Similar to the IROC (International Race of Champions) series in the U.S., the short-lived Procar series took drivers from Formula One, the World Sportscar Championship, touring cars, and other series, and pitted them against each other in identically prepared BMW M1 mid-engined race cars. Niki Lauda won the inaugural championship in 1979 winning three of the eight races.
Italeri’s BMW M1, was initially release by ESCI in 1979 and it has been re-released by ESCI and Revell-Germany as recently as 2014 in a few different liveries. Given that it is more than 40 years old, the tooling has held up well. The details are still crisp, and there are minimal mold lines and very little flash; cleanup went relatively quickly. However, a fair number of sink marks needed to be dealt with, especially on and around the rear deck.
Parts related to the body are molded in white and everything else in black.
The all-new Cartograf decal sheet features the bright fluorescent markings of the title sponsor.
The instructions outline 12 step and although the illustrations are a little crude by today’s standards, they are clear and include decent color callouts. A nice color five-view plan provides decal placemen.
The 11-part fuel-injected 6-cylinder inline engine generally fits nicely. I drilled out the intake trumpets for improved realism and attached them early rather than waiting until the engine was in the chassis. I also deviated from the instructions by installing the engine after the lower subframe was attached to the main chassis. Sanding a little off the side of the alternator gave clearance with the chassis so the engine sat straight. The rest of the rear suspension went together without problems.
The straightforward front suspension has upper wishbones molded into the main chassis and lower wishbones molded with the subframe. The steering is designed to be movable with the tie-rod captured by mushrooming pins with a hot screwdriver. I found it stayed in place without modifying the pins.
The wheels are not chrome plated so they will need to be painted with metallic shades. I used Alclad II chrome for the rims and pale gold for the centers. Tire logos are molded into the sidewalls and decals are supplied if you prefer.
As with most race cars, the M1’s interior is rather barren; only the essentials are there and that is true of the kit also. Decals provide seat belts, dash details, and the steering-wheel hub.
After cleaning up a few mold lines and filling a couple sink marks on the body, I attached the front and rear bumpers and sprayed Tamiya pure white (TS-26) for the base color. On looking more closely at the scheme, I realized masking would be easier with the bumpers off the body. So, I carefully cut the front bumper from the body. I left the rear in place, because a black separation line would hide any goofs. Tamiya fluorescent red (TS-36) is supposed to match the decals. I confess that I don’t have a lot of experience with this shade, but it seems sensitive density — apply too much and it just looks red, too little and it looks pink!
Be sure the surface is wet when sliding the decals on. They are very thin, and I had trouble finagling some of them into position.
While Italeri’s BMW M1 may not on par with some of the latest offering, it’s still a decent kit and the only option for this unique racer. The aftermarket already has several decal versions available so check those out, I bet you’ll find one interesting enough to build!