1:18 Z Models Renault Magnum 460 DXi 4×2 Review

Welcome to my review of the 1:18 Z Models Renault Magnum in white! If you don’t fancy reading the whole background of the real car, feel free to click here and skip straight to the model itself.

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We’re all too familiar with seeing concept cars at motorshows all around the world, cars that hint at the design language and future direction for a manufacturer. But who has ever heard of or seen a concept truck? Surely a truck is just a cab on wheels!? The V.I.R.A.G.E.S. (véhicule industriel de recherche pour l’amélioration de la gestion de l’ énergie et la sécurité/commercial vehicle for research into the improvement of energy management and safety) program was initiated in 1979, two years after Mack and Renault joined forces to adapt and sell Renault’s proven medium trucks in the North American market. It was focused on evaluating a number of technologically advanced options to be featured by Renault on future trucks and resulted in the construction of two VE (Vehicle Experimental) prototypes, dubbed VE10 (1985) and VE20 (1988).

The VE10 prototype had a high mounted cab reached by a spiral staircase with a huge, bulbous windshield. It certainly made an impression when it was presented in 1985 and even today I’d say it looks quite futuristic! Highly aerodynamic, the VE10 included a streamlined semi-trailer with a special tail designed to reduce aerodynamic drag, and therefore fuel consumption. The cab design was the most radical departure from the industry norm – it was mounted on a four-point air suspension system that doesn’t tilt to allow access to the engine. This meant removable floor panels were needed in case the truck required maintenance. The cab also had sufficient interior height to allow a driver to stand and walk from one side to the other, which was also different from the normal trucks of that time.

The VE20 prototype arrived 3 years after VE10, in 1988. It featured a number of technical world firsts in global truck design, such as electronic surveillance functions and a fully automated transmission allowing for smooth gear changes without any interruption in traction.

The VIRAGES concept prototypes paved the way for the launch of the Renault AE (AErodynamic) in May 1990. It was unlike anything else on the market at that time, with the most notable feature being the first truck with a completely flat floor allowing interior headroom of 1.87m and unprecedented freedom of movement inside the cab. The cab and engine compartment were completely separate, while the high driving position is accompanied by a very deep bonded windscreen promising excellent visibility. The cab has four-point air-suspension with self-levelling features for impressive comfort on long hauls, while all other rivals had static cabs with the engine intruding on interior space. The front axle was also much further forward than usual, offering improved handling and better crash performance. You may not believe this, but it was Marcello Gandini of Lamborghini Miura/Countach/Diablo fame who designed the cab of the Renault AE!

The Renault-engine AE380 was a six-cylinder turbo-diesel unit pushing out 374bhp, while the AE500 had a 503bhp Mack V8 diesel up front.

In 1991 the European press unanimously voted it as ‘Truck of the Year’ and in 1997 the truck was marketed officially as Renault Magnum (it was a trim level designation up till then). It also had an interior overhaul with some new engines available plus a minor facelift of the lower section of the cab, featuring a revised grille and smaller Renault badge.

In 1995 another concept called VE20 was shown, hinting at the future design of the second generation Magnum truck that would arrive in 2001.

Xavier Allard designed the new 2001 Magnum – the third generation. The grille again got a new tougher look, but the biggest changes were technical. Renault Trucks was acquired by Volvo Trucks in 2001 and more and more Volvo techniques were gradually used in the Magnum.

In 2005 the Mack engine was discontinued and the manufacturer completely switched to the 13-litre Volvo engines, which were also used in the new Volvo FH. New engine, new gearbox, new chassis, new suspension and new brakes were all included in the 2005 facelift in order to massively improve performance and comfort.

In 2007 Renault released the Magnum Vega limited edition truck with special features like subtle blue lighting around the centre of the cab and side fairings and even behind the imposing Renault badge on the front grille! The exterior was finished in a classy anthracite colour with flashes of chrome trim to give it a more upmarket look. The interior made use of upgraded premium materials and included a swivelling relaxation seat for the passenger that can slide to the back of the cab to free up extra space. With its decidedly upscale finish, this special edition included a DVD player, a games console, a kettle and even a wardrobe! Crucially this Magnum Vega limited edition was a precursor to cab layout changes introduced in 2008.

