Suyata is a relative newcomer with a track record of unusual subjects, including cartoon biplanes and superdetailed armor. It also delves into scif-fi and fantasy with spacecraft figures. The Madness of the Street Luna & Selena 1/32 scale armored sportscar plastic model kit is a first; a fun bit of cyberpunk — Luna is the car, and Selena is the driver.
The parts are molded in color — bright orange, gray, smoke-tinted clear — so it’s possible to build it without painting. (Painting suggestions for the car are not provided, but there are detailed ones for the figure.) Since it has a post-apocalyptic look, weathering seemed like a must.
Overall, the well-molded parts fit without issue. Some parts show a little flash, and there are ¼- inch long extrusions for the ejector-pin marks on the back of some of the larger parts. They will be hidden on the finished model, but must be removed for fit. Easy to clip off, I found a few of the larger ejector-pin marks handy to hold parts while painting.
I used Tamiya Brilliant Orange (No. TS-56) for the body — it's close to the color of the plastic. Once it was dry, I wet-sanded it with 2000-grit to knock down the shine and expose some of the bare plastic on the high points for a worn look. Pencil graphite accented those worn-through areas.
I painted most of the armor cladding and protective structure with Tamiya NATO Black (No. XF-69). Washes of Tamiya Brown Panel Line Accent and dry-brushed Silver Rub 'n Buff add contrast and a generally worn look. The decals were applied with a little Mr. Hobby Mr. Mark Setter to help them go down over the flat paints without silvering. There was no need to shoot them with flat clear either, because the decals’ matte sheen blended perfectly with the flat paint.
The exhaust pipes and main side panels were painted Tamiya Metallic Brown (No. X-34) before Black Panel Accent washes and silver dry-brushing.
The interior seems a bit spartan, but it works with the tinted windows as I found out after going to the trouble of painting details. I used Tamiya Cockpit Green (No. XF-71) for the main panels and NATO black for the dash, console, and seat frames. I covered the rear bulkhead with gold cigarette paper to look like a heat shield. I left the orange plastic seat cushions unpainted and applied a wash of brown panel accent. I buffed some of the cushions with a cotton swab after the wash dried, then sealed them with a lightly airbrushed layer of Tamiya Flat Base (No. X-21) and a few drops of NATO black. This produced a chalky effect that gives the seats a faded and used appearance. The decals for the gauges and navigation display have a bit of an animation (dare I say cartoon?) feel and fit great.
The door/hatch can be posed open or closed but it is not moveable. A hinge-like part can be added to the door for the open option. It looks like the hole in the dash could be opened to make it somewhat of a hinged affair.
The brake rotors and calipers are tidy single units and easy to detail with lightly dry-brushed silver over flat black. I hand-painted the calipers with Tamiya Pure Orange lacquer (No. LP-51).
I sanded the tires to make them look worn.
The kit offers two complete figures for Selena, one with a helmet of sorts, the other with full female face and hair rendered. I assembled the helmeted one and brush-painted it primarily with Tamiya lacquers except for Clear Blue acrylic (No. X-23) for the leggings. I applied a light wash of black Panel Line Accent over Sparkling Silver (No. LP-48) on the breastplate and arms. The stuffed pink bunny was brush-painted with decanted Tamiya Pink (No. TS-25) mixed with flat base and lacquer thinner. I let the gray plastic show through for a little contrast.
Suyata’s car and figure builds quickly, and, despite how busy the vehicle appears, it is not complex. If built with no painting as the box suggests it can be, it would be a one-day project. For me, painting was the most entertaining aspect. This is a perfect subject for shading and weathering — and to practice those techniques on. I'm sure scale will put off some car builders, but it was a really fun project, and I am looking forward to what comes next in this series.