On patrol with Ottomobile

Nissan’s no-nonsense Patrol models stretch back to the 1950s. Often the favoured transport of UN forces in many theatres of operation, the Patrol has matured and developed over successive decades as one of the world’s most durable and dependable off-roaders in its class. So much so that, in addition to its very functional roles, the Patrol has a very successful participation record in rally raids, including the ultimate, punishing Paris-Dakar events.

A major update of the Patrol range, in 1988, saw the release of the GR (for Grand Raid) series in long-wheelbase 5-door and short-wheelbase 3-door guises that lasted in production until the summer of 2000. It’s this latter version that OttOmobile has chosen to model.

Ottomobile Nissan Patrol GR - 1992

(OT 898) OttOmobile’s 1/18 resincast Patrol GR was first released in March 2019, finished in blue & silver as OT265,  making this current black and Pearlescent Graphite Grey (2,000 pcs) a second release. After reviewing the often dramatic, certainly charismatic, car-based models over the past few months to have something outwardly more utilitarian to hand certainly makes a change. And a very pleasant one thanks to the reaffirmation that functional 4x4s can, of course, make very attractive scale models, which as always comes down to the quality of modelling, finish and detailing.

With a paintwork scheme split at waist trim level - black above and grey below - the chunky alloys and tyres, wheel arch extensions & mudflaps, together with bumpers and lights front and back, are all very much highlighted. An emphasis that lays all of those details very open to visual scrutiny and appreciation. Starting at the front, the slatted central radiator grille carries a crisply-defined Nissan badge, whilst the flanking grille panels are mounting points for the finely-detailed headlight wipers. The contrast between all of those fittings and the grey surround that they are set in, is, in itself, a visual treat, as is the similar story when it comes to the rear end of the model. There, the modelling of the door mounted spare wheel that seems so idiosyncratic of Japanese 4x4s from Nissan, Toyota and Mitsubishi, amongst others, just reinforces the robust feel of the model.

It is, however, that issue of the clarity and finish of the various surface treatments that, for me, is the icing on the cake, with flawless high-gloss paintwork, convincing satin alloy on the wheels, equally convincing flexible plastic look to the wheel arch extensions, mudflaps and bumper overriders, and eggshell paint finish of the bumpers. We mustn’t overlook the interior, of course, which is fully-detailed and finished in functional dark grey.