No motorsport has undergone a more rapid or radical transformation than has international rally competition. Between the late 1960s and the late 1990s, the sport was upended numerous times, with profound technical and organizational changes taking place every few years, creating an exciting, often volatile, sometimes downright dangerous competition environment. Through it all, some of the most memorable, exotic, and capable racing cars of the last half-century were battle-tested across asphalt, dirt, and snow—and their legends established. Let’s take a look at how far the sport has come, and check out some of the fascinating machines that grew out of it and a few of the exciting diecast collectibles inspired by them.
RALLY CAR REVOLUTION
30 YEARS THAT REINVENTED THE SPORT OF RALLYING
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF CORVETTE: EVERY MODEL SINCE 1953
The Corvette is known the world over as “America’s Sports Car.” With eight generations spanning seven decades, the Vette has a lot of history behind it and there is much to learn— and much to celebrate—about this iconic machine. As the title of the book by Mike Mueller makes plain, The Complete Book of Corvette: Every Model Since 1953 is here to help readers do both. Newly revised and updated to include the 2020 C8 Corvette, this volume provides excellent context on how the Vette has evolved into the world-class supercar that it is today.
Maisto - 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
A mid-engine makeover makes the C8 great
JOHNNY LIGHTNING DOES REAL MUSCLE IN MINIATURE
I had plans well underway for the big “Bargain Muscle Cars” feature story in this issue (p18) when I saw this lineup for the new Muscle Cars USA 2020 Release 3 from JL. I already knew I would be talking about the Dodge Dart GTS and AMC Rebel Machine, so I figured I’d just plunder those two cars from this set for that story and be all set. But then my conscience kicked in. Both because the other four cars in the set deserve their moment in the sun, and because they are all based on actual cars from the 2019 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show it just makes sense to talk about them together.
HOT WHEELS LIFE SIZE
Hot Wheels has been having full-size versions of its iconic 1:64 diecast cars made since 1998, and lots of fans have gotten to see them at various car shows and events like the Hot Wheels Legends Tours. But most of those appearances were static displays. About a year ago Hot Wheels decided to give fans a chance to see what it was like to drive the cars in its Garage of Legends by teaming up with MotorTrend’s streaming network to produce a series of episodes highlighting six of the most popular—and outrageous—creations.
BARGAIN MUSCLE CARS
The evolution of affordable performance
GT Spirit - LB Works vs Roush Stage 3 Mustangs
Form vs function for Ford’s muscle car icon
AUTOART - 2018 TOYOTA CENTURY
1:18 | $230 | no. 78762
THE Z-CAR A TO Z
50 Years of Nissan’s Quintessential Sports Car
The '55 Chevy Gasser is not slowing down
It seems the old adage “The more things change, the more they stay the same” still rings true, especially for the Hot Wheels `55 Chevy Gasser! The Gasser has been in the spotlight continuously from the moment it was released, and it shows no sign of slowing down. First released in 2013, this high-riding 1955 Chevy Bel Air was designed by Brendon Vetuskey.
