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Honda Prelude Sixth Generation BF1 2025 (24373) 1:24 Tamiya via The Hobby Company The original Honda Prelude was a two-door coupé that was derived from the Accord’s chassis for launch in 1982, and was startlingly reminiscent of the Triumph Acclaim of yesteryear, a truly ‘orrible car that had no discernible features that anyone would want to imitate. The second generation was a much better-looking vehicle in my opinion, as was the third, always adding new technology to the process, such as world-leading mechanical four-wheel steering (FWS), crisp handling, and a spirited performance. The fourth generation was my favourite, the FWS became electronic, and the engine was given increased capacity from 2.1 to 2.2 litres, with an output of 133bhp in the base model, while the V-TEC technology motor offered a respectable 187bhp. The bodywork was sleek and slippery, making it look fast even when stationary, but in 1996 this sleekness was lost to a large degree with the introduction of the fifth generation Prelude, which had a blockier nose design that also had peculiarly shaped (IMHO) headlights. The technology was still there however, using a torque-transfer system to improve performance and handling in corners, in an attempt to reduce under-steer that is inherent in all front-wheel drive cars due to weight distribution. Most models were front wheel steering, although Four-Wheel Steering (4WS) was offered as an option to some variants, with engine choices starting with 135bhp, and rising to 209bhp on the premium models such as the VTi-R and the ATTS (torque-transfer system) on the more powerful engine options. The Prelude name went into cold-storage in 2001 with the release of the Integra, dreaming fitfully until the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show, where it was attached to a petrol-hybrid concept coupé, moving with the times, but shying away from going full electric. It was also seen in red paint at Goodwood, and was confirmed as an official release in 2025 as a global replacement for previous coupé models of the Civic and Accord, and we will also see some other dormant names revived, including the Integra and the Passport (the what?). Motive power is provided by a 2-litre petrol engine and electric motor with a 72aH battery, with the power applied to the wheels using an Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT), varying between 135bhp and 200bhp depending on engine choice and variant. The S+ Shift system gives a simulation of double-clutch gear-changes, and the bodyshell has returned to a sleek and slippery shape, although with a different, more forward stance and shorter bonnet, being a three-door design that has a lift-back boot. It should look equally at home on the drive, in the car park or out on the open road. The Kit This of course is a brand-new tooling from Tamiya, number 373 of their Sports Car Series. It arrives in a modestly-sized top-opening box that has a showroom painting of the car on a black-to-white fading background that follows over onto the sides, which have profiles for the car in red, and a view from the rear that shows the boot open, and loading/unloading underway. Inside the box are three sprues of black styrene, one plus the bodyshell in white, a clear sprue, four flexible black tyres, four small polycaps, decal sheet, chrome sticker sheet, pre-cut printed masks on a sheet of Kabuki-style yellow washi tape, the instruction booklet in black and white, a separate painting guide that includes details in several languages about the subject matter, and a generic model-making tips sheet to complete the package. Detail is excellent, and extends from the interior to the underside, which has a complete floorpan and suspension system that can be seen when turning the model over, as can be seen in some of the pictures below. Construction begins with the underside, which the instructions call ‘chassis’, showing a detailed painting guide for the part, plus additional scrap diagrams of the wheel arches, all using Tamiya colour codes, although they are given as LP codes, which are the lacquer colours in their range. This is carried out initially to allow the suspension units, exhaust system and sub-frame to it without delay. The rear suspension is made from two struts on swing-arms, adding a poly-cap into a recess before it is trapped in place by a dual-layer rotor, with separate brake calliper wrapped around it. The centre axle assembly is made from five parts that include tie-rods and wishbones, fitting coiled springs to the underside that are trapped in place by another lateral bar. The two handed hubs are brought in from the sides and clipped into the open ends of the axle, mounting the completed assembly within the rear wheel well space on four pins. The exhaust is a single part that runs from the back of where the engine would be to the rear of car, with catalytic convertor, muffler, and rear silencer box nestled under the left rear behind the wheel well, terminating in a short downward-angled exit pipe. The front hubs are short by comparison, using the same sized polycaps trapped behind the two-part brake rotor, and with a calliper fixed to the front at an angle, mounting the sub-assembly into a combined strut and wishbone at the lower end. Drive-shafts to the front wheels are applied in the recess between the front wheel arches from inside the chassis, their ends projecting into the wells, linking to the back of the hubs when they are installed in the wells without glue, so they remain steerable. A steering linkage is snapped onto the trailing side