The Renault Magnum breaks fresh ground yet again with a totally redesigned cab interior. Now a whole 20cm higher, the new cab offers headroom of over 2m allowing all drivers to move around fully upright without being restricted by the various fittings which have been further optimised to make them more compact. In terms of storage, the cab now offers up to twice as much volume as that offered on a conventional long-distance truck. In terms of design, the Renault Magnum’s outline has been modernised by the addition of external equipment that combines attractive lines, safety and ease of maintenance; namely chrome finishes, LEDs and a sunshield incorporating marker lights.

From 3rd to 13th April 2009 the Renault Magnum became the very first French truck to traverse the famous Route 66, munching on 3,620km of tarmac between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. In the autumn of the same year, at Le Mans, Renault Trucks presented a Magnum decked out in the colours of Route 66 during the 24 hour Truck Race. As a result of the public’s enthusiasm and the interest generated by this vehicle, Renault decided to launch in France a 2010 Magnum “Route 66” limited edition (150 in total) with specific exterior decoration, exclusive upholstery and superior equipment. A Magnum designed to blend the excellence of Renault Trucks with the American dream.

Never tiring of a special edition truck, Renault introduced the limited run of 99 Magnum Legend. Arguably the most iconic of the Magnums, this 20th anniversary edition finished in matte black and pure white echoes the black and white colours of the original Renault AE from 1990. Truck of the Year in 1991 and constantly improved with each generation, the Renault Trucks Magnum has now become a legend in its own right. The Magnum Legend further states its prestigious credentials with an upmarket finish including Alcoa aluminium rims, aluminium passenger and driver step trim as well as chrome-plated nut caps and hubcaps – all of which are enhanced by the matte black of the lower bodywork. The doors, again echoing the first AEs, feature an individually numbered plaque bearing the official production number in this 1 of 99 limited run.

Just two weeks after launching the new Renault Trucks T-Series, the French manufacturer handed over the keys to the final two Magnum buyers. On 26th June 2013, at the Bourg-en-Bresse production site, the last-ever Magnum was presented to hauliers Robert Chabbert. The second-to-last truck was delivered to the Berliet Foundation Conservatory, joining a long line of vehicles bearing witness to a history which began in 1894.

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The review…

This will be my first published truck review, although I do already have the 1:18 NZG Mercedes-Benz Actros currently on display and hooked up to my epic MNTrailers 6 car transporter that I reviewed a while ago. The 1:18 truck scene has really taken off in the past couple of years – of course, we had the 2008 Actros by Eligor which started to command a hefty premium on the second-hand market at one point. Things really started heating up with the fully opening 2016 Actros by NZG and various Road Kings efforts from MAN, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz from the 1960s and 70s that seem to have set off a spark for those collectors who have the space to display these behemoths!

Z Models is the latest in this seemingly growing list of 1:18 truck makers. If you have never heard of this company, fear not! They are a sister company to resin manufacturers Otto Mobile and GT Spirit. The well known older diecast company, Solido now falls under the same umbrella after the Simba Dickie Group handed over the product development, manufacturing, and commercialisation of the brand. I must take this opportunity to thank the lovely Z Models media manager in trusting me to review their first Z Models product!

This 1:18 Renault Magnum is the first model from Z Models. They have also produced the Citroën 2CV – Charleston in massive 1:12 scale, again in fully opening diecast. This retails for a bargain €129.90!

For those of you who read the history of the truck above, you’ll remember the era of the Magnum started in 1990 with the AE380/AE500. Otto Mobile released a sealed resin version of the AE500 in 1:18 scale back in March 2017 (limited to 999 pieces), so if you were interested in collecting the history of the Magnum that would be a good place to start! It would be amazing if one of their brands released the 1985 Renault VIRAGES VE10 and accompanying aero trailer in 1:18 to complete the set.

Z Models released the 1:18 2001 Renault Magnum in white during the summer of 2019. They ran a really generous offer of free shipping on all orders via their website up to August 20th. There is also a black variant tipped to be released around the end of 2019 (the team recently posted a Facebook photo of the unpainted diecast shell saying it was coming soon) which will provide collectors with some welcome choice. Retail price is €149.90, which really surprised me in this age of ever-rising model prices! €149.90 for an opening diecast truck is rather impressive and is half the price of NZG’s Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks. So let’s see what sort of differences there are in a half-price truck….

