Modern F-1 models

[Bigasshammm]

Back when I was a teenager I did a couple Tamiya F-1 cars and liked them a lot. I wasn't any good so they were just alright but I still liked them. Are there any model kits for modern day Formula 1 cars? Specifically Mclaren? Also are those older kits still around or are they hard to find? I'm talking F-1 cars from the early 90s not the legendary ones from the 70s and such.

[2qwik4u]

If you're looking for McLaren, check Revell of Germany. If you want Ferrari, look at Tamiya again. And prepare to be blown away from what you had seen from them prior. Tamiya also did a Williams a few years ago in the blue and white HP livery that was pretty nice too.

-Dave

[Bigasshammm]

Looks like there's a MP4-25 coming out in December from RoG.

That's on my to-do list for sure.

I'd buy a diecast but every time I've done quick searches for Formula 1 diecasts they are in the hundreds of dollars.

[2qwik4u]

Yeah, the new ones coming out from Tamiya aren't much cheaper. $86 for a Ferrari!

[Bigasshammm]

Yeah, the new ones coming out from Tamiya aren't much cheaper. $86 for a Ferrari!

The RoG ones look like around 35-40

that's decent

Screw Ferrari.

Glad they lost since they manipulated the system anyway.

[MoFo]

Lots.

Mainstream kits are somewhat limited. Revell Germany have done a handfull in 1/24, strictly limited to major teams - Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW. They've got another three(?) kits slated for release next year. Not bad, but not spectacular. I think most of their releases are listed here: http://www.f1specialties.com/main/revell-germany.php

Tamiya have done a couple in the past decade, but they REALLY slowed down after 1993 or so, when they pulled out as an F1 sponsor. A couple of cars around '99 (Willaims and Ferrari), the 2000 and '01 Ferraris, the '02 Willaims FW24, and the 2009 Ferrari F60. Oh, and yes, their early 90's kits are all easy to find. They may not be in the current catalogue, but none of them are particularly scarce on the secondary market.

Fujimi has picked up Tamiya's slack, releasing a slew of F1 kits on the past few years. Most are early 90's subjects (FW14, FW16, MP4/5 etc), but they've also done the Ferrari F248 and F2007. Hasegawa's also getting into the field, with some 70's era classics (Lotus 79, Ferrari 312).

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Limited run, you can find pretty much everything. All the major constructors will be covered by someone, typically for multiple races, though you'll have a harder time doing, say, Force India. Model Factory Hiro, EJan, Monopost, Studio27, etc., most will be resin with white metal, PE and turned metal parts, and they're typically curbside (no engine). Not cheap - you can be looking at $200+ per kit - but it's really the only option for most subjects. Do some searching through Hobbylink Japan for an overview of what's available. 1999.co.jp also has a good selection, with instruction sheets.

Then there's the 1/43 guys. Tameo does a bunch of white metal kits, again covering all of the major constructors for most races. You're looking at $50 - 75 for most of their curbside kits, but they also do some superdetailed ones that are $100+. The super kits are better detailed than a 1/20 Tamiya kit, and the engineering on all modern Tameo kits is amazing - I personally think *all* modellers should check them out, just to see what's possible now. Tameo's website is easy to browse, and worth checking out.

BBR also does a number of 1/43 F1 cars, but they're a little harder to find than Tameo, not quite as nice, and limited to 1990's subjects, mostly.

You should also check out http://www.f1specialties.com/main/index.php and the forums at http://www.f1m.com/main/

[FlyingSnowmew]

I have Tamiya's 1/20 MP4/13 in the stash which is a really nice kit.

Does anyone make any Red Bull Racing F1 cars?

[MoFo]

1/20: http://www.hlj.com/product/EJAE811

1/43: http://shop.spotmodel.com/product_info.php?products_id=5238 (Tameo actually do the C14, C15, C16 and C17 as well)

[FlyingSnowmew]

1/20: http://www.hlj.com/product/EJAE811

1/43: http://shop.spotmodel.com/product_info.php?products_id=5238 (Tameo actually do the C14, C15, C16 and C17 as well)

Thanks for the links, but I'm wanting a plastic kit preferably around 1/20~1/24. That resin kit is discontinued too.