of the hubs to make them move in unison, then a two-part subframe holds the assemblies in place after detail painting is completed. Each of the four alloy rims are moulded with three injection gates on the front face, which should be cut away carefully, then sanded flush to the rest of the rim, painting them first, then slipping the flexible black tyres over the rims from the outer face, noting the correct orientation from the scrap diagram of the tyre profile nearby. A central cap is added, then they can be inserted into the holes in the hubs, the polycaps holding them by friction, whilst allowing them to rotate, and to be removed if you should need to later. Each centre has a chrome H sticker on the sheet, taking care to get them properly oriented by reference to another scrap diagram. Attention shifts to the interior, which is a moderately minimalist design, beginning with the floor pan that is painted semi-gloss black and has a grille decal applied behind the seats before adding a four-part centre console with decal, and a stowage bin behind it. Two pedals on a carrier are glued into the kick-board, and there is a Honda logo decal for the floor mats in the front, which would benefit from a sympathetic textured paint. The steering wheel is moulded as a single part with detail-painting instructions and a H decal for the centre boss, mating it to a column with flappy-paddles and a larger housing that has the indicator stalks moulded-in. You can’t buy a modern car without a large tablet-sized display sticking out of the dash somewhere, and this is provided as a single part with a choice of two decals to bring it alive, showing either a list of icons, or a graphic of the car showing some statistics in semi-circular charts, both sharing the same time of 9:40. The dash with instrument binnacle is formed from four main components, with a host of detail-painting instructions, adding the display to the centre, and a choice of two binnacle dials on the right, as Japan also drives on the correct side of the road. One decal shows the engine idling, while the other has the rev-counter reading zero. Once the decal is in place, the steering wheel assembly is inserted into a recess under the binnacle, locating on a peg in the centre. A Prelude is a 2 plus 2 coupé, but the rear passengers would need to be legless or very small to be comfortable for any length of time. The front seats however, are full-sized, and are made from a rear shell attached to the main frame, fitting an L-shaped cushion to the front, and adding a headrest to a large peg on the top, painting call-outs included, even for small aspects such as the adjusters and pull-loops to admit the rear passengers after they remove their legs. The seats and dash are then mated to the interior, and it is worth noting that the base cushions of the rear seats are moulded into the floor pan, to be completed by the two-part backrest. It is held at the correct angle by the two side cards, which have speaker grille decals and extras applied to the sides of the boot (or trunk), plus an arm-rest to pull the door closed, adding another decal to depict the electric window controls on the upper surface. They latch onto lugs on the side of the floor pan, which allows the back seats to pivot into the load-carrying configuration, meshing nicely with the luggage set that’s included on a sub-sprue F that’s attached to the side of white sprue A. They are dealt with at the back of the instructions, and consist of a tote bag, hard suitcase, and a zipped-up golf bag, all made from two parts each. The interior joins the chassis to one side while the bodyshell is prepared, painted and detailed with a surprisingly large number of parts that are required to make a car safe and road legal. The first step is to remove the supporting mini-sprue from the boot opening, followed by main colour painting and painting the roof black, along with part of the boot lip semi-gloss black. Flipping the body over, the interior is painted, although it would be better done first, adding side-skirt and intakes with splitters to the rear edge of the front wheel wells, plus the backing of the Honda badge to a hole in the front of the bonnet. Painting the windows should be eased greatly by the inclusion of a set of masks in this kit, which allow the painting of the rubber/painted edges of both sides of the panes before inserting them into their openings. This will give the windows a more realistic look, and it is continued through the side windows, while the rear screen is only painted on the inside, being bonded to the frame by adhesive on the full-sized car. The windscreen locates in its opening with two wide tabs that slot into the roof, adding a surround to the boot opening while the bodyshell is inverted, together with an overhead console that has a rear-view mirror installed along with a chrome sticker to depict the glass. The side windows are installed next from the outside, and it should be noted that if you wish to pose either of the front windows down, you will have to cut them carefully. Hinges for the boot are insersted into recesses at the rear of the roof, and the rear light clusters are painted the appropriate colours from inside, and have a detail decal applied to complete them before they are slipped in from within. A similar process is applied to the external glazing of the rear lights, adding masking stickers from inside before spraying the interior with clear red. Finally (for now), the centre light bar is treated the same, with three more stickers before the interior is painted clear red. The light covers are clipped in place without