Schwarz and silber

Being seriously undecided about which of these two recent releases from OttOmobile to lead with, I flipped a coin in time-honoured fashion. Fate decided that I should again lead with the Volkswagen and finish on a Mercedes-Benz high note.

Volkswagen Passat R36 Variant - 2008 (OT938)

I have a soft spot for estate cars, particularly ones from Volkswagen and Volvo - and certain Citroëns, as was evident last month. The Passat, in all its generations, has always made for a superb Variant and OttOmobile’s recent R36 is a fabulous illustration of this.

Whilst I would always be attracted to a solid (preferably red) paint colour finish in 1:1, for a Variant the Deep Black Pearl, which OttOmobile has opted for, makes a very robust, attractive finish for a model. I think that this is because the high gloss black makes a really strong background for the contrasting brightwork and alu-silver trim of the R36, which accents the cars styling really well. Especially successful in this respect is the depiction of the distinctive deep chin frontal styling.

Interestingly, the authentically textured black ‘leather’ upholstery also sits well with the black paintwork, thanks to the interior having that semi-matt sheen interior, which makes a noticeable contrast to the (very) high gloss exterior. All in all, a finish combination very befitting of the flagship R36 with its 300bhp 3.6 litre VR6 engine, lowered suspension and unique style 18” alloy wheel rims.

Mercedes-Benz C209 Coupe CLK DTM -2004 (OT895)

Just sometimes, photographs do say it all. This Merc’ is a very serious one, both for what it models and the way that it has been modelled. Celebrating an incredibly successful season in the 2003 DTM (Deutschland Touringwagen Meister) championship, Mercedes-Benz produced a limited edition of just one hundred of these C209 CLK DTM AMG Coupés in 2004.

What struck me immediately, about this model, was how well OttOmobile has captured the pretty complex lines of the car’s body. Obviously based on the track version, the limited edition road-going version retained its predecessor’s bodykit parts, including the ducted front spoiler and ducted front/rear wheel arch extensions. The well-defined clarity, in the edges and voids of each of those ducts, is admirable. Overall finish and detailing, as a whole, is consistent with all that we have come to expect from OttOmobile. But, it is the mix of familiar Mercedes-Benz styling traits of the early 2000s, together with the extrovert wide-body racing panels, all clothed in classic Mercedes’ silver metallic paintwork, expertly modelled that can only be described as absolutely stunning.