I think it's a case of it looking too good to be true. Looks a lot like someone put this together from a Char B box top and an old Schneider illustration.
I'm afraid that someone is pulling our collective legs here...
But speaking of Schneiders: Retrokit have now issued a full set of 1/72 Resin Schneiders: early, early with applique, and late variant (with re-built rear).
A review will follow as soon as i get my head above water here...
It's definitely the Char B1 bis boxtop. It has the same kit numbers and the Japanese description is the same. Here's a copy of the Char B1 lid for comparison.
I'm very sorry to be the author of this fake... It was just a traditional french "poisson d'Avril" built on the B1bis box, but it seems it live it's own life now... It was also an old dream. But if somebody working at the Tamiya Staff read the forums... Gilles(Lostiznaos)
Although I would make a small wager that Tamiya releases an FT-17 purely from the point of view that it had an imense service history and they can knock out another 3 German variants just to keep the 'panzer brigade' happy... one with a German WWII 'traffic horn' on the side for an extra £5 etc etc.. As will probably be the case with the Char B1 Bis.
However, I doubt Tamiya or Dragon will be enlightened enough to start chopping out Schneiders, MkIs, or Uberlandwagens any time soon - unless they purchase moulds of deleted kits or from defunct companies*... I seem to recall that the Italieri Steyr RSO was re-released by Tamiya [only for the Japanese market] a few years ago.
*Which makes a Tamiya FT-17 based on purchased RPM moulds seen almost possible...
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