Carrera Revell Audi RS E-Tron GT (07698) 1:24

[Mike]

Audi RS E-Tron GT (07698)

Easy Click System

1:24 Carrera Revell

 

 

The E-Tron GT began life as a concept car that was unveiled in 2018 in Los Angeles and then Geneva, but was launched as a production vehicle early in 2021 as a substantially similar design, but with some concessions to practicality, such as visible door handles.  It is based upon the group’s J1 platform, and is a fully electric vehicle that is powered by a heavyweight battery pack that must be recharged from a wired charging-point once depleted.  The GT can rocket from 0-60 in just over 3.3 seconds, being powered by two electric motors that drive an axle each, with a maximum burst power of almost 640bhp using a short-lived boost mode.  In standard mode it has a slightly more sedate 590bhp that should be more than enough for the average user.

 

The vehicle has 40% commonality of parts with the Porsche Taycan, which is based on the same J1 platform, so the service and repair bills won’t be for the feint hearted.  It is a four-door sedan, despite its sinuous, sleek coupé look, although the rear passengers better not be too tall, or they may find the slope of the roofline to be an inconvenience, especially during longer journeys.  Its top speed is a more-than-sufficient 155mph, which is over double the British speed limit, and while the official figure for its range is around 240 miles, independent testers have managed to squeeze another 30+ miles out of it, presumably with a trailing wind and all the power-sapping services turned off.

 

 

The Kit

This is a new tool from Revell, who share their German heritage with both Audi and their immense Volkwagen parent group, so it seems only natural that they should be quick to produce a kit of this type, which is an impressive and attractive step towards independence from oil-based fuels.  It is heralded as an ‘Easy-Click System’ kit, but the detail is closer to that of a traditional kit, so don’t be dissuaded from considering it for that reason.  Equally, it is eminently suitable for the impulse purchaser, junior or novice modeller thanks to the self-coloured parts, and a choice of decals or stickers.  The kit arrives in a deep end-opening box with a dark grey/black theme that has a profile of the vehicle in similar moody lighting.  Inside are four black sprues, a bodyshell and small sprue in deep blue, an anthracite sprue containing hubs, a chromed sprue, a clear sprue, four flexible ‘rubber’ tyres with cruciform runners within, the afore mentioned decal and sticker sheets, the instruction booklet printed in colour on matte paper, and finally a small safety sheet folded in four, that hides the decals within.  As already mentioned, detail is good, and this extends into the interior of the bodyshell, which has grab handles, sun-visors and other details engraved into the roof, although there are also a few ejector-pin marks to hide if you expect them to be seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the front wheels for a change, building up the brake discs with moulded-in callipers that have a decal applied to the outer side, plus a blue cap trapped between the two halves of the disc, which receives the peg in the rear of the alloy wheel, allowing it to remain mobile.  A black detail insert is applied to the front centre of the rim, and the tyre is slipped over the finished hub, taking care to align the flange on the rear of the hub with the tyre’s narrow edge.  With the pair of front wheels made up, they are attached to the bodyshell, and linked together with a rod with pins at the ends, then covered over with an aerodynamic fairing.  The same process is carried out at the rear, minus the steering linkage for obvious reasons.

 

The interior is begun with the basic tub, which has a centre console clipped over two turrets, and an accelerator pedal attached to the sloped front bulkhead, then making up the twin rear seats with a headrest insert clipped in behind it, the two front seats, which have separate front and rear sections, with deep engraved upholstery detail on the cushions.  The dash is the final sub-assembly, adding a binnacle coaming, steering column and wheel, with a substantial number of decals or stickers to depict the modern LED screens for the instruments and MFD.  The assemblies are all brought together to complete the tub, adding the seats last, with more decals or stickers applied around the interior.  The bodyshell has a scuttle insert added, plus a centre console in the roof that has the rear-view mirror inserted in a socket, optionally painting much of the roof dark grey plus a carbon fibre decal to apply above it, and the side skirts are painted black.  The bumper has its cut-outs filled by a clear insert that is backed by a black detail panel, and a chrome insert creates the light clusters with the aid of a number of white chevron decals/stickers adding to the detail.  At the rear, a pair of chrome inserts fit into the rear light cut-outs, again with paint and decals/stickers adding extra detail before it is covered by a clear insert that should be painted clear red to depict the lenses for accuracy.  A spoiler pushes into the top of the boot, although there are two slight sink-marks over the pins that you might want to fill carefully if you plan on painting the bodyshell.  A choice of wide or narrow number plates are inserted into the depression in the centre of the rear for later application of decals.  The interior can then be clipped into position within the bodyshell, with two small black inserts added to the front corners of the bumper.  The windscreen and other glazing parts are applied from the outside after masking and painting the black borders if you wish, then a blue insert with a smaller black insert is pushed into the front bumper with another choice of two styles of number plates.

 

The bodyshell is joined with the undertray by inserting the front of the lower into a slot inside the bumper, then pressing the two turrets in the rear into their corresponding pins.  The wing mirrors have chrome inserts pressed into position, then they too are inserted into the holes in the top of the doors, and a scuttle insert with moulded-in windscreen wipers are added to the main scuttle panel to complete the build.

 

 

Markings

As previously mentioned, you get decals and stickers in the box, and although there is only one option depicted in the instructions, you can paint your model any colour you like if you feel the urge.  The bodyshell is moulded in the same colour plastic as the example, although it is not particularly shiny, so would benefit from either a coat of paint or at least some gloss clear.

 

 

 

 

There is a wide choice of number plates on both sheets, including German, Austrian, British, Netherlands, French, Belgian, American, Italian, Swiss and Spanish.  There is also a showroom plate with the red parallelogram logo and the words ‘RS e-tron GT’ written on them.  The decals are printed by Zanchetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.  The stickers appear to have been printed by Cartograf judging by the code on the sheet, and are similarly high quality.

 

 

Conclusion

The car itself is a handsome electric vehicle, and this kit does a good job of recreating it in small scale.  It may be a clip-together kit, but the detail is good enough to be built as a toy or a ‘proper’ model.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Carrera Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

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