Revell Police Impala Comparo- US vs. German

The 8th-generation Impala (called "Wimpala" by people who felt it was a poor follow-up to the more muscular V8-powered 1994-1996 version) arrived in late 1999 as a 2000 model. This generation was the mid-size Lumina's replacement, and shared a platform with the Pontiac Bonneville. This Impala generation remained into production until 2005.

Interestingly, Chevrolet offered two police packages on this car. The 9C1 package was your standard-fare police package... reinforced chassis, suspension, and braking components, few creature features, and the top-line engine, in this case GM's storied 3.8 liter V6, an engine regarded by many as GM's best V6 ever. The 9C3 had the same basic ingredients, but allowed for more options as far as equipment and paint colors, which were more limited on the 9C1 package. Neither package was available new to the general public- only police, fire, and EMS agencies could purchase a new Impala equipped with either package.

In 2005, Revell opted to release a kit of a police Impala as part of their SnapTite line, and it has been in pretty much continuous production ever since. Revell's German subsidiary recently decided to get in on the action, and released their own version of the kit.

Here's the US version. Note the SnapTite branding, and the Skill Level rating of 1.

It's Teutonic sister, on the other hand, makes no mention of the fact that it's a snap kit. It is listed as Skill Level 3 on the end panel as well.

The US boxing comes with the grille, headlight reflector unit, headlight lens unit, and taillight lens already installed to the body. They are fastened via heat-swaging, so they are easy to remove. And you'll want to remove them, if you want to paint detail the lenses and grille, and/or paint the body. Which you probably should, unless you just want to throw it together PURELY box stock.

The RoG version forgoes such Tomfoolery, and supplies the lenses, reflectors, and grille separately. The generic light bar comes pre-assembled in both versions, though.

The chassis, wheels, mirrors, push bar, lap top computer, and rifle are molded in black plastic. Obviously, you won't find the grille (left of top sprue) on the runner in the US version.

The interior is a platform type, with separate side panels anf front seat. The steering wheel is separate from the column, which includes decent mult-function stalk and gear selector lever detail. The rear seat divider is also molded interior color. The German boxing is molded in gray...

While the US kit interior is done in a funky blue hue.

The glass unit for the car is all one piece, with the clear panel for the rear seat divider molded on a separate sprue.

As with all Revell SnapTite kits since the early '90's, the US boxing comes with those awful peel-and-stick graphics. On the other hand...

The German boxing has very nice waterslide decals, with more detailing graphics for the interior and car body. The generic "City Police" graphics carry over from the US version, but the German version also includes markings for a Canton, Ohio patrol car, as well as a Chevrolet Police Vehicle motif.

So, as far as content goes, the nod goes to the German boxing. But there is a significant problem, too.

The US kit retails for $15.25. If you are in North America, the German boxing retails for... (please, you may want to sit down, or brace yourself against something solid) $34.95. Yes, the German boxing retails for just over twice the standard SnapTite kit.

Why? In North America, you're basically paying to import the kit twice when you buy a Revell AG kit, whatever kit it may be. Sometimes, when a kit isn't available in a Revell US boxing, you just suck it up and pay the price, if you want the subject.

But this one IS available in the US boxing... and it was for nearly a decade before the German issue came out.

The question is- are better, more comprehensive decals really worth a near $20 surcharge? To me, no. Not on a simplifed kit like this one, anyway. I would assume that no matter which version you get, you will likely be using aftermarket decals... perhaps even an aftermarket lightbar or beacon. In that case, the better decals in the German kit are moot. Now, if you wanted to do the Canton car, or the Chevrolet Police Vehicle press car, then I could probably endorse the German kit a bit more wholeheartedly. But personally- if I need an Impala for a project, I'll just stick with the US boxing.

If you could find a German kit in the US for about ten bucks under the suggested retail, then by all means, jump on it. This kit, despite being a simplified snap-together piece, is pretty good. With a little careful detailing it looks the part of a police Impala on the shelf. It's nice... just not pushing-thirty-five-bucks nice.