as seen on their facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Tiger-Model-367848000043590/

Looking forward to this already!

A very, very strange choice. A one-off demonstrator/trials machine. I know many will be excited about this but a service machine like Singapore's 2SG or Indonesia's 2RI would be more exciting and popular.

Affirm that, there are plenty of options to do... maybe this represents a start on a line of Leopards, a la the Nagmachon, of which there are now three in the Tiger line-up?

Fielded or not, this is an interesting addition to the Leopard line up.

+ 1

oooohhhh
me like mucho, plenty cool looking tank

Quite boring to be honest !
Wasted effort in my opinion.

Cheers
Christopher

And now HobbyBoss have announced the very same tank!! Totally ridiculous.

Mind you, they did announce Gepard as well straight after Takom and Meng, but where is that?

To me this is welcome addition. There are plenty of Leopard fans out there and this is one kit that was not boxed before which opens the way for other, less covered versions.

Add to that the great quality and details of their previous kits and you have a winner.

This DOES look cool !!!
It is SO nice that we have all of these options ! Not just Leopards but all the new Abrams offerings along with the new Tigers & KTs too. All in all, sales of any of the new kits will decide if it was a good idea or not.
A good weekend to everybody !

Tom

Unique looking vehicle for sure, but if one wants to be 100% accurate there are not lot of options.

However, I can see the What If community really some mileage from this kit.

Indeed a strange behavior from the Chinese companies. Do they mean they gain "Face" by announcing something that competes with an already finished model? May I remember that Bronco/Riich announced a MaxxPro 2(?) yaers ago and we will NEVER see it.
HobbyBoss would do better if they announce a Panzer 87 Werterhaltung and an accompanying Schützenpanzer 2000.

I know, I feel the same way every time yet another Panzer IV, V, or VI, or the latest "T series whatever", is announced when there are so many unkitted vehicles out there. Or, more interesting, to me at least, variants of those vehicles that also are not kitted.

Still, no one is making me buy anything.

Kylie
I wonder what this can would look like with a 130mm barrel slapped on it.

MGCS will look like this: http://armyrecognition.com/february_2016_global_defense_security_news_industry/rheinmetall_future_mbt_main_battle_tank_mgsc_main_ground_combat_system_with_130mm_cannon_11802161.html

Its now on preorder at Hobby Search

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10456268

I like the sleek shape of the 2NG, though the continued use of a turret front GPS with a resultant 3ft hole in the armor package is...different.

What I wish specialty companies like Tiger Models would do is look at some of the other popular tanks on AW which are not getting coverage.

The XM8 and VFM5, both derivatives of the FMC CCVL, also look really neat and have direct descendants in SEA (I believe Malaysia has a few of the Vickers vehicles).

It is also my hope that _someone, somewhere_ starts to take a look at armor kit tooling costs and build complexity as a function of a good market study and instigates an economic plan as counter inertia to capture a larger segment of the casual armor builder.

I would rather pay 20-30 dollars for a 1/35th kit that unifies certain features (roadwheel arms premolded onto surface appliques added to an inner hull, single piece roadwheels molded with tracks, closed hatches) as is starting to happen with some of the 1/72nd kits so as to keep the parts count below 100 and the price under 40 dollars.

_Then_ let us have a selection of options on things like a pioneer tools, open sight packages and turret/drivers hatches with figures, RWS/APS secondary armament and (in the case of the XM8) ERA/NERA blocks.

This would encourage you to buy the base tank, purchase those normally expensive resin AM bits as injected options (10-15 in box vs. 20+ in a baggy) and then save the money to get another tank.

I like the Buford, a lot. I _really_ like the CCVL precursor with the exotic (T-34 turret on M1 body) smooth body shape.

I think the Level 2/3 armor package on a light tank turns a great looking vehicle into an ugly brick. There is no need for separate armor packages which I'm just going to throw into a spares box and no need (really) for separate mounts and clips and suspension and powerpack elements which I won't be detail looking at if the baseline shape is right.

This 70 dollar, 500 piece, armor model as puzzle piece fetish is not good.

One other thing: For those of us who like complex camouflages, offering a set of precut template masks would be nice. The new German 'digital NATO' pattern is an example of this. Same colors, but the patterns are much more complex.

Leopard 2A7 Desert Camo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tifFkjN0V8Y

Leopard 2A7 2017 (Digital NATO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLdHzfeV808

If you pay for these as masks you will be coughing 15+shipping. If you reduce the instructions to a sprue guid, a couple pages of exploded drawing parts location blow ups (no steps) and two or three 35th scale sets of camouflage patterns which you X-acto out the color patches from would be an excellent value added improvement.

How many here have built 20+ tanks and use the instructions only as a general parts guide? How many kids in the 10-20 range would do better with a simpler model that didn't require them to add so many subassemblies?

I do like the look of this. Not my main area of interest but I think I might pick it up if I find it somewhere and do a what-if in-service type.

In which case, print off a 130mm gun barrel, for a real kick butt vehicle. As a suggestion.

K.

I'll look into it. Am I correct to assume the new Rheinmetall 130mm L/51?

Yes, more info athttp://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/show-daily/eurosatory/2016/06/15/tank-gun-german-rheinmetall-130mm/85920592/

There is a wealth of information about this on the Web, too. And if you do, put me down for one.

I know I'm in the minority, but I actually really enjoy these prototype/one-off/demonstrator vehicles. I do agree with you about the Leo 2SG and the 2RI, would love to see those also!

Hi;

IMHO any of the Leopard EXs are more than welcome in my Book The more kit's we have in any form is A Win-Win for our Hobby ! It Never seems to amaize me that people will WAH WAH WAH & Cry in there Beer if they don't get A certain kit ! Even if I mite not Favor A paticular subject, I don't Cry About It !!!!!!! And I Say;---Thanks Tiger !!

CHEERS; MIKE.