From 1999 to 2003, privateer race team Carley Motors based in the northern Netherlands ran a race car platform of BMW 320I series for the Dutch Touring Car Championship (DTCC) along with the Gula Race of Macau. It earned a reputation as one of the top-tier BMW teams. NuNu’s 1/24 scale kit represents the BMW 320i winner 2001 DTCC Super Production Class.
Inside the kit, all of the parts trees come separately bagged. The parts show few mold seams and the clean, crisp castings made for quick and easy cleanup before assembly.
My sample Included NuNu’s detail-up set (No. NE24005) that features two additional decal sheets, a great photo-etched metal (PE) set with plastic protecting both surfaces, a turned antenna mount with piano wire for the antenna, seat belt material, and instructions.
This is a curbside model, but the lack of an engine takes nothing away from the build. The chassis/floor pan features the lower part of the engine.
The front and rear suspension assembled effortlessly. Attaching the gas tank, sway bars, and belly pan, along with the exhaust system produced a well-detailed underside. The addition of the detail-up set’s PE exhaust hanger and cross member completed the drivetrain.
I painted and assembled the four disc brakes using the PE rotor faces, which fit the kit parts perfectly. After painting the rims, I slipped on the vinyl off-camber tires. The wheels slip onto the suspension with polycaps that allow them to spin.
The interior posed no problems until I went to add the carbon-fiber decals from the detail set. They proved to be thick and did not want to conform to the interior shapes no matter how much setting solution and heat I threw at them. After a number of frustrating attempts, I abandoned the decals and painted the parts the best I could to represent the carbon fiber.
I completed the interior, including several PE items. Be warned, the cloth seat-belt material frays easily on the edge, so assembling the belts requires the patience of a saint. I recommend replacing it with painted Tamiya or Chartpak tape for ease of assembly and, in my opinion, greater realism. The roll cage and dash fit flawlessly.
I assembled the body without a hitch and all the components came together smoothly and cleanly. The instructions reference Mr. Color lacquer and Mr. Hobby Aqueous Hobby Colors, neither of which I had handy. So, I headed down to my local auto parts store with the decals. Dupli-Color Bright Red (No. BGM0388) matched the decals perfectly.
After masking and painting all of the car’s black trim, I discovered that the kit included all of the trim on a separate decal sheet that had stuck itself to the back of another sheet.
This is where things get interesting. The box image omits the car’s Primary sponsor, Marlboro, and they aren’t included in the basic kit. However, the Marlboro titles are included in the detail-up set, but with the wrinkle that each letter is a separate decal. A guide shows how each letter fits individually onto the detail set’s white decals. This, in turn, must be cut per the instructions. After my problems with the carbon fiber decals, I was concerned the thick exterior markings would be problematic. My fears were unfounded and the rest of the decals conformed beautifully. I suspect something was amiss with the carbon-fiber printing in my sample of the detail-up set.
To bury the decals for a smooth finish, I applied DuPont Chroma Clear, wet sanded, and sprayed on another layer of clear.
After installing the chrome parts, windows, and lights I was ready to mate the chassis and body. When I slid the body over the chassis, I discovered that the interior was too wide for the body, which popped out the side windows. After sanding the interior side panels and a little finessing, I finally seated the body on the chassis. Fully assembled, the BMW 320i sat perfectly on all fours. It was one of the first race car models I have built that did not require a ride height adjustment.
The 1/24 scale BMW 320i (E46) Super Production DTCC 2001 Winner was my first NuNu/Platz plastic model kit, and I am looking forward to building many more. It’s not for beginners because of some of the intricate assemblies, but anyone with moderate skill should have little trouble.