glue, preparing the rear valance with mesh inserts that are painted inside and out before installation, mating the completed assembly with the rear of the vehicle. The front bumper (fender) is made from two main parts, plus a two-part grille at the top, attaching it to the bodyshell from beneath, then moving on to the headlight assemblies. The housings are painted black, and have grey and silver inserts pushed in without glue, adding decals that are shown better in a scrap diagram from another angle. The lenses are masked inside before painting them semi-gloss black, after which they can be clipped into the body without glue, and are backed up by the housings, giving them a deep, realistic aspect. The bodyshell can now be clipped in position on the chassis, first inserting two pins into recesses in the front, then flex-fitting the rear tab under the back bumper. The boot flap is fitted with a body panel across the top, and the centre light bar is added along with a pair of decals at the lower ends, painting the interior semi-gloss black before mounting the rear screen that traps the top end of the gas-lifts in place at the sides. An alternative to the centre light bar is supplied with a large Honda logo across its width, attaching without glue, then locking it in place with the body panel that also hides the two lower tabs of the rear screen. The boot lid snaps into place on the hinges, and you are shown how to hide the gas-struts for a closed boot in a scrap diagram nearby, while a rear spoiler is made from three parts and glued in place on two pins. A deep number plate holder is fitted in the recess below the boot, with another on the front bumper, leaving just the wing mirrors to be built. Each one is made from a three-part casing, applying a chrome sticker to depict the mirror, then gluing them on the recesses in the doors. Another chrome sticker is included to detail the black insert in the bonnet to finish off. After the luggage is made, a pair of extra diagrams show the correct position for the boot stays, locating the bottom end in a recess in the frame to hold it open, or folding them back to close it. Another two diagrams show how to drop the back seats into the cabin for additional load carrying, which is a practical aspect for a sport coupé, but allows the model to hold all the luggage that’s included. Markings A civilian car can be any colour that was/is available from the manufacturer, or any colour you like, as it’s your model after all. There are painting call-outs all through the instructions, which refer to “body colour” a lot, so the profiles on the separate sheet are merely a guide to where the external decals should be located. It is however a handy quick reference to which panels will be painted during the main session of paint/polish/repeat as necessary. From the box you can build one model. The decals are Tamiya’s usual offering, with good register, colour density and sharpness, while the carrier film is noticeably thinner than it used to be, and is cut very closely to the printed edges. The stickers are very shiny, and despite the best efforts of my scanner to imply otherwise, will be perfect as mirrors and chrome badges. Including pre-cut masks in a car kit is a great help to the modeller, and should result in a more professional and realistic finish to your model if you use them carefully. Kabuki tape is an excellent medium to use on curved surfaces such as windscreens and light lenses. Conclusion Having seen several pictures of this new release, both in model form and the real steel, it’s an attractive motor, and Tamiya have captured its likeness inside and out. It’s a kerbside model with a detailed interior and underside that should look great in your cabinet with some care and attention. Highly recommended. Available from all good model shops now. Review sample courtesy of via importers

Volkswagen Corrado 35 Years Giftset (05666) 1:24 Carrera Revell The VW Corrado was a child of the late 80s, arriving in 1988 and based on the then-current Volkswagen A2 platform that could also be found under the Mk.2 Golf amongst others. It was a replacement for the Scirocco, but ran alongside it for around three years, with almost 100,000 made, half of which were sold in the US. It was designed as a 2 plus 2 sports hatchback, and for its time had classic lines that don’t look too out of date, even now. The bodyshell was partially zinc-plated, which kept the panels from rotting out as the years went by, although because of the nature of the car, many saw the wrong side of the hedge at some point in their lives, meaning that there is a dwindling stock available on the second-hand market today, with the price increasing as a result of that fact, and the nostalgia of those that would have liked one when they were in-production from 1988-95, of which I was one. The top-of-the-line VR6 had some components from the A3 platform, adding a new wider front-end to cater for the suspension and the additional bulk of the V6 that was either 2.8 or 2.9 litres if your budget would stretch to it, or you could have the G60, which was equipped with a supercharger mounted on a 1.8 engine, which wasn’t quite as fast as the VR6, which could get to 60mph either side of 7 seconds depending on the engine type. The base model 1.8L 16V wasn’t slow however, getting to 60mph in a respectable 9 seconds, but those two seconds make a lot of difference on the ground. Initial sales were slower than VW would have liked, partly due to the higher price when compared to the ageing Scirocco, which sold alongside the Corrado for three years, but anyone that had a hankering for