Kyosho released its 1/64 scale version of the Toyota 86 a few months ago and became a big hit instantly.  If I had to choose one car that had the most interest in 2012, it had to be the Toyota 86 and so it wasn't a surprise that this car was so popular even in our model car world.

Kyosho's 86 had 6 colors and all in the version with the rear wing.  Prices went for as high as US$150 for the 3-car set that were only sold in Toyota dealerships in Japan.  The regular version (also a 3-car set but in different colors) sold for an average of $15 per unit.  The complaints we heard about the Kyosho version is that the wheels don't turn and its availability was so scarce that often collectors have to pay a lot extra to get them.  Personally I never really cared about whether the wheels turn as I rarely take them out of the base and really "play" with it but availability and price were certainly a problem.  I decided to only keep the red color one and would love to have all 6 of them.

And so here we are, a few months later, and out of nowhere the ex-Kyosho factory (most call it Kyosho OEM) sent us a sample of the Toyota 86.  I was thrilled because this meant that availability wouldn't be a problem and the most exciting part is we will be able to do another special color edition.  if you have been collecting these "OEM" models, you know that their quality is pretty darn good.  I think it would be more fair to compare them more with the higher-end Kyosho Beads model than the regular Kyosho. And of course the great thing about these OEMs is their price which usually goes for about $8-10 a piece (Beads has a price tag of $15-16).

The next logical thing to do is to put these 2 models side by side for a comparison.  I noticed quite a few differences but if you spot more, please share it here :-)

Last note is that there are 2 versions: with (5 colors) or without rear wing (7 colors) and that we have just confirmed with the factory to produce 2 custom colors in the famous "Panda" scheme.  All of these should be ready by mid March (we hope). 

Using a completely fair eye and after showing both models to my wife who is not a model car nut like we are, we both agreed that the OEM version is indeed better than the Kyosho because of the detail in quality.  

See for yourself and let me know what you think. The red is the Kyosho version while the orange is the OEM version.

Difference #1: They are completely different castings

Difference #2:The wheels on the Kyosho are larger and can't be turned.  OEM version has a smaller wheel and can be turned

Difference #3: The Toyota logo on the front is much smaller on the Kyosho version. Personally I think the Kyosho version is too small but the OEM version is a bit too large. Somewhere in between would probably make more sense.

Difference #4: The license plate of the OEM version looks a lot better as the one on the Kyosho looks like a think foamboard sticking out rather than a license plate.

Difference #5: The paint on the rims (wheels) are much better handled on the OEM version.

Difference #6: Fog lights.. the Kyosho paint job could use some work while the OEM version is quite cleanly painted.

Difference #7: The side mirrors.. Kyosho's is painted on and OEM has a chrome color tampa/sticker which looks more realistic

Difference #8： The rear wheels on the Kyosho looks much better as it sticks to the ground (although too close to the rear fender) and the ones on the OEM is not touching the baseplate so feels like the car has been lifted up.

Difference #9: antenna on the roof of the OEM but missing in Kyosho's version.

Difference #10: the 86 logo on the side.. Kyosho has a smaller logo than the OEM.

Difference #11: front lights of the OEM has better craftsmanship than the Kyosho

Now that you have seen the photos, please let us know what you think!