I will use Mini GT as an example.

Subaru Impreza has three names: WRC97, WRC98, WRC99. The real car changed the intake on the roof in 98. So some WRC98 cars have the WRC97 roof, some have the WRC99 roof. I thing that correct way to do is to split the Impreza into two sub-castings: the first roof and the revised roof. I think that the name alone fails to address the real sub-categories.

Second example. There are four M4 G82 castings: Competition, M-Performance, CSL, and CS. These are almost identical. Most people would even assume they are identical. There should be a way to see all of them together, but also make it clear that they are different.

Third example. There are two variations of the Tyrrell P34 depending on the air intake. You can take a look at 488 and 583 to see what I mean. There should be a way to see this distinction in the database when listing these models.

To summarize. The most important thing for me when browsing a database is to find out what is out there, what is different and what is the same. The first step in collecting is to organize the information and then decide what to collect. Knowing all the version, what are the similarities and what are the differences is the main reason I use a database. The name of the casting is not reliable indicator of what the model is. There should be a taxonomy created that is independent of the name of the casting. There should be levels of grouping models (just like the taxonomic grouping of animals). For example: Mini GT > Car brand (Land Rover) > Car model (Defender 90) > Body style (van, pickup) > accessories (camel trophy, expedition, police, army).

In other words, there are distinct groupings that belong together, and there are cars in the same grouping that should be split in sub-groupings.

It would be so much better to search for things to collect by traveling up and down this tree. Imagine starting with a Camel Trophy Defender, then finding out there are other versions, then looking at other body styles, then going up and finding the Range Rover and again going down on the Range Rover lineage. This is how a database should be organized.

Thank you.