[HOLMES]

Back when I was a teenager I did a couple Tamiya F-1 cars and liked them a lot. I wasn't any good so they were just alright but I still liked them. Are there any model kits for modern day Formula 1 cars? Specifically Mclaren? Also are those older kits still around or are they hard to find? I'm talking F-1 cars from the early 90s not the legendary ones from the 70s and such.

I find that KINGKIT sells many out of production models...I found this and if you scroll down almost to the end it has what you may want..in a gift set there is a F1 McLaren, Benetton and Lotus.

http://www.kingkit.co.uk/kingkit/1_catalogue_freeview.php

HOLMES

Edited November 16, 2010 by HOLMES

[Jay Chladek]

I would love to see a styrene kit of Jensen Button's Brawn F-1 car from last year, as well as a Red Bull machine from this year. I am honestly surprised Tamiya didn't do one of Jensen's cars after he won the F-1 championship since in years past they tended to do a model of the championship winning car (especially if it was Ferrari). Maybe we will have an easier time with Red Bull since I believe they already do a couple of the Red Bull sponsored motorcycles. If they don't, then I figure Revell certainly will for similar reasons.

[gtb -red]

This is my McLaren MP4/13 I builted yrs ago.

[William G]

I have one of these in my stash... Linky Thingy

was gonna kitbash it with a few jet parts to make a futuristic F1000 racer

its a pretty basic kit...

William G

[HOLMES]

gtb_red

NICE !!!!

[Bigasshammm]

Just bought a Mclaren Mp4-25 from Luckymodel.

Can't wait for new F1 season to start.

[Mark737Whit]

I recently e-bayed F-1 models and found a lot of '90s Tamiya kits. Fair prices, a little less expensive then what you might get at the store.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Mark737Whit

[PNW_Modeler]

The RoG ones look like around 35-40

that's decent

the RoG kits are 1:24th, lack any engine at all and don't hold a candle to the Tamiya kits in the detail department.

As much as I love F-1....it's a dead sport. What made F-1 great was the personalities. Guys like Eddie Irvine, Jean Alesi, Gerhard Berger were the last generation of great F-1 personalities. Now all the drivers are these boring fitness freak robots without a soul. That said....I would still rather watch F-1 over NASCAR!

Edited December 4, 2011 by PNW_Modeler

[Bigasshammm]

F1 will get better when Bernie's hands are out of the equation. He seems to spoil a lot of the fun of the sport with his big dollar talk.

The RoG McLaren I built had an engine and was decently detailed. It was probably the nicest kit I've built in a long time due to the design and fit.

I plan to get their Mercedes kit soon as well even though it's rather boring scheme.

I think this was a good year for F1 with the passing and the new rules. That aside it does get boring when Vettel runs away with every race. Not sure how the cars are going to be when they're running turbo V6s and have all these other new rules. I guess we wait and see.

The sport definitely needs someone to be on par with Vettel and bang wheels with him some to get the excitement back.

[PNW_Modeler]

As much of a problem Bernie is, he is not the reason I am tired of F-1.

F-1 will still suck with Bernie gone because the larger than life characters that drove the cars are gone as well. You don't hear stories like Berger egging on Senna to go punch Irvine in the face because the rookie Irvine had the audacity to unlap himself aggressively. Instead of doing something about it, the current crop of drivers whine about it to the media like little girls. What made F-1 great was the drivers.....the guys that had balls of steel and the attitude to back it up. Now days, the drivers are just robots. You might as well just make them radio controlled. There is no life in F-1 anymore.

3 liter V-10s with no driver aids....the mid 90's was a great time to be an F-1 fan.

Edited December 4, 2011 by PNW_Modeler

[vince14]

You know, back in the mid-90's my father would say exactly the same thing - "These modern F1 drivers, all robotic personalitites compared to Hunt, Lauda and Villeneuve..."

Vince

[Slartibartfast]

Or Revson, Fittipaldi, Andretti, Stewart ad infinitum