some hi-tech gadgetry would have been enamoured with the spoiler on the rear of the sloped hatchback boot, which automatically deployed at 100kmh and drew admiring glances from those that were left in its wake, although whether it helped with handling is debatable, as all Corrados were front-wheel drive, so technically the airflow was putting more weight on the rear, thereby lifting the front wheels and reducing their traction. Still cool though. There was talk of the police being able to tell how fast you were going by whether the spoiler was deployed, and I have a feeling that its function was made selectable at some point, but as they have radar guns anyway, it didn’t deter many people. The last model in the US was in 1994, with Europe following on the next year, with no upgrade or replacement available in its place, which is a shame, as the Corrado had a good reputation and a stylish name that was gleaned from Spanish and roughly translated means sprinter. I’d still like one. The Kit This is a reboxing of the kit that was originally tooled in 1990 as a G60, complete with supercharger assembly under the bonnet, although it has been reboxed in the past as other variants, one the extremely rare Zender cabriolet that was released in 1991, just a year later. The kit is a celebration of 35 years since its launch, and arrives in an end-opening box with three sprues and the bodyshell in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a bag of four flexible black tyres, decal sheet and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour and has the painting and decaling guide on the rear page. The package is completed by another bag containing six thumb pots of acrylic paint, a 12.5g bottle of Contacta Professional cement with a precision applicator, and a #2 brush without protector that had got a little bent out of shape. Detail is as you would expect for a kit that is almost as old as the 35-year anniversary that the giftset is intended to celebrate, and although some aspects of the model are slightly simplified, there is a full engine on the sprues, and with a little surgery you can ‘pop the hood’ to show off your work under the bonnet. Construction begins with the engine, starting with the cylinder head with integrated supercharger unit, applying a choice of two decals on the head after painting. This is then added to the top of the two-part block and transmission, and has the sump fitted underneath, installing the exhaust manifold under the supercharger at the rear of the transversely mounted engine, and fixing the distributor on the front, which you’ll need to wire up if you are planning on opening the bonnet. At the front of the engine, the air-intake path is connected to the supercharger on the left side, and at the other end of the block depicting the alternator, which is later supported by the front axle. The front of the floor pan is painted in preparation for engine installation, painting the inner arches in body colour, and the ancillaries in various other shades, plus black for the cover panels, and applying a decal to the top of the battery that is moulded into the left inner wing. The completed engine and front axle are then inserted from below into the space at the front, supporting the axle with a pair of coil-over shocks that are painted yellow in the centre. A scrap diagram shows that from the side the engine should be tilted back 5° from vertical, using the floor pan as datum. Underneath the pan, the exhaust with catalytic converter is inserted into a recess down the centreline, starting at the downpipe and ending at the forward muffler box, which is made from two halves, the visible portion having stiffening ribs moulded into its surface. The rear box has the entry pipe moulded into it, as well as the exhaust pipe, adding the stainless-steel tip, which is over-thick and will need thinning or replacing with a length of tube to improve realism, remembering that the tip is angled. The rear axle is mounted behind the front box, and fits snugly around the rear box, mounting on another pair of yellow coil-over shocks. The wheels are each made from three parts, consisting of a bland inner rim that you paint black inside to hide its presence, then gluing the visible alloy wheel design to the front and slipping the flexible black tyre over the assembly, the latter having a nice tread pattern moulded-in. There are some slight sink-marks in the surface of the alloy portion of the hub, which can be filled and sanded flush with a little care to protect the moulded-in details around the stud locations and logo. The finished wheels snap into position, then the radiator assembly is made up from the core moulded on a cross-member, with the fan trapped between it and the tin-work behind, lowering it into position at the front of the engine bay, and connecting a hose to the supercharger, then linking the air box to the intake trunking via a ribbed cylindrical structure. The front seats are both made from front and rear parts, and have two decals applied to the centre cushions to depict the pattern of the material on those portions. They are set aside while the interior tub is prepared, first painting the moulded-in scuttle at the front, the carpet, centre console, pedals and the integrated carpet mat under the driver’s feet, which are on the left side, sadly for the right-hand-drive fraternity. There is a choice of white or red Corrado logos to apply to the front carpets if you wish, depending on which colour you paint the carpets. The rear seats are painted and decaled, the gear shifter with gaiter and decal plus manual handbrake (remember