As this is a completely new brand under the macro lens, I will do the customary start from the box review. Obviously, being a truck the outer box is huge! I particularly like the CAD rendering of the Magnum truck pulling a trailer – it is certainly a unique design. I do find it a bit silly that they’ve put some branding saying “Diecast Model Cars” when this is clearly a truck and the CAD image shows a six-wheeler truck when the model inside is only a four-wheeler. Just something to chuckle at!

The model is securely screwed down into a thick polystyrene shell. Word to the wise – be careful when you open the shell with the mirrors and aerial poking out. It also weighs just under 3kg, so this requires a firm two-handed grip when pulling it out of the box.

Once down on the table, we now turn it around and get a few initial shots to appreciate the size and features. From a side-on perspective, the Renault Magnum looks awfully box like – all straight lines. But look at it from the front three-quarter angle and there are some really nice curves to it and you can definitely see the lineage in terms of design from the 1990 AE.

Gingerly placing the model on its side now to investigate what lies beneath and I’m pleasantly surprised at the level of detail under here. Double width rear tyres, exhaust and even the driveshaft are all clearly visible.

The team at Z Models have gone that one step further and included a sheet of waterslide decals that you can add onto the truck or perhaps any third-party trailer you may wish to hook up to the Magnum. A really nice touch that just didn’t need to be done, but is very much appreciated all the same. Cheers guys!

Let’s start with the front, shall we? I just love how the Magnum has that revolutionary floating cab style – it would be awesome if the upper cab was realistically suspended on springs, but we must remember the low price point here. Focusing on that large Renault diamond badge and the surrounding grilles you do get to see where some cost savings were made – there is no perforated mesh used here, but the depth of the solid mouldings is decent enough to give it a pass. The diamond badge sits large and proud, which is the complete opposite effect of the 1997 facelift of the original Magnum. Just below the badge is an extremely realistic 3D effect checker plate in the spot where the driver might climb up to clean the windscreen from all the bugs amassed pounding up and down the motorways/highways. I like this a lot! Notice how it isn’t just glued on to the grille but is properly placed within a cutout. The same applies to the checker plate sitting at the very bottom of the front bumper too.

While we’re on the subject of badges, there is a well defined Magnum badge applied to the doors, just below the window line. The photo below may show the lettering to be a bit wonky, but that is just a result of the macro effect photo. To the naked eye, it looks perfectly fine. The 460DXi model designation badge affixed in between the two long vertical grab handles either side of the truck looks like it has some imperfections – again, this is exaggerated by the macro photograph, but a small amount is still visible nonetheless. Hopefully this is just a QC issue? Let me know if any of you have the same issue in the comments below.

Z Models probably could have gotten away with including the various weight specifications as a decal to be applied by the buyer on that extra sheet of decals in the box. Thankfully they included it on the model itself. While I don’t know what each line is for, I do know that PV (Poids à Vide) is the unladen weight and PTRA (Poids Total Roulant Autorisé) is the gross vehicle weight including tow. I think S might be the turning circle in square metres? Hopefully the more knowledgeable truck aficionados among you will be able to fill in the gaps!

Zooming into the headlights and surrounding areas now. The headlights are well detailed, but judging by the image of the real headlight unit below, it would seem the indicator bulb should be larger and the upper and lower main lamps should have a different background finish. These are fairly minor in the grand scheme of things and overall I think they’re great! The three vents to the left of the headlights only appear on one side of the truck. They’re purely painted pieces and there was a bit of paint overrun on my example.

The tail lights attached to the rear wheelarches are another good attempt. The texture of the lenses looks good as well as the bulbs behind them. The silver paint for the screws is perfectly passable when viewed from a normal distance. The only issue appears to be the use of one bulb instead of two in the clear section, which I’m guessing is the indicator and reverse light.

