French [I hope it's not too late] Friday: Sleeker French Coupe

After reading carcrusher88's comment stating his acquisition of a 1:43 Peugeot 407 Coupe (you can read his subsequent post here), I was reminded of my own Peugeot model.

Albeit being of a different scale, the idea remains the same - it's a beautiful, sleek French coupe. This 1:18 example is made by MotorMax and I got it many years ago when Toys R Us held a Star Member's sale. Even then, this car was already being consigned to the back of the aisles, with a dusty and yellowing box.

Originally conceived to be Peugeot's race version of their popular 407 line, this car features a cracking mid-mounted V6 producing 320bhp mated to a 6 speed manual transmission. Well, at least the real car does.

Even as it celebrates it's 12th birthday this year, I think this car still manages to hold it's ground in terms of design. Sure, the side graphics fad may have long passed us, but the overall clean lines of the 3 part carbonfibre body does look good. I can't help but be reminded of Taxi (the orignal French one) when I see this!

As the real car's hood and engine compartments open in a clamshell like manner, this model has no other opening parts save for the doors. Which translates to me not being able to provide a better view of the monster of the V6 that hides within!

(Hat tip to Netcarshow.com for this shot!)

From the sculpted wing to the widened arches, this model is beautifully made. It stays true to the race car nature, and that is evident in its' sweet stance!

The interior is pretty good, with all the details present and correct. Digital meter cluster, three pedals, bucket seats with four point harnesses....it's all there! Opening and closing the door feels sturdy. Not bad for something abandoned at a toy store....

That said, it's not entirely perfect. In this photo, you can see that there are paint cracks all along the white stripe. I can't remember if this was there when I bought it, but it certainly is now! The badge doesn't look too clean, but that's just me nitpicking.

Despite its' shortcomings, the pros outweigh the cons. For the price that I've got it for roughly 6 years ago, it's a great model. Hey, anything's good for a car lover! I hope you enjoyed reading my post today. If there's anything you'd like to say, let me know in the comments below! 'Till next time, here's a couple of extra shots for LaLD!