[Review] Maisto Audi R8 GT 1/18

Not long (okay, it was long) ago, I promised reviews of the newest diecasts in my stable. I didn’t get around to it, until today...

I have three favourite diecasts in my collection, my 2008 smart fortwo (1/18 - Minichamps), my Porsche Carerra GT (1/18 - AUTOart), and this beautiful Audi R8 GT.

This car will kick off my series of reviewing these three cars, so kick back and enjoy the read!

The Audi R8 is a car I instantly loved upon first laying my eyes on one. If I ever won the Lottery, it will almost guaranteed be one of the cars I own.

So when I saw this little guy sitting in a case at the local collector, I had a conundrum, do I get the Vector W8 he also had, or the Audi? I went with my heart and got the R8.

Exterior

I noticed an overall theme with this car. It’s higher quality than a typical diecast model car, but it’s not exactly AUTOart either. It kinda slots in a weird middle-high ground between the two.

The paint is a glossy representation of Audi’s Ice Silver (the collector at the shop said it was Audi “Iron Man Silver”, but it’s not) and from my bad eyes, it looks pretty accurate. The car features an opening boot up front, opening rear bonnet, and opening doors.

The exterior is also pretty well detailed, from license plates all the way to the lights. I love all of the little carbon fibre-like bits. It looks seriously sleek.

Marks are lost here because the panel gaps and obvious imperfections in the metal. A few of the decals are a little out of alignment as well. It’s good, but it can be better. The wheels and brake discs also appear not to have a whole lot of detail in them, which was disappointing.

Interior

The interior is another interesting thing to note. It has a lot of little intricate details painted on, but it is still a lower quality molded tub. The interior is where the car really stands out from more expensive options. But again, as a display model, the interior still looks glorious, I even love the seat harnesses. And look at the door sill decals!

The engine, while still a part of the molded tub, still maintains a high level of detail. The molding the engine into the tub more means that the detail lacks depth. You can also see the struts for the boot here. These struts cut a bit into the interior volume. Thankfully, you can’t see them unless you’re looking at the car from below.

Features

This car has your standard suite of features and a little more. It has a simulated suspension, free spinning wheels, and the front wheels turn. However, the steering wheel is static, so it does not turn with the wheels. The car also has the standard opening boot, bonnet, and doors that most cars in this price range have.

Rarity

Given that it’s a Maisto model, you will have no issues finding one. I’ve had it for a year now and it looks like their prices have even dropped a bit. It’s about as rare as finding a Big Mac at McDonald’s.

Value

This car was originally $50 when it was first released. You can now find them in the $20-$30 range. That’s a killer deal.

When first released, these were kind of the middle ground between a model you’d find at a place like Hobby Lobby, and a crazy expensive model that you wouldn’t let your spouse touch. But now, they’re priced low enough for all to enjoy!

I’d rate the Maisto Audi R8 GT a solid 7.3/10. If you’re a fan of the R8, this will be great to add to your collection. It has an impressive level of detail for the price you pay and it might just make you smile every time you see it.