Other lights around the truck include the indicators on the front bumper that are nicely replicated with some proper orange plastic. I’m not sure why Z Models decided to use some simple orange paint for the side reflectors just ahead of the rear wheels. The same goes for the indicator that sits just below the cab and allows a clear view of the driver’s intentions to those vehicles in the blind spot.

Being a large truck there are a plethora of mirrors to ensure the driver can see exactly where he is going and try and eliminate as many blind spots as possible. I believe this generation of the Magnum arrived before the era of cameras dotted around the exterior, which is why there is the downwards facing mirror you see attached to the top of the cab. This allows the driver to see how close they get to the vehicle in front when sitting in traffic, which would obviously be otherwise impossible as they sit so high up. You’ll also notice Z Models included the blue-tinted sunshield to reduce glare along the top of the windscreen. A small, yet lovely addition that I think really adds some realism to the model especially contrasted against the white paint!

The side mirrors are yet another well crafted affair. The plastic moulded arms that attach the two separate mirror sections are also great. The mirrors themselves have a lovely curvature to them. Overall, a great scale representation.

This model may be classed as ‘budget’ in the diecast truck arena, but that doesn’t mean Z Models have skimped on the exterior details round the back. There is quite a lot going on back here – you’ve got the three metal effect plates for walking on, you can just see the driveshaft and also the downward facing exhaust pipe. There is also a white reservoir tank and some rather excellent looking nuts and bolts in between the yellow and black wires that pass electricity for various uses to the trailer when hooked up.

The detail continues as we move further back towards the rear wheels. The fuel tanks attached to either side of the chassis have some nice features. From the straps and brackets that hold the tanks to the chassis, to the perfectly realistic twist-off caps and even the tubes that suck out the fuel from within. Where you do notice the cost cutting is with the fifth wheel on this Z Models Renault Magnum – it does tilt back and forth, but the handle to lock the trailer in place isn’t operable like it is on the NZG Mercedes-Benz Actros.

The wheels look pretty good. The tyres don’t have any writing on the sidewall, but the rims are well detailed. Again, the nuts and bolts are very well defined. For some reason on my example one side has the bolts perfectly centred in the holes, but as you can see on the picture below the majority of them are not – a bit weird!

The rear wheels are also nice to look at. As mentioned above, this model weighs just under 3kg so I would be interested to see if the tyres develop any flat spots or the axles buckle if left static for an extended period of time. Let’s see what happens…

The most noticeable QC issue on my example is the excess glue where the side skirt meets the cab!

To round off this review we’re now going to dive into the interior. Open one of the doors and you’ll be greeted with a tan colour scheme. I like that Z Models went with this colour as it serves to really brighten the interior and not the typical dull black you might expect. The door card is nicely sculpted with various surface levels featuring a painted grab handle too. You’ll notice the door lock nub and the panel for the window controls on the passenger door – it would have been nice to have these painted too.

The image below of the real Renault Magnum interior gives you an excellent view of the cockpit from the driver’s view. You’ll notice the aforementioned exterior mirror hanging out over the top of the windscreen. Our scale model is the Privilege specification, as denoted by the badge on the dashboard above the climate controls. The dials behind the wheel are crisp and clear and the climate control dials are not too bad. I also like the three air vents dotted across the dash. All the individual buttons are well defined, but Z Models haven’t printed any graphics on them which is quite disappointing! The 24V lighter socket is just a black blob as well. I do quite like the quality of the seat material, however – it kind of reminds me of what you might see on bus or train seats.

So that wraps up the review of the 1:18 Z Models Renault Magnum from 2001 – what do we think? Overall I’m quite impressed with this inaugural model from the brand. There are definitely a few QC issues such as excess paint and glue that need to be addressed, but we see this sort of thing on models from much higher-end brands as well. With this truck being so large, I definitely feel like Z Models could have added some more detail to the interior, especially on the buttons. Aside from that, I think this model is an overall success! For far too long trucks have been nigh on non-existent in 1:18 scale and choice can only be a good thing in the hobby. The model feels hefty and solid. The model is opening diecast. You can hook up a trailer to the model. The model only has an RRP of €150 (the savvy collectors among you will have a standing discount code for your preferred model retailer, I’m sure!) Job well done guys!

Thanks for reading this detailed review of the 1:18 Z Models Renault Magnum truck in white.