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Here's another kit car from Bburago in 1/24 that I highly recommend for those who want to flesh out their Ferrari collection. Ferrari's F50 was the supercar successor to the F40 and for all practical purposes is a Formula 1 wrapped in an unmistakably Ferrari skin that was defined by 2000 hours of windtunnel testing. As exotic as it appears, it still evokes the image of the the GTOs of the sixties.
This Ferrari is as far from those vintage GTOs as the Space Shuttle is to the Wright Flyer. Made of space age composites and exotic metals, it has a 0-100kmh time of 3.8sec compliments of a 4.7liter 520bhp V12 that redlines at 8500rpm. Only 349 were ever built. A car like this is very difficult to keep off the racetrack and this particular image seeks to represent the race car of Hong Kong's Charlie Kwan who in 1995 won the race reserved for GT cars on the occasion of the Formula 3 Macao Grand Prix. This diecast kit is quite well done and easily builds into a very striking model. The prepainted diecast body is certainly one of Bburago's best in shape, fit and finish. The paint is deeper and has better coverage than the built up release. The wheels are very accurate and are shod with Pirelli P-Zeros. I added discs behind the wheels that I fashioned punched out metal dics that I drilled out with a pinvise. The windscreen is crystal clear and distortion free and all the lenses save for the tiny fender lights are clear plastic. The outboard halves of the parking lights need to be tinted amber and the centers of the tailights need to be painted white/silver to simulate the backups.Also, get Guards Red and paint the headlight assemblies and the interior rearview mirror. The cockpit is also quite a suprise. It's well modeled in multiple colors and textures of plastic with a chrome shiftgate and shifter and two prancing horses that pop through the foot wells. A little paintwork is needed to paint the center consol and simulate the different colors and sheen of the carbon fiber and composites used in the door panels. I used fine metal powder that I rubbed into the finish and varnished. The real treat lies under the engine cover.
Bburago has really done a nice job in its representation of the engine bay including the engine, intakes, basket of snakes exhaust system, transaxle and chassis struts. Most of the drivetrain is chromed which it a great substrate to simulate the different metals with various washes and rubs with silver and bronze powders. The livery is Cartograf transfers and as with all of these kits, a softener like Solvaset is a must and they should be sealed with a clear finish to insure they'll stay on and not degrade over time. I use Future Floor Finsh. All in all, this is an outstanding little piece for a pricepoint so low, that many times the postage is higher than the price I acquired it for.
(10/02/2004)
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