You can come back now. Those of you who were mortified by the sinister direction in which Diecast Delights turned with the Cadillac Escalade review the other week can relax.
We’re back to cars, and nice ones at that for a little while, starting with this one. It’s an AutoArt E24 M635 CSI, and not only is it one of the nicest models in my collection but it’s also probably one of the nicest items I own, and probably ever will.

Some of you have owned 1:1 scale E24s and survived to tell the tale. When I bought this model back in 2006 I was still in full time employment at a BMW dealership, and even in an environment where crazy deals can be had on parts and labour, I was frequently reminded that running an old 6-series as a daily driver is the preserve of the brave, patient and financially flexible.
A long, lingering, lusting glance is received by every E24 that happens to pass me in the street, but I know in my heart that I’ll never own one. It’s just one of those things I have to accept on a daily basis. A 635CSi deserves somebody to look after it who will lavish it with car and attention and not seek ownership short-cuts.

So I bought the model through our Parts and Accessories department. Got a good deal, naturally, and every now and again I’ll get it out and fondle it with an age-related 6-series brochure from The Carchive open on my lap. Perfectly normal behaviour.
As you see, it’s a lovely thing to behold. Since then AutoArt have made leaps still further towards hyper-realism and their retail prices have soared way beyond my reach, but this E24 is surely as good a rendition as anybody really needs.
The proportions are impeccable and the shark-nose snarl is captured perfectly. The headlamps look deep, full of life and ready to hi-beam the next dawdling mortal out of the way in the fast lane. The foglamps, too, which are treated by most E24 drivers as daytime running lights if my observations are accurate, look great.

Tilt the hood forward and that legendary race-bred six-cylinder mill visually erupts in your face. If we’re picking at nits (let’s) we could say that the moulded-in wiring for the plugs and that harness that runs across the manifold is a bit crude, but at least everything is where it should be.
Otherwise, the blue-lidded fuse and relay box, the suspension strut tops and a host of other details are faithfully denoted.

Likewise the luggage compartment. It’s richly carpeted and the comprehensive BMW first-aid kit is in place and legibly labelled. A couple of points are knocked off here by the dog-legs on which the lid hinges, they’re a bit crude and clunky (though they work well enough).

If anywhere is going to drop this model’s score it’s the interior, and then only if we’re hyper critical. The accuracy is pretty much spot on. Dials, buttons, controls, all are accurate and well placed. Carpet is laid (and laid well), they’ve even included the footrest to the left of the pedals.
The only criticism is the plastic its all made of, which sadly fails to reflect BMW quality on any visual level. It’s all too thin and shiny-looking. And yeah, I know this is the harshest of harsh criticism- put simply it’s pretty much all that stops this model being perfect.

OK, I don’t mean perfect, I mean perfectly good. If this line of models was to be re-released AutoArt would probably make tiny incremental improvements and I’d like to think the a change in the interior plastics could be a priority. Of course, if the E24 was to be relaunched it would cost $$$. I’ve just looked at the completed listings on eBay and immediately burst into fits of barely controllable laughter as the values these models currently command are enough for me to retire on with immediate effect.
Bye, then.
Oh, 95%.
(All images copyright Chris Haining / Hooniverse 2015)