We Finally Have A Stock 1/64 Toyota GR86 Thanks To Pop Race

New diecast maker Pop Race burst onto the 1/64 scene out of nowhere last year.  Their first few models didn’t really appeal to me, but that all changed when they released a stock-looking GR86 in Neptune Blue (the best color available on the GR86).  I’ve been waiting for years for a GR86 model to be widely available – Hobby Japan made one but they are expensive and difficult to come by in the US – so I had to jump on this new Pop Race release. 

Immediately upon opening the box, I was impressed.  Similar to MiniGT, this Pop Race GR86 comes packaged in a cardboard box with a plastic insert to hold the model in place.  The plastic feels a bit cheaper than what is included with a MiniGT, but it should still do its job of holding the model in place.  The GR86 feels small, though that’s accurate to the real car, and the paint quality is impressive.  MiniGT was known to have some orange peel in the paint of their early models, but I see none of that on this Pop Race. 

The front of the model features printed detailing for the Toyota and GR badges, as well as the black accents around the air intakes.  The grille is a black plastic insert that makes it look significantly more realistic than if it was simply printed.  The headlights are clear plastic lenses, but I find them lacking in detail.  The two LED projectors are visible, but the DRLs are nowhere to be found and the inside of the housing should be black, not silver.  Much like on the Giulia GTA from BBR, there is a bit of a mascara effect around the edges of these headlights.  

The GR86’s brake lights look much better than the headlights, with the reverse lights and side marker sections both clearly detailed.  Pop Race included printed detailing for the third brake light, badges, rear reflectors, and even the button to pop the trunk.  Disappointingly, the license plate just says “GR 86” on a black rectangle rather than looking like a real license plate.  Perhaps that choice was a result of the international market for this model, as a California license plate might not resonate as well with collectors outside North America.  Nevertheless, I dislike this trend of unrealistic license plate designs on model cars and I yearn for the days of realistic plates with clever hidden messages from Matchbox.

I absolutely love the chrome exhaust though!  Those exhaust tips really make the rear of this model pop, and even the rear muffler is chrome since you can see it below the rear bumper – that’s fantastic attention to detail! 

The side profile of the GR86 looks good, with printed detailing for the reflector and the vent behind the front wheel.  Unlike the rubber side mirrors that MiniGT uses, this GR86 has metal mirrors, so there’s none of the bending or warping we’ve seen on some MiniGT mirrors.  However, these mirrors are likely more brittle and might be more prone to breaking off if your models ever see play time.  After all, these wheels do roll!  

While the wheels are a decent approximation of the factory wheels on the GR86, they look a bit too flat and they lack any of the centercap detailing we would expect from a brand like MiniGT or BBR.  Unfortunately, my example seems to have issues with the rubber tire piece separating from the wheel, though I don’t know if that’s due to a manufacturing flaw or if that’s consistent across Pop Race’s models.

The interior has no printed detailing, but there is some nice detail in the casting itself for those who like to peer inside their models.  It’s interesting to note that this GR86 is right hand drive! 

Considering the price point (about $15), this is quite an impressive model!  Sure, it can’t match the crazy detail level of MiniGT (there are no rear defroster lines here), but it’s a solid model of a very cool car that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the diecast world.  Given that Pop Race recently released an Aston Martin DBX casting, it seems like this new brand might be able to carve out a good niche making quality models of oddball or underrepresented cars.  For that reason, I’m definitely glad to see Pop Race bringing more variety to the world of diecast.  After all, haven’t you seen enough versions of an R34 Nissan GT-R?