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Stock #28756 |
CB's Die Cast Review: August 27, 2001 |
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2001 First Editions™ #36
Take a popular SUV,
panel up the side windows, lower the body and customize the front end and you have Fandango,
the closing First Editions model for this year, but not the final one released.
Based on the name and the body contours, this customized Phil Reihlman design appears
to be based on the Dodge Durango. The two side windows toward the back on either
side have been removed, giving the vehicle the appearance of a panel truck. The hood
has been accented with some stylized ridges, while the traditional Ram-style four-quarter
upper front grill has been replaced with an open cross-meshed face. The lower front
grill has been modified as well, but still retains its Dodge flavor. The headlights
also have been altered, but the detail is difficult to see due to reasons I'll cover shortly.
The twin exhausts have been redirected to the sides, through cutouts in the lower rocker panels.
The high suspension of the Durango has been removed, and the body sits low to the ground.
The vehicle features a slight rake, with medium-sized extra-wide slicks in the back and small-sized
wheels up front. The design is subtle yet effective, as evidenced by the pre-production
artistic rendering on the Hot Wheels poster. But the true question is how does the design
translate to the actual model.
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Fandango consists of a die-cast body fitted over a plastic chassis and interior.
The model does indeed ride close to the ground, no higher than
1/8 of an
inch at the largest gap. The body is painted in the now ubiquitous orange pearl, which
stands out in the sun because of all the surface area. It contains moderate detail, some
of which is obscured unfortunately by the paint coverage. The chassis is gray plastic, yet
appears to be thicker and more sturdy than usual. It contains more than a fair share of
detail with strong relief, including the transmission, front leaf springs and twin exhaust system.
The windshield and rear glass is orange translucent plastic that is close to matching the body
color, yet doesn't let much light inside. The interior is that blinding bright purple
plastic, which cannot be seen easily due to the glass color. I know these are toys,
but I wish that Mattel would realize that bright purple clashes with just about every other
non-purple color. It's a shame the interior isn't more visible, because it has a good
amount of detail on the dash and the twin bucket seats, as well as three rectangular storage
bins in the back. The graphics are interesting and well designed, with four colors used
to create a graffiti-style rendering of the vehicle name across the sides. The visual
effect is much better than that of the 1998 Dodge Caravan, the last time such a decoration
was attempted. The graphics are similar yet not mirrored on either side, with the modern
flame logo integrated into the passenger side artwork. This model was approved late, as
it has a 2001 copyright date embossed on the chassis. The vehicle rides on the new Iroc
style wheels and is manufactured in Malaysia.
I like this vehicle more now that I see it in person. If the paint coverage weren't as
heavy, the details would be more evident. But much of the body relief is so subtle that
the finishing obscures it. If the headlights, taillights and running lights were highlighted
with additional paint masks or tampos, it would make a big difference. And while it looks
good in orange pearl, I would have liked to see it painted in deep yellow pearl, as conceived in
the artist's concept drawing. From a functional standpoint, Fandango has a low center of
gravity. Both axles are secured to the chassis more firmly than usual, especially the front
axle, basically providing three-point stability and excellent balance. My example rolls
forever, so I have no doubt it will perform well on the track. And while Fandango
sits low, the axles are close enough to the ends that the model should execute all the stunts
well. It will be interesting to see the decorative schemes on this vehicle in the future.
But in the present, Fandango should prove to be one of the better performing cars in this
year's group of First Editions.
