Scale Plastic & Rail

1/25 Porsche Carrera RS 3.0 from Revell UK

1/25 Porsche Carrera RS 3.0
Revell UK
Catalogue # 07004

Porsche have had a long, successful history on both the racetrack and road. In motorsport, they hold a plethora of records and championships, most memorable of which are their 16 wins at the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. On the road, a number of successful sports cars have taken the spotlight over the years– but love it or loathe it, the Porsche 911and its derivatives is seen as the company's crowning glory. To readers under 40 years of age, the 911 (or whatever it was called at the time) can possibly be either a little bloated, has fat tyres, big wheel arches, contains lots of electronic aids or runs on every fuel imaginable. To older readers, the 911 in the mid 1960s when it came out, was a nimble, tail-happy road rocket that looked so much better – and the best of the best were the Carrera RS 2.7 and its derivative, the Carrera RS 3.0 (below).

Credit and copywrite: http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/pic/2379/Porsche-911-Carrera-RS-3.0_4.html

Launched in 1972, the Carrera RS was a lightweight road sport (hence RS) version of the car. With some materials and instruments removed, a bonnet and rear spoiler made of fibreglass (remember, this was all before carbon fibre was around), slightly expanded wheel arches, stronger shock absorbers and an engine bored out to 2,678 cc, the new RS was an immediate success. It was immediately identifiable because of the coloured name decals that ran down the lower sides of the bodywork. Although Porsche had to sell 500 to enable the car to enter Group 2 racing events, they actually sold nearly 1600. from 1974, new safety regulations meant that the RS had heavier bumpers, hydraulic shock absorbers and engines that met new emission criteria; it was re-engined with the 3.0 litre engine from the 911 turbo and had the eye-catching "whale-tail" rear spoiler fitted, the result being it was easier to control at higher speeds. Today, both of the RS cars are classics, much sought after, very expensive and admired wherever they appear.

In the mid 1970s (I believe it was 1976), Revell launched a 1/25 kit of the Carrera RS 3.0; now, as part of the "125 Years of Automobile" series, the old kit has been re-boxed and is back on the market. In the snazzy new box are four white sprues, the body shell, a transparency sprue, a chromed sprue, instructions and a decal sheet. I have had mixed experiences with the re-release of older kits recently, so I started my examination with a little trepidation.

The first sprue (below) holds the parts for the engine, subframe, engine bay cover (it is a rear-engined car, remember), transmission, suspension and brakes as well as the instrument binnacle and controls. Immediately, you are struck by the lack of finesse, from the raised instrument dial details to the poor slats on the engine cover.

A close up of parts of the engine (above) illustrates what I mean. The detail shown is basically correct but it is just so heavy in presentation; examine the way the fan belt is moulded solidly and with such clumsiness to the wheel. This was acceptable 35 years ago, but not today, particularly with the standard of cars that Revell now produce, such as their wonderful 1/24 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG that I reviewed almost exactly a year ago. The second major sprue (below) gives the modeller the floor pan, wheel arches, door interiors and front and rear bumper/lower spoilers amongst its parts. These latter pieces are actually quite well portrayed when comparing them with photographs of the real thing.

The same cannot be said, however, for the body shell (above). It cleanly moulded with no blemishes, but the dimensions of the shell are wrong. It is too long, too tall and the angle of the roof is too shallow. (Also, photographs of a completed model confirm that the car sits too high off the ground as well.) These are mistakes that cannot really be corrected but they do cause the finished model to look more than a little odd. The two remaining sprues are illustrated together below. On them can be seen further engine parts, the whale tail spoiler (the best part of the kit, actually), the steering wheel and two poor seats – incorrect in both shape and finish, with the wrong pattern moulded-in belts.

My views on chromed sprues in car kits have been well expounded on this site. If all chroming was as low in quality in every kit as it is on the chromed sprue shown above, I am certain many more modellers would agree with my stance. As can be seen, the actual chrome coverage is variable and means the parts have a slightly dirty appearance. There is nothing for it but to strip the parts completely and spray them yourself. The transparencies (below), thankfully, are well up to Revell's usual standard, being clear, blemish-free and without distortion.

Then we come to the tyres............. (above)

To have spilt-moulded tyres in a modern kit (albeit a re-release) seems very strange. It is impossible to get a decent finish with such parts and I cannot believe that Revell could not have retooled these tyres as single pieces, something they do as well as any manufacturer at present.

This is even more surprising when the decal sheet is considered (below); this has been redesigned and reproduced using modern techniques so that it is well up to current standards, being perfectly in register with good colour portrayal. The all-important 'Carrera' markings are nicely rendered.

My overall thoughts are that for all but a diehard Carrera fan or a beginner to modelling (who will find the kit too challenging anyway), this is a model that should be very carefully appraised before buying, particularly when you consider that Revell offer many other excellent car kits in the same price bracket that will prove to give a better, more satisfying modelling experience.

So What Do We Think?
In all honesty, this kit does not really stand up well in today's market; inaccurate and with clunky detail and poor tyres, it will prove difficult to make a convincing Carrera from the model.

Disappointing

Our thanks to Revell UK for the review sample. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.eu

Robin Jenkins.