Airfix Bugatti Chiron QuickBuild (J6044)

[Mike]

Bugatti Chiron QuickBuild (J6044)

Airfix

 

 

Bugatti, now part of the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) empire stunned the world when they released the Veyron, a 200+ mph hypercar that could chew through tyres in a few miles at top speed, and had some pretty radical, polarising looks.  Car designs are in constant development, barely standing still from year to year in order to separate us from our cash and convince us that our current car just doesn’t cut it anymore.  Named after famous driver Louis Chiron, the new design debuted in 2016, with a complete re-design that carries over the W-12 engine, although in a very different form than its predecessor, which makes it capable of reaching an electronically limited 236mph.  Why is it limited?  Because the tyres capable of withstanding the rubber-shredding energies above that speed just haven’t been invented yet.  Let that sink in for a second.

 

The Kit

This is a new Quickbuild kit from Airfix’s fun range that provides access to realistic-looking models without the need for tools other than perhaps a pair of tweezers to accurately place the stickers.  This is a new tooling with 45 parts, and arrives in one of their orange boxes with a hanging-loop included in the top should the retailer wish to display them on a carousel.  Inside are two bags of parts in tough ABS plastic with the clear parts in the smaller second bag, a sheet of stickers and an A3 fold-out instruction sheet printed in colour on both sides.  The parts are in three colours with dark blue for the underbody, rear body and black for the tyres, dash & wheel wells, white for parts of the interior and the front of the bodyshell and silver for the rims, front grille and exhaust.  The sprue-bound wheels have flexible rubber tyres that are also on their own floppy sprue, and another pair of short sprues holds the two small wing mirrors and the intakes behind the side windows.

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the floor pan and axles, moving on to the wheel wells, the interior door cards and dash with stickers, plus the seat.  The clear windscreen and side windows are moulded as one, and fit over the interior with a scuttle at the front and the visible part of the engine bay with engine insert at the rear.  Two black stickers give the impression of the limited rear-view windows here.  The rear valance with moulded-in light clusters are stickered with some poorly fitting lights that wrap around top and bottom of their location, plus a full-width brake light that fits just fine.  The side panels are each given carbon fibre stickers that wrap around the scalloped cut-out, and are an utter swine to fit.  I ended up cutting mine in two and fitting them separately, being very careful that the sticker didn’t protrude past the edge of the panel.  The wedge-shaped intakes go in next, then the white inserts with the wing mirrors finish off that area.  The splitter at the rear has a twin exhaust stub and blue detail panel slotted into it before it is located under the rear, then another pair of awkward mesh stickers are applied to the front valance, with another aerodynamic panel under the chin.  The front wings and central badge are next, and the multi-segment headlights are formed by stickers that fit well.  The grille and emblem are another matter, as the sticker is oversized and the slightest pressure to make it fit better brings off the printing.  If you look carefully you can see the end result of this in the accompanying photos.  The bonnet panel is last to be installed, then it’s a case of neatly nipping off the rims, slicing the tyres from their sprue and bringing them together, remembering that the slightly larger tyres are at the rear.  They clip in with quite a bit of force required in their form fitting wells.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

This is the first of the Quickbuild range that has caused me some trouble, and a child would struggle immensely with the stickers, especially the carbon fibre ones around the doorframe, which must adhere to a concave curve whilst avoiding studs and sticking close to the edge of the panel.  The front grille stickers were also intransigent, and one ripped while being removed from the backing, while the rear light clusters were a nightmare.  Finally, I think a different colour scheme would have given the kit a much more upmarket look.  Plain blue and white is rather basic.

 

Recommended, but with caveats about the stickers.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

 

[Noel Smith]

A wasted opportunity, just like their Veyron kit.

A proper snap kit like Revell or Lindberg do would have been so much better aimed at younger modellers.

The Lego like build is a more toy like approach, although to be fair the external shape of each model is good.

I attempted to upgrade the Veyron by detailing the interior. Also replacing the head and rear lamp stickers with clear plastic items. All in all a bit of a nightmare because of the Lego like construction.

Pity Airfix did not make proper kits. After all they have licences from VW Bugatti to kit these two cars!

Edited May 6, 2021 by Noel Smith

[cmatthewbacon]

Not necessarily. Licenses are not just “here’s a car, make whatever you want with it.” That’s why the fact that there’s a Scalextric version of a car you think would be a no brainer for Airfix (New tool 1/32 DB5 anyone?) doesn’t mean Airfix can just go ahead and make it. “Toys” die-casts and scale model kits are all different categories. And the license holder decides on whether to approve individual products. Lego clearly has paid a lot to VW Group a Chiron and Sian for the big old Technic sets!

best,

M.

[Noel Smith]

So are the Airfix click together Bugattis regarded as toys rather than model kits as far a licencing is concerned? I guess they must be from Matt's comments.

The big Lego Bugatti is a brilliant bit of technical innovation but to my eyes is not really meant to be a scale model but more of a caricature of the car where the emphasis is a fun build with lots of working features.

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Noel Smith