and very clean build with the ones in the DBS brochure, which I have here (and he has several shots from angles which are almost identical to those in the brochure), I can't see any major issues. I've not seen one in the flesh, for long at any rate...

best regards,

Matt

Edited May 7, 2010 by Matt Bacon

[Rob Hall]

If it's ready for review, the tooling must be finished...what's bothersome is that it's good enough to give away to promote, but it keeps getting pushed back for the rest of us. Never fear, I'll make sure to check my opinions with you first from now on to make sure they meet your stringent standards of objectivity.

Compare this to Revell timelines...they announce something 6 months out...it then gets delayed another 6 months... Tamiya is very punctual by comparison.

[Merkur XR4Ti]

Seeing this built up makes me even happier I pre-ordered one from HLJ a while ago. Can't wait to get started on it when it does arrive; methinks Aston Martin Racing Green is a perfect color for my DBS.

Such a beautiful car. Maybe this means we'll get kits of the DB9 or Vantage at some point?

[Zoom Zoom]

Mark, how many have you counted? I know of three, the one I built, the one Mike built, and a third that a builder in Singapore that bought his at his LHS around the same time magazine review copies arrived in the US (Tamiya would probably like to know about the Singapore deal, since you can't buy this kit until May 22, even in Tokyo). I doubt Tamiya is handing them out like candy, but it is important for them to get them out to the right folks in a timely fashion to sustain the buzz about their new product.

For the record, for at least the past several years Tamiya has been sending out advanced copies of many of their kits for review. Revell has been doing this as well in the last couple years. I was able to alert Revell to an issue of several half-scale decals in one of their all-new kits, about a month prior to the official sales date. Revell appreciated the alert, immediately revised their artwork (so I assume the next run has the fixed decals) to remedy the error. Sure beats having the issue dragged through the mud on an internet forum

[elan]

Dragging kit manufacturers through the mud on the internet is an time honnored pastime. Some people are never satisfied. I think it's going to be great kit and we need the variety. You can't go through life building the same 10 kits. Heaven forbid if Tamiya ever decides to make a '32 Ford, it would be anarchy.

[Mike]

Thanks for the compliments guys. If you like the Aston Martin or Tamiya kits, it's a must-have IMHO. I'll be getting a couple more despite the price. Yes the price is up there, but it includes a PE fret as well as a top-side representation of an engine rather than being curbside. It's refreshing to see brand new tools of modern subjects come out from a manufacturer.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Mike

[Agent G]

GORGEOUS!

I was fortunate enough to see the real deal last week. That is one heck of a car and your build really does it justice.

G

G

[Tony T]

Very nice build! I really like the car, too!! Beautiful.

[Zoom Zoom]

Surprise!

The DBS is available in the US right now. Someone found it in a hobby shop in Colorado; I looked it up on Stevens International website, and it's available.

I can't wait to see more of these beauties built!

Edited May 9, 2010 by Zoom Zoom

[Zoom Zoom]

Interesting the Japanese sources still have it pushed back to the end of the month...oh well. Guess I'll have to wait for the 2 I have on pre-order, but the kit is certainly worth it. Hopefully the Lotus 79 is on time so they all get shipped together.

A Japanese guy on Automotive Forums says that at least for Japan they want the Lotus 79 out first. I can't explain why, but regardless...your LHS may already have the DBS, but probably not for the lower price that the online Japanese sources will have it for. I'm about to preorder a Fujimi 458 for 20% off list, it's due in late May...can't wait for that one. It is a stellar year to get Aston DBS, Ferrari 458 (from 2 sources), Mercedes AMG SL63, Mercedes SLS, Mercedes SLR 722, Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, '62 & '66 Impalas, and the Moebius models on the horizon. I would expect the next go-round of Japanese kit announcements, or perhaps Revell AG, to have the Ferrari 599 GTO. I may need smelling salts if that happens

I'd be ruined if I bought/built F1 cars. I can't keep up as it is.

Edited May 9, 2010 by Zoom Zoom