those?) in the centre, and speaking of the centre console, there is a large sink mark at the front of this, but as it is covered by the dash panel later, who cares? The seats are installed on a pair of raised guides, fitting the door cards after painting them and detail painting the accents and latches for added realism. The dash is made from two parts, most of the detail is moulded into the vertical section, which has two decals applied for dials and heater details, then is topped off by the coaming, which has a pair of vents in the forward corners. The short steering column with stalks is inserted under the instrument binnacle, fitting the steering wheel to the top with a grey accent panel in the square centre boss, which is perhaps the most dated part of the car. The completed dash is inserted into the front of the cab, and here the diagrams initially seem to imply that there is a separate lower structure that is undocumented, but it is simply the shelf under the dash, which has had its connecting ends mostly obscured by the red location arrows. The completed interior can then be joined to the floor pan, mounting on rails and locating via the exhaust tunnel. The bodyshell has its upper interior painted black, except for the roof, which is painted a dark grey to match the accent material, and the bonnet is also painted black if you plan to open it up for viewing, which is shown in the next step, although only after the deed has been done, and you have taped it back into place, presumably to keep the bodyshell from deforming during handling. The rear of the shell has a pair of inserts fitted into the light cluster cut-outs, and these may need trimming of flash, then painting with your shiniest silver or chrome colour to reflect some light back through the clear lenses installed later, which are painted red, amber and left transparent where the reversing lights are. The trim around the doors, windows and screens are all painted black, assuming you have painted the shell red (other colours are available), adding more black paint to the clear part to depict the trim at the bottom of the windscreen and on the B-pillars. The clear part is inserted from within the shell, and the body is then fixed to the floor pan, leaving the front side windows without glass, as is common with many car models. The rear bumper is added under the boot at the same time as the rear light cluster mentioned earlier, then the front bumper with black valance is fitted with clear lenses under the main lights, fixing it in place, then adding the grill and integrated light backing strip under the bonnet. These lens backings are flat, and should be painted chrome to reflect the light before you fit the headlamp lenses. If you have cut the bonnet loose from the bodyshell, the tape can be undone and the bonnet removed so that you can install the slam panel, and a dash pot on the rear bulkhead, then the bonnet is glued in place at an angle, but a stay isn’t provided, so check your references and make one up from wire or rod that fits the bill. The two windscreen wipers are fitted to the clear windscreen, so take care with your choice of glue so that it doesn’t fog the screen around it. Another wiper is fitted to the rear screen too, and the wing mirrors are built from the shell plus clear mirror, which you should paint chrome on the back side to maximise reflectivity of the part in the same manner as a real mirror. The final task is to stretch a length of sprue to create the radio antenna that fixes to a base glued to the rear of the roof at an angle, which helps the car look fast even when standing still. Markings There is only one set of marking for this model, but the main differences between individual cars is the body colour and the number plate, of which there is a wide choice from various countries. From the box you can build the following: Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt and gloss carrier film, which varies between individual decals, and is cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion I was a big fan of the Corrado when it launched, and still have a soft-spot for it, even today. The model is a little on the old side, but it’s also the only game in town, so I’m planning on building it. If you’re looking for an upgrade to the detail, you could consider the transkit from Whitechocolate124. Highly recommended, despite its age. Carrera Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

BMW Z4 M40i (CS-005) 1:24 MENG model via Creative Models Ltd BMW have a reputation as a luxury and performance car company that has been building over the years with plenty of awesome and stylish vehicles coming from their stables. The Z4 is a two-door convertible coupé, and there have been three generations of the type that first entered production in 2003. Some of the designs have been an acquired taste to some, but they’re generally considered to be a pretty desirable sports car if you’re in the market for one and have the funds. The latest iteration of the design was launched in 2018 and has reverted back to using the soft top of the original design after the second version introduced a retractable hard-top. That may not appeal to all potential customers, but they have managed to halve the time for deployment to a pretty spritely 10 seconds from start to finish. It was designed and manufactured in Austria, and shares its floorpan with the Toyota Supra that is also built at the Magna Steyr factory there, as part of a cooperation with Toyota. There were initially three models starting with the M20i, the M30i and the range-topping M40i, which has a 3.0 litre straight-six