Life has been busy, and once again, I am running late on the news. Seems like I need a little bit more of the summer that Metal Earth was talking about in their latest Newsletter, where they revealed this gorgeous Jet Ski Ultra 310LX model. Once again, it’s just a sneak peek, so we get only the one graphic, but this time there are two views in the single graphic, one of them featuring a side view and the optional “wave” stand.

Now, for those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, I can finally tell you that this appears to be the model that I blurred out in a post from the New York Toy Fair, all the way back in February of 2020. I found out that the model in question was a prototype that was meant only for viewing at the Toy Fair; It wasn’t technically supposed to be photographed. So I blurred it out before sharing the photo, out of respect for Fascinations and the wonderful models they bring us, until I knew it was okay to share. As you can see, from the photos below, it was labelled with an ICONX model number at the time, but they might have changed that in the interim.

The original photo was of a full display of models, so that particular one was not the focus, with the result being that the lighting and angle are not the best, and it’s not high resolution. But I think there are a few things we can learn from this. First, it might give us some insight into how much work and time goes into getting a model just right. And second, we can learn that prototypes are prototypes, and things can change. So what you might see from a Toy Fair like this, or sneak peeks, or leaks, are not final. Things can, and do, get better with more time and development. The biggest change I see in the model, other than the addition of color, is the engine cowling. But there’s probably a lot more improvements that I haven’t figured out. But wow, does that cowling and layered grill look sweet in the sneak peek photo!

Source: Metal Earth Newsletter