Bavaria’s best: 1:18 BMW 730i (E32) by Minichamps

The appeal of Minichamps among 1:18 model collectors has tanked pretty hard over the past couple of years. And that is putting it mildly.

The German manufacturer has gotten a good share of deserved criticism for a number of reasons, the first of which is depleting quality. Some 10 years ago, Minichamps was on top and competing with the likes of AUTOart and the other 1:18 big kids. Top tier attention to detail and 360° access were virtually guaranteed on the majority of Minchamps’ releases. But along the way, something clearly went off the road. Today the Minchamps brand is a bit of a dumpster fire. Minichamps’ catalog is plagued with sloppy, haphazardly sealed models. As if that wasn’t enough to turn off collectors, the Minichamps models that did provide opening parts are, for lack of a better term, “meh.” But wait, there’s more!

Minichamps has always been on the upper end of the price spectrum, and their price points have been increasing despite the decreasing quality. Their sealed models cost anywhere from $100-$150, and those with opening parts cost $160-180 on average. That’s a lot of money.

The combination of increasing prices and decreasing quality has shifted me away from Minichamps until the release of a 1:18 BMW 730i. Not just any 730i, but an E32-generation model, one of my all time favorite cars. The reason I love the E32 is because it follows a flawless formula: elongate a beautiful BMW to the length of a cruise ship (more or less), and give it a powerful inline-six. I longed for that E32 despite my concerns about Minichamps. The combination of fully opening parts and a bearable price tag of $150 helped me overcome concerns and add it to my collection.

Would this E32 730i turn out to be a stunning replication of a stunning car or a low quality bastardization that would mark the end of my relationship with Minichamps? I would soon find out.

First impressions

Surprise, surprise. The E32 arrived and I was shocked to see that Minichamps actually delivered on the E32. The positives began right out of the box. I’ve always loved the packaging on new Minichamps models. The box is very minimal, yet attractive and I was greeted with a styrofoam shell containing the model upon opening. I wish a proper base plate had been included with the E32 as this model unfortunately arrived with a fair amount of camber.

That said, each opening panel is accompanied by a smooth, realistic hinge as opposed to the dog-leg ones I’ve found on previous models. Other positives included perfect panel gaps, lovely metallic blue paint with minimal orange peel, and beautiful wood paneling decals inside. Proportions are spot-on, complimenting the E32’s iconic 80’s look.

My first impressions of this Minichamps E32 were leagues ahead than what I was expecting!

Exterior Styling

There were numerous exterior faults on my previous Minichamps model which had left a bad taste in my mouth; it seems the manufacturer has fixed most of my complaints with this E32. The exterior is near-faultless and in sharp contrast to the poor quality I had unfortunately expected.

A quick examination of the E32 revealed that Minichamps aced many of my fundamentals. The BMW logos have depth to them even those on the wheel center-caps which is in stark contrast to often used stickers which I find appalling.

The wheels appear to be the 17-inch, “Style 5” rims offered on an array of BMW models including the E32. Minichamps does justice to these iconic rims with the center-lock nut and brake disc/caliper painted to a very high degree. The headlights and grille go hand in hand when it comes to quality. Both are beautifully recreated with perfect paint and build quality.

Along with the metallic blue paint, Minichamps also does a remarkable job with the silver trim. There are no chips, blotches, or inconsistencies around the doors, bumpers or windows. Wow, just wow!

Minichamps has also excelled in the rear. I’d be hard pressed to believe the taillights were plastic without looking at them up close. The exhaust is of a similar quality — there is more than enough depth in each pipe. Minichamps has done a glorious job with this E32’s exterior.

Inside the cabin

This manufacturer has undeniably improved attention to detail since I last reviewed a Minichamps 1:18 model… outside of one aspect. Plastic. Shiny, grotesque black plastic. The cabin is plagued with it. As much as I’d love to polish over it, no pun intended, I can’t. It’s so high gloss that its looks can only be described as abominable. Oh Minichamps. You’ve improved so many of the car’s attributes so well, but you just couldn’t ditch the repulsive plastic. A massive blow indeed.

Moving right along, the rest of the detail is top tier for the $150 price tag. The seat belts are fabric, the center console is molded perfectly, and each button is painted. The shifter and handbrake also look stunning. My favorite element is the classy wood paneling. BMW interior design was on point in the late 80s, and wood paneling is a spectacular touch.

Minichamps has paid equal attention to the rear seating. Fabric seat belts occupy the rear seats as well, and so does the astounding wood trim. The center console features AC vents and controls, which Minichamps has done a fine job on. The seats themselves are shaped proportionally and accurately, staying true to the original, but are unfortunately made of that same horrid black plastic.

Under the hood

Minichamps has done a flawless job replicating the engine. The hinges are nothing short of superb and operate quite smoothly.

Hoses, tubes, and fluid caps are perfectly reproduced with a minimal “plastic” look to them. The block and exhaust manifolds are evenly painted in an exquisite, contrasting metallic silver. A close look on the top of the engine cover reveals a clearly decipherable “BMW” script. Magnificent radiators and corresponding cooling fans detailed to a similarly high degree are found at the front of the engine bay.

Devil’s in the details

I love the model but there’s a few small details Minichamps could have improved upon to make this E32 perfect.

Vents surrounding kidney grille: Minichamps has always been skimpy with perforation. This E32 features perforation for the kidney grilles, which I applaud them for, but not the neighboring vents. Molded plastic is used instead of perforation, and this cost-cutting measure results in a very inexpensive look.

Door tension: Most 1:18 model cars have minimal tension in the door hinges — enough to keep the door shut, while still allowing for easy interior access. Minichamps hasn’t included this. All four doors have enough tension to make opening them a difficult task without a third-party panel opening tool. The tension also causes the paint to chip if you don’t close each door slowly.

Interior carpet… or lack thereof: Minichamps, yet again, decided to exclude carpet from the list of materials used inside. The glossy interior black plastic and lack of carpet give the interior a horrible, budget model-look.

In the big picture

Minichamps has clearly improved its quality over these last couple of years which is good news. The bad news, on the other hand, is that there are a small number of flaws that make a big impact on my view of the Minichamps BMW E32.

The positives include a wonderful coat of exterior paint, appreciable shut lines, picture-perfect badges, and more. The engine bay keeps the plastic look to a minimum and is painted equally well, with no components missing.

That brings us to the interior which is the Minicamps E32’s Achilles’ heel. In a nutshell, it looks terrible due to its lack of carpet and plastic cladding. It fascinates me that Minichamps would overlook two, only two, attributes that have the biggest influence on my overall thoughts of the model.

Minichamps’ E32 is a great model for BMW fans, E32 lovers, and 1:18 enthusiasts that only use models for display purposes. Diehard collectors? Not so much. Its $150 price tag slots it in between Norev and low-end AUTOart models with competitive detail. For these reasons, I’ve concluded that, yes, this is a marvelous model for its class but will likely not satisfy collectors who seek models with perfect overall quality.