petrol engine that outputs 335bhp and carries the terrified driver and solitary passenger from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. The design is angular and modern, giving the impression of speed even when parked up, and as well as looking good it also has a five-star crash rating, just in case you can’t keep it on the road or someone T-bones you. It is full of impressive electronics that manages the engine and the driver’s experience with a large Multi-Function Display (MFD) in the centre console that is updated over the air and a Heads-Up Display (HUD) for the driver to make him or her feel like a fighter pilot as they break the speed of sound (or national speed limit if they’re unwise). In line with a lot of modern premium designs, the car can be unlocked and even started with a mobile phone, although that’s a good way of having your car stolen if you’re out of sight or otherwise distracted. Production suffered from a brief halt due to the situation in Ukraine, but has since resumed, although it is scheduled to reach a natural conclusion in 2024 as the Z-series is brought to an end, presumably due to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars going the way of the dinosaur in the coming years. The Kit This is a brand-new tool from MENG, and forms part of their non-dinosaur related Car Series, and is predictably number five in that series. The kit arrives in their usual satin-finished top-opening box that has a handsome painting of the subject on the front, plus a holographic BMW authorised product sticker with the twin-grille emblem in the centre. On the sides are two side profiles of the car in blue and red, plus a little extra information and some QR codes to MENG’s social media sites. Inside are three sprues and four separate parts in light grey styrene, a clear sprue, four low-profile flexible black tyres, a short tree of four polycaps, a sheet of shiny stickers for the mirrors, a tiny Photo-Etch (PE) sheet for the seatbelt buckles, a sheet containing two material seatbelts, two small sheets of self-adhesive masks for the clear parts, a small sheet of decals, a smaller sheet of decals for the emblems that have raised chrome areas that don’t scan well, plus of course the instruction booklet that is sub-A4 and printed in colour on glossy paper with colour profiles of the two choices provided on the back pages. Detail is exceptional and includes deep detail using both traditional and slide-moulding techniques to create the illusion of reality. The grilles, lights and exhausts are particularly impressive, and when painted sympathetically, should look highly realistic. The model is a kerbside kit, so doesn’t include detail in the engine compartment, but because of the high level of aerodynamic fairings around the underside it shouldn’t be missed. The detail on the interior, wheels and brakes more than make up for that. Construction begins with the aforementioned underside, into which the front suspension units and coil-over shocks are inserted, allowing the front wheels to be steered in unison. The brake discs are made up from two layers to depict the cooling vents between front and rear surfaces, and this mounts to the hub with a polycap hidden inside, then it is placed into the wheel well, flex-fitting into place to remain mobile. The holes in the underside are filled with two inserts, and a three-part rendition of the rear of the gearbox, which is the only part of the engine visible after the build is finished. At the rear a substantial double-H sub-frame is applied to the sockets, joined by another pair of discs that are made up in the same manner, with the transmission and drive-shafts linking them and holding them in place in the wheel wells until the rest of the suspension swing-arms and coiled shocks are added over the top, which both have curved shields that are engraved with directional and handing arrows for your ease. The exhaust system is made from only two parts, but depicts the transverse muffler at the rear and catalytic converter where the single down pipe bifurcates very well, with a separate part depicting the end of the down pipe from the manifold. More suspension ironwork is applied over the exhaust, then it’s time to put the wheels on. The tyres for this kit are depicted by four flexible black circles with a suitably skinny profile and handed treads, much like the real thing, so ensure you put the right hand on the right side, as per the scrap diagrams. The tyres slide over the rims, which have five double spokes each with detailed centres showing the five studs holding them onto the hubs. These ones however have a single pin that snugs into the polycaps hidden in each brake disc, allowing test fitting and suitable BRMMM! Noises during the build process. The interior is formed from a twin tub that has a rear wall added with moulded-in speaker grilles to finalise the shape, to which the accelerator pedal is glued into the left foot well, and a short-throw gear lever is added to the centre console. The two seats are formed from the separate seat parts that are found in the bodyshell bag initially, and have their backs and belt guides added from the parts on B sprue before they’re dropped into the interior, after which the seatbelts are created from the fabric that is provided in the box, which are threaded onto the PE buckles before they’re glued in place, with a scrap diagram showing where they should fit. If you’re circumspect with the fabric sheet, you could also have some material left for other projects if you keep it on hand. The dashboard is well-detailed and has two decals provided for the