Exterior Features, Quality:
In my humble opinion, the Vanquish is arguably one of the most beautiful production cars on the road. Packing a velvety V-12, a gorgeous shape and luxurious touches in the cabin, the Vanquish is truly the definition of a grand tourer. Its beauty so evident, the Vanquish was chosen to star in James Bond's latest spy film, "Die Another Day," marking Bond's return to Astons as the primary cars in the movies. The Beanstalk Group, which manufactures Ford Group cars in 1:18 scale presents the movie version of the amazing Vanquish. Is it any good?
Well, it looks good. Beanstalk did a superb job replicating the low and muscular stance of the Vanquish, but accurately tuned it to the higher height of the movie car, which rides on a specially designed 4WD chassis. The paint appears exquisite from far off, but when you get down to it, it's a bit rough, and lacks the elegance and quality of Autoart's paint jobs. However, the dark grey color is unique and fits the model very well. Front lights are really nicely done, with absolutely clear lenses and realistic lights. Logos are stickers and a bit hard to make out, although they are applied accurately. Front grille is not perforated but definitely textured; this may be due to the special features of the car (more on this in the Features section). The front license plate is applied very well, and front fog lights are absolutely gorgeous, with amazing detail.
The decorative vents on the car are a bit rough, but the chrome streaks that cover them (sort of, not completely) are well done, if not a bit rough themselves. Turning lights are stickers, which is a shame - the model was doing so well. Tires are not marked, and wheels are a bit simple, with little detail that can be raved over. Brake discs are actually drilled and calipers are very realistic. Exterior mirrors feature great-looking decals (they look like the real thing), and the mirror pieces themselves are strongly applied to the bodywork. I particularly like the chromed gas cap, which Beanstalk replicates very well.
Rear lights are as well done as the fronts, albeit with even more realism. The chrome streak across the rear looks decent, but the wide shutlines spoil the appearance. Overall, shutlines are OK, but atrocious around the rear trunk. The rear license plate is nicely done and provides a nice bright contrast to the dour grey exterior/black interior of the model. Rear reflectors seem to be stickers, but they are so realistic that no points should be taken off, in my opinion. However, the exhaust pipes are not hollow, although they are nicely chromed. I should add that the model is really heavy and judging from the exterior, it exudes quality that belies its price tag. However, there are certainly things which need attention in this section.
22/25
Interior Features, Quality:
The dash, located on the right of the car (remember, this is England we're talking about), and is superbly done. Each button is molded and many contain stickers with markings. Different materials are used as well as various colors. The dash here really sets the benchmark in this price class. The steering wheel is nicely done as well, as it lacks the flimsy feel that I would expect in most models at this price. Since this particular Vanquish has an automatic transmission, no shifter is present. Furthermore, around the entrance to the cabin, Beanstalk has placed tiny Aston Martin logo pieces on the step, but these are actually molded out of the bodywork and look fantastic. I really wasn't expecting that. The seats, however, are hard plastic, lacking texture and softness. The floor, even though it has floor mats, is hard plastic as well. The roof is finished even though it is not textured. The rear seats have seatbelts but they look crude and out of scale. The backlight at the extreme end of the cabin is a sticker: alright, so no one's perfect!
22/25
Features:
The Vanquish "Die Another Day" features an opening hood, doors, trunk, sliding grille, moveable guns, ejecting seat and removeable top. That's a long list, surprising for a model of this price. Let's start with the basics and move on to the toys later. The hood, sadly, does not open very far, although the engine can be viewed in its entirety. Detail here is quite decent, although lacking plumbing and wiring. Still, the engine is well defined, features markings, and several chrome pieces that are accurate. Not bad, but not really impressive. Doors open on old-style dogleg hinges, which means easy operation but unrealistic look. The trunk lid opens really far, which I find unrealistic; however, it has a fire extinguisher located inside, although the trunk is hard plastic with no texture or carpeting. Moving on to the Bond toys, which I don't particularly like or need, but they're there to play around with when you're bored. The grille slides open to reveal the rocket launchers which are colored but look as if they're coming out of plastic. Setting up the guns is harder work, having to open the slots, raise the guns, and adjust them so that they fit through the shape. Nothing really special, but not bad either. The passenger seat has the capability to "eject," even though it moves maybe 1/2 inch up. The removable top is actually a nice feature, but from my design standpoint, the Vanquish doesn't really look good with an open roof. Since this model is made for a really wide audience, the toys are there, but even for us collectors, the detail is excellent.
24/25
Value:
While most can't afford the real Vanquish, two other modelmakers have announced Vanquish models in 1:18 scale, Bburago and Exoto. Bburago's Vanquish has just come out, and detail doesn't look bad, but Beanstalk's is undoubtedly better for the price. Exoto's replica will probably blow everyone away, but at six times the price of a Beanstalk, the question, "is it really worth it?" remains. Although you do have a lot of choice, the Beanstalk has superb value, with excellent detail and lots of realistic qualities. Because of wide distribution, the model itself will never be rare, but it looks so darn good that you won't be worried about it. The only colored offered is gray, of course - however, it could be possible that non-Bond Vanquishes could be released by Beanstalk, in various colors. Seems like an awful waste of a great mold to me.
24/25
Overall:
Let's consider what makes a desirable model: subject matter, detail, realism, price, and rarity. Well, four out of five ain't bad, and Beanstalk's Vanquish really impresses. For a newcomer like Beanstalk to instantly create a model that rivals Maisto's best is astounding - these guys will be around for a long time if they keep churning out such excellent stuff. That said, the model is definitely not flawless, with too much use of hard plastic and stickers for lights. Still, don't forget about how much you're paying for it, and you'll really be astounded at what is being accomplished. Plus, if you get bored, you can always slide the grille up and pretend you're James Bond...just 1:18 scale.
