The DR30 Skyline from the television series Seibu Keisatsu is the latest car to undergo transformation into a super-detailed 1:8-scale subscription model. When all is said and done, it’ll take almost two years and ¥200,000 (about $1,930) to complete the model. That may seem like a lot, but it’ll be the most accurate replica of this famous cop car that money can buy.
If you’re not familiar with this phenomenon, we wrote a brief history of Japan’s subscription model kits in 2015. Essentially, they started as magazine subscriptions, with each issue including a few pieces of a model car. By the end, you not only have a voluminous history of the car itself, but a large and very detailed model of the car as well. In the case of the Machine RS-1, the finished model measures almost two feet long.
Seibu Keistatsu ran on Japanese TV from 1979-84, and was one of the most popular police dramas in the country’s history. Young gearheads, though, were drawn in by the outlandish car chases and action sequences frequently peppered into the story lines. Nissan was an official sponsor of the show, and when the R30 Skyline came out they quickly supplied the fictional task force of west Tokyo’s police department with three of them.
The RS-1 was the baddest of the bunch. Sgt Daimon’s team used the RS-2 and RS-3 for various reconnaissance missions, but Machine RS-1 was the attack vehicle. According to the show’s lore, the FJ20ET was tuned to 280ps (276 horsepower) from the stock DR30’s 190ps (187 horsepower), and it was outfitted with with 20mm roof-mounted cannons, an “afterburner” acceleration booster, radar tracking system, and many more gizmos.
The finished model will feature all of these devices, replicated with accurate sound and light to duplicate the on-screen effects. The roof cannons retract, for example, and the exhaust outlet lights up to mimic the afterburner.
The picture car’s interior was largely gutted and transformed into a command center full of blinking lights. It’s not clear if every single one had a clear purpose, but the show was made in an age when anything digital immediately looked fancy. Regardless, the model reproduces this with astounding accuracy. There’s even an 80s-style car phone ready to patch into the chief’s direct line.
You like shiny things? The attention paid to lighting isn’t just limited to the interior. The DR30’s tail and brake lights are meticulously replicated, as are the turn signals, side markers, and fog lamps. In addition to the rooftop beacons, there are also auxiliary lights under the license plate and hidden behind the grille. When the fog lights turn on, you can even see a little Marchal logo.
Other sponsors of the show included Enkei Wheels and Bridgestone Tires. As such, most of the cars wore Enkeis, with the Machine RS vehicles rocking gold Enkei 92 mesh wheels and Bridgestone tires.
Of course, the entire endeavor is ostensibly a book first and foremost, so each installment comes with pages recounting everything you ever wanted to know about Seibu Keisatsu. They cover not just the R30s, but other cars used in the show, the stock factory versions built by Nissan, as well as the production team the built the cars. Other issues promise staff interviews, archival photos, and information about the show itself.
And if that’s not enough, the subscription also includes bonus items like a keychain and temperature-sensitive mug that turns the background into hot fire when a warm beverage is put inside it. Finally, as if two grand wasn’t enough to spend on a model car, you can opt for a premium subscription which comes with a display case adding $475 to the total cost.
Clearly, the model will require a significant commitment. After all, it will take 100 weeks to get every piece of the car. If we were to devote two years of life to something like this we’d probably go for the Toyota Celica Liftback model ourselves, but for the die-hard Seibu Keisatsu fan, this is the next best thing to owning the actual cars. If you’re interested in the model, you can buy a subscription at the Hachette website.
Additional Images:
Images: Hachette
Sorry KITT the R30 is just more badass !!
This is probably one of the most underappreciated 1980s JDM cars. I love it. It truly represents the 1980s.
Last year I built the 1:8 Hachette Hakosuka Skyline. I bought the entire kit at once and built it over several days until I got to the mid way point. That’s where the frustration began. Perhaps it was my inability to read the instructions, but I realized the way it was set up there was no way for the remote to actually operate the lights. The receiver was under the floor and out of sight of the beam of the remote. It sat for about 6 months at almost exactly halfway until I bit the bullet and decided to finish it. I wound up completing it in a weekend.
Overall, I came away feeling like it wasn’t worth the money spent. The instructions had you putting things together and then several steps later taking it back apart. There was no way to ensure everything lined up and if you used glue (which was needed to hold everything together) you couldn’t make needed adjustments to have things line up properly.
I documented the process on the HobbyTalk forum and I would caution anyone thinking about building one of these to make sure you are really good, near professional.
I am a diecast collector and this was my grail but for me it ended up being a case of you should not meet your hero.
https://i.imgur.com/zbjPumz.jpg
That’s very disappointing to hear. So does the remote just not work at all? The finished model looks great, if that’s any consolation.
The remote and lights worked perfectly until it came time to put the floor in. I was pretty excited about it and it was a real blow once I couldn’t figure out how the signal could make it to the receiver. You need the remote for the lights to function – and it has a button for multiple light sequences – be that the turn signals, hazards, running lights, headlights, and brights – plus it has a door popper. That was the main reason for the long pause in finishing it – I was pretty disappointed after spending a pretty large sum of money that a major part of the experience would be lost. I tried a few different things but from what I could tell it would need to be rewired to work. Of course, I’m open to the idea that I missed something obvious that others would laugh at me for.
Once I determined I was going to finish it I went full speed ahead. The hood alignment is pretty far off and one of my main gripes is the silver decals that cover the seams in the A and C pillars since the roof is a separate piece from the quarters. The seams don’t line up well and it just doesn’t look great.
But I am willing to admit that someone with more skill and patience than i have would probably have had a better outcome than me.
I have it displayed so most of the flaws aren’t visible and it’s the centerpiece of my collection. It’s just not perfect.
https://i.imgur.com/CejcE5b.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/txqCa8O.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UbAvfRa.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/barGYsJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oRoJLP7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Q1uYBGT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6fAeske.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6tm5u8z.jpg
NICE!!!!
https://i.imgur.com/6fAeske.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6tm5u8z.jpg
Interior:
https://i.imgur.com/barGYsJ.jpg
The engine came out great:
https://i.imgur.com/UbAvfRa.jpg
Roof seam and door misalignment:
https://i.imgur.com/AeZ1NR8.jpg
Thanks for the detailed pics. The parts that work together look phenomenal, but the ones that don’t fit perfectly are pretty inexcusable when you’re talking about a kit of this price and supposed caliber. I guess I’ll stick to my 1:24s.
1/8 is just insane. I mean I love it, but I have a hard time with price. Shout out to those that truly commit to getting these!
I have both RS2 and RS3 1/24 scale models. The details are there, but obviously depends how indepth you really want to go into it.
https://scalecarhobby.blogspot.com/2019/01/machine-rs-2-and-3.html