Revell Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Coupé G-Model (07688) 1:24

[Mike]

Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 Coupé G-Model (07688)

1:24 Carrera Revell

 

 

The original Porsche 911 reached the market in 1963, and if you have one of those, you’re probably quite wealthy in theory if it’s still in good condition.  The Carrera name had been used in the 70s for a special edition, and was re-used for the 1983 variant that saw the engine size increased to a healthy 3.2 litres with a choice of body styles including Coupé, Targa and Cabriolet, the Targa having a removable roof panel to give the occupants a wind-in-the-hair/scalp feel without the bodyshell flexibility inherent in removal of the whole roof.  The flat-six engine was mated to a new 5-speed gearbox that gave it an impressive 5.4secs 0-60 time that was the downfall of many a Yuppie in the corners and on roundabouts.

 

The American variant was slightly lower in terms of power, and was subject to their safety constraints that resulted in some pretty chunky over-riders being added to the bumpers, and IIRC (which I seldom do), a slightly higher ride height.  The overall design remained stable for the most part until it was entirely replaced, with various minor adjustments to the package such as a revised dash and an increase to the size of the disc brakes to improve stopping-power.  By the end of the 80s the type had sold well, but as sales began to drop off the next generation was already in-hand, with the 964 straddling the 80s and 90s with a subtly different look and technical specification.

 

 

The Kit

This is Revell’s new 2021 911 Coupé kit, the Targa version we reviewed a little while back, and this one has a different bodyshell to depict the hard top amongst other things.  It arrives in a thick end-opening box with a painting of a silver 911 on the front, being driven by (I think) Nathan Fillon, and with a probably famous Asian lady I don’t recognise in the passenger seat.  What’s going on with their artists and the occupants of their cars these days?  Inside are four sprues in grey styrene, three more and a bodyshell in silver, two clear sprues and four black flexible tyres in differently sized front and rear pairs.  The instructions are printed in colour with profiles on the back page, and the decals with a protective wax paper cover hidden within, along with the box-ticking health and safety sheet that you should definitely read so you don’t mutilate yourself during the build.  Detail is excellent throughout, with a reasonable replica of the flat-6 engine and Getrag transmission, plus left- and right-handed dash parts that will be seen through some nice clear glazing parts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the motor, which is well-detailed and made up from a good number of parts with a painting guide to assist you in making a good job, which continues throughout the booklet.  The basic block and transmission are set inside a frame, which is slipped into the floorpan from below along with a wide U-shaped mount that is painted black.  The drive-shafts and suspension are arranged around the transmission with the convoluted exhaust system attached to the underside of the engine.  The front brake disks and hub assemblies are made up with an unglued cuff in the centre of each one, joined together by the steering linkage and dropped into the front underside along with the rest of the suspension parts and a protective cover over the centre.  Back in the engine bay, the ancillaries, turbo inlet and airbox are painted up and installed, then the running gear is set to one side while the interior is made up.

 

The passenger compartment is made up from front and back sections with moulded-in rear seats and slots for the front seats in the forward section.  A pair of holes need to be drilled out for the pedals of the left- or right-hand drive positions, then the central console, gear-shifter and handbrake are fixed to the centre along with a pair of pre-tensioning seatbelt receivers.  The front seats are elegantly shaped with rolled cushions and separate back covers.  In addition, there are a pair of contoured seat-cushions for the rear seats that fit over the moulded-in bench-type backs.  The front seats secure in their twin slots in the front well, then the left door card is glued in place after a comprehensive painting and decaling, with the new rear squabs attaching in front of the simpler rears.  The left- or right-handed dash is painted up and decaled with some very realistic dials, knobs and controls, to be joined by the short steering column with moulded-in stalks and a separate steering wheel, which also have decals for the logos and control instructions.  The dash is glued into position with the opposite door card, then you’ll need to get some paint on the bodyshell inside and out.

 

The bodyshell is moulded in silver, as are the other outer panels, which you will probably want to paint after the next step, which is drilling out some holes in the front wings.  Incidentally, there are a couple of unavoidable sink-marks on the rear C-pillars, due to brackets on the interior.  They're quite small, but it's still best to fill those right at the start to avoid any complications later.  The bodyshell is filled up with the interior and floorpan whilst inverted, locating on pegs within.  The front of the body is detailed with a pair of recessed headlamp reflectors that need painting with a suitable chrome paint beforehand, then have their textured lenses installed and the indicators placed in the bumper below, painting the clear part orange beforehand.  The front bumper has an underside section added from below, with a choice of European or American fitments, only one of which has fog-lights and their surrounds with a number plate in the centre.  At the rear, a full-width clear part fits into a groove in the back of the body, which will also need painting chrome within, and the clear part should be painted orange and red as per the diagram before insertion.  The rear bumper iron shows a set of over-riders fixed either side of the number plate, but check your references to see if these are appropriately sized to the variant you plan to build.  A reversing light attaches under the bumper, and this too has a clear lens that you should paint clear red.

 

 

The wheels are different widths Front and Rear, so take note of the F or R on the small central sprue, although it’s fairly obvious when viewed from above.  The sprue should be cut off with the sharpest blade you can find, then the hub is slipped inside to ledge on a rim at the rear after painting the outer rim chrome and aluminium, and the centres black for all four.  The rims have hollow cylindrical pegs on the rear to fit onto the disk-brake hubs, and scrap diagrams show where to apply the glue sparingly.

 

As this is the coupé version, the roof is pre-moulded into the bodyshell, so it’s a case of inserting the windscreen with rear-view mirror from the front.  The doors are moulded closed, and the two side window clear parts are also inserted from outside, as is the rear window, all of which have black rubbers painted on.  To finish off the build, there are two door handles, indicator repeaters and wing mirrors with separate mirror glass and a silver decal are fitted into their requisite sockets, then last of all there are twin wiper blades on the scuttle, and a retracted radio antenna added to the front-left wing.

 

 

Markings

The majority of decals will have been used before you get to the end, forming part of the interior or instrument panel, but also included are a set of number plates from various countries, their overseas boot stickers, plus a pair of Carrera branded showroom plates, and an engine data booklet for the firewall.  The profiles show a silver vehicle as per the box artwork, but you can paint it any colour you like in reality.

 

 

 

Decals are by printed for Revell by Zanetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

 

Conclusion

This is a well-detailed kit of a very famous and much-beloved German sports car that’s a classic in the figurative and literal sense for good reason.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of