On the heels of BMW's one-two finish in the GT Class at Sebring this year, Scaleauto has released its 1/24 scale version of the BMW M3 GT2 on the same MSC chassis that launched their PORSCHE 911 GT3 RSR last year. And the JAGUAR XKR RSR GT2 and MERCEDES BENZ SLS GT3 will be coming along in the not too distant future. And they will be producing 'short runs' of multiple liveries for each of these marques as well as white kits for everything in between that you may want to build.
So it won't be long before you will be able to put together a super grid of Scaleauto GT cars that run very well at a very reasonable cost. I think that Scaleauto is on the right track with these cars. As they come out of the box they are good... and with a few minor upgrades and a bit of time they can become VERY good. There were about 60 of the Porsche 911 GT3 cars on the track last year for the Sprint Championship at the 2010 Trier Worlds... the racing was close and the racers... both Pro and Am wanted them back again this year in Trier for 2011. That says a lot given the choices overseas of what you can race.
Here are a few pics of the BMW M3 GT2 white kit and all the bits and pieces. For $129 it really is a good value... and $159 will bring you the RTR car in the 2009 ALMS livery featured above that was released this week and making it's way to NA as we speak. For another $50 we are offering a tuning kits comprised of front and rear SC RTR sponge wheels and ball bearings to replace the bushings. And with little bit of basic blue printing... these cars will perform with a few tenths of a top end model car costing 3 times the price.
Both the BMW white kits and the pre-painted RTR cars are available online at GRID... not the only place that you will find them... but we also have best and exclusive selection of 1/24 scale model car parts from the smaller European workshops
But no matter where you shop, check out these Scaleauto cars and put a series together. You won't be disappointed... and it's a great starting point for some of that more exotic carbon stuff that Nick and Fola are posting when you want to reach a little deeper into your pocket.
So my next project after I finish the Corvette that is waiting on the other thread for an interior and windscreen... will be a step-by-step build of one of these BMWs. Somehow a bright orange Jägermeister livery is just screaming out for this car. And I am sure it will build up and run just as nicely as the Scaleauto Porsche that I built up with the Red Bull livery for last year's race in Trier. By the way, here is the link to my Picasa album of the Porsche build in case you missed it.
I really have to applaud Scaleauto for what they are doing to develop real 1/24 scale model car racing in a RTR type product. I could get a little critical on a few of the bits and pieces but they are trying to hit a comfortable price point so you have to stop somewhere. The long can 13D motor provides good brake and torque and is quite a good fit for these cars. The detailing is well scaled and they look like the 1:1 cars. And the bodies have been molded out of a durable polymer and designed as slot cars to withstand some punishment. In fact very few if any of the Porsche bodies were broken at the Worlds in Trier last year... a few rear wings went by the wayside... and a little paint here and there to keep it exciting.
Enjoy!
