WEEKLY NEWS

Editor Mark is off on his travels and so this week's news is left to the amateurs here at GPM. We are told today's high in Nurnberg is a shivering -11 degrees Celsius so Mark will be pleased to be indoors exploring the 2012 edition of the Toy Fair. If you don't know anything about it this is the premiere world show with over 2600 exhibitors sharing seventeen halls of space. Now it's not all models but you need determination to get all the news and that's why we sent Mark. Tune in next week for news.

Meanwhile back at base it has been something of a quiet week for new models (probably because many of your favourite manufacturers have their minds on Nurnberg). SMTS have been concentrating on getting through many of the back orders. They also found some time to squeeze in the building of some new models with the three Cunningham Team Jaguar E Types from Le Mans 1963 and their super 1:43 metal Aston Martin DB3S kits. There are four versions to chose from including Dundrod TT, Goodwood 9hrs winner and the second placed Le Mans entry.

Sticking with hand built models but this time resin, MG Model have been busy. The Ferrari 512S and 512M have been the subjects of the their attentions and they have come up with a variety of race versions from Sebring, Nurburgring, Norisring (ring-ring), several Can-Am versions and even a hillclimb car (now there was a brave fellow!). Under the Garage range name they have made a 1:18 Belancauto special bodied Ferrari 512BB-LM from Monza in 1981 whilst under their new identity of Ateliercarmodels the 166S Coupe is modelled in several versions and that same Belancauto re-appears but smaller.

For kit builders, Alcad II Lacquers have been busy with the chemicals and come up with some more metal colours and specialist finishes along with a re-stock of the range. Finally there have been just five new diecast models delivered over the last seven days. First up is Ixo's Audi R15 from Le Mans 2009. Don't ask us why it has taken the best part of three years to produce them, we don't know either! Mattel Hotwheels Elite have a pretty little Ferrari 212 Inter Vignale well produced in two tone red and black. Finally there is a very nice silver Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante from Minichamps

To view all the new and re-stocked items from the last seven days, CLICK HERE.

Friday last week we spent the morning stuffing the first edition of 2012 of Four Small Wheels into envelopes and sending them off around the world to subscribers. Do you have yours yet or have forgotten to subscribe?

It is the first Saturday of February and the showroom will be open from midday until 5pm. Mark will have returned from Germany and be bursting with the news. Keeping him in check will be Jason whilst Marot is wearing out his shoe leather in Paris at Retromobile. It's all go you know!

Who caught the Daytona 24hrs on TV last weekend? Another cracking race and a great way to start the circuit racing year. So happy to see that Grand-Am cars are now attractive to look at (sadly making the older bodied cars look even more ugly than before). By the looks of it there's no racing this weekend so we'll have to look forward to the first F1 tests and continued running of the Moto GP machines. Looks like the new Ducati may well be a better weapon for Rossi then last years effort.

It may have been quiet for deliveries but boy there's been some announcments flowing in now it's show time. Just have a look at our February Future Production List and you'll see for yourself. In short, here's what's been going on:

02/02/2012 - CMC: we now have news of the latest 1:18 premium diecast models to come from this amazing brand and what to look forward to later including the totally gorgeous Alfa Romeo 8C Coupe Touring... Profil 24: now added 1:24 resin kit of the 2012 Citroen DS3 to their future production plans... Oxford: here is a list of their next 1:43 very British models...Bizarre: are reissuing the turbine powered Howmet TXs from Le Mans 1968...

01/02/2012 - BBR: reserve your copy of their 2012 catalogue now - limited to 1000 copies only... BBR Concept43: making a run of 1:43 hand built 2011 Ferrari F150th models from Singapore... GPM: Editor Mark off to Nurnberg for the annual Toy Fair - news next week... SilverLine: have popped a new 1:43 kit on their advanced list, the Monaco winning Lotus 99T from 1987... Tameo: confirm price for their new 1:43 Ferrari F150th 'garage style' kit... Spark: just received the latest pictures of new production due here soon... Fujimi: 2012 1:43 resincast plans now published... Jemmpy: here is their list of 1:43 kits and hand built models due during 2012... Schuco: celebrating 100 years of toy production... TrueScale: have announced their 2012 plans ahead of the Nurnberg Toy Fair and there's loads of 1:43 race and road cars, signed editions, 1:18 F1 and sportscars, fifures in 1:18 and 1:43 and Mercs and Rollers in 1:8 to come...

31/01/2012 - Renaissance: here are production plans for models, decals and detailing parts due soon and new announcements...

30/01/2012 - Spark: surprise announcement of the 2012 leading Monte Carlo Rally competitors - Ford, Mini and Citroen... Competition 43: all Jagermeister collectors need to see their new 1:43 Porsche 934 kits and hand built models... Ebbro: busy preparing two 1:43 Le Mans Toyota TS010s and their first plastic kit, the Lotus 72C in 1:20... Alclad Lacquers: new and re-stocked specialist metal finish paints and potions arrived... This Way Up: to release 1:43 Ford Cosworth DFV full kit...

27/01/2012 - Four Small Wheels: first edition of the year is posted today to subscribers...

26/01/2012 - Studio 27: the boys in Japan can't sit still and here is what they have planned as well as on the way to us, like the 1:24 Le Mans winning Audi R18 kit...

25/01/2012 - Profil 24: sent us pictures of progress on their 1:24 Audi R18 model...

Grand Prix Models have now joined Facebook... New product information, offers and stuff about us as they happen...

To keep yourself completely up to date visit the Future Production list regularly as there is a constant flow of additional products which all qualify for our 5% online pre-order discount off the price and with daily deliveries here at GPM you can keep yourself up to date with what's newly arrived by book marking the Arrivals section.