central MFD and digital binnacle, under which the steering column with separate stalk ring and detailed wheel is slotted, with the brake pedal descending from the underside of the dash. The finished assembly then attaches to the interior on a C-shaped mounting at the front of the central console. The tub is completed by the two door cards, which have separate handles and a detailed painting guide in a small scrap diagram, then the whole assembly is glued onto the floorpan, locating on a number of raised shapes moulded into the top side. There is a rear shelf behind the seats, which has a pair of headrests made up from front and rear portions, and a clear wind-deflector between them that has masks for both sides, plugging into the shelf part, which fits on two tabs behind the seats, and is completed by a waffle-textured load area part that mounts on two turrets moulded into the rear wheel arches. Preparation of the bodyshell is started by removing the S-shaped sprue from the opening, then inserting the backing behind the front bumper/fender, and making up the two headlight clusters with a styrene reflector that is painted silver and black according to the key, with a clear bulb part slotting into the centre. These are glued in from behind and covered over by the clear lenses later on with the two grille sections at the front, which have exceptionally well-moulded detail within the surround. A number plate holder is supplied with two pegs on the back for the front bumper too, and a pair of inserts make up the vent detail on the sides of the front wings. The windscreen frame is moulded separately from the bodyshell, and has the clear glazing glued in along with a central rear-view mirror that is supplied with a mirrored sticker to give it a realistic look, plus a pair of well-crafted windscreen wipers that plug into the scuttle from the outside, attaching to the bodyshell from the inside, locating on three mounting pegs. The wing mirrors are moulded on triangular sections, and have clear indicator repeaters glued into the front of the shell, and more mirrored stickers to simulate the glass, inserting into the angled space between the door and windscreen frame, while the door handles are fixed into the recesses in the door skins near the rear edge. At the rear the brake cluster insert is painted silver then covered over with the clear lens, which you paint clear red and orange to depict the lights, plus another insert and lens mounted into the two vertical grooves in the bumper corners, and the central brake light is inserted in the integral spoiler in the boot lid. Under the boot lid another number plate is attached on a pair of pegs, then the bodyshell can be mated with the floorpan, inserting a pair of wide T-shaped clear parts in the back of the door cards if you are depicting the roof down to portray the tops of the retracted windows. The stowed roof is a single part that covers the load area behind the seats, which finishes the model unless you are putting the roof up. The soft top is moulded as a single part with a small interior detail section, plus the clear rear window, which has the heated screen element moulded into it, then it is placed over the interior after adding the two corner parts and the door windows if you plan on showing them rolled up. There are also masks included for the windscreen and rear window that allow you to paint the black lines around them where they join the bodywork. Markings There aren’t a lot of decals in this kit, as it’s a car afterall, not a Spitfire. There are two decals for the number plates that say “BMW Z4”, and two that are used to create the screens on the dashboard. On a separate sheet are a number of small BMW logos and name badges that are printed in relief and with a chrome finish where appropriate on most of them. The detail and shine on the decals is stunningly realistic and should look great with a quality paint job. Sadly, the scan of that sheet doesn’t show off the realistic shine of the chrome very well. It's perfect in real life. The painting instructions show the vehicle in either San Francisco Red Metallic or Misano Blue Metallic, but the Meng/AK and Gunze Acrysion codes show the use of non-metallic colours, so if you want to be truer to the real colours, you may need to check out some of the specialist paint manufacturers that cater to car modellers that want accurate paint for their models. Conclusion This is a gorgeous model of a stylish car, and really looks the part. The stamp of approval from BMW adds confidence, and the extras that are included in the box will really help with realism. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

i have this Pocher Aventador build going on at the moment, so i thought that i might show it here on this forum (i have it on another forum too). i started in late october last year, building the parts i can, as i am waiting for the trans kit to be available, to really advance the build. onto the build. the Pocher 1:8 box: and with a 1:18 AUTOart box you can fit 12 AUTOart 1:18 boxes in the Pocher box. 6 in 2 layers the front bonnet right door wheels front and mid section the Aventadors is all AUTOart 1:18 (except the Pocher 1:8 of course) i wont build it straight out of the box. i want add some extra details and my personal touch/taste. various parts would benefit greatly from some new paint, so i will do that. a trans kit is in development, which i most likely would add. paint interior in some color combo, maybe like in the AUTOart 1:18 Aventador. repaint wheels in another color. thinking of either silver or light gun metal. definitely not black. nooo