Fujimi 1/24 Porsche Cayman S

Kit: RS-20
Scale: 1/24
Manufacturer: Fujimi, from Dragon Models USA, 626-968-0322, www.dragonmodelsusa.com
Price: $22.95
Comments: Injection-molded, 99 parts (4 rubber), decals
Pros: Great fit; clever taillight assemblies
Cons: U.S.-market car details missing

Like its full-size counterpart, Fujimi's new Porsche Cayman S is beautifully detailed and cleverly engineered. Inside the box you'll find individually bagged parts trees. Most are molded in black, but separate trees include satin-finish and high-shine plated parts, crisply molded clear parts, and four rubber tires. The body is molded in bright-red plastic.

Construction starts with the chassis, suspension, and underside engine detail. Strictly speaking, this is a curbside kit, but as the Cayman has a mid-mounted engine, there's really no hood to open. (Most service is performed from underneath.) The model's engine and exhaust-system detail is top-notch, and careful detail painting will really make it pop. The front wheels can be posed, and all four wheels rotate on pins hidden inside the brake discs. (I glued my wheels in place to prevent accidents.)

The interior is fully detailed, and separate door panels make painting and detailing easier. Instrument-face decals brighten the six-piece, left-hand-drive dashboard.

Some of the details (such as the rear bumper) differ slightly from the North American version of the car; you may need to check your references and do a little adjustment/scratchbuilding. The kit includes Japanese license plates (with separate letters and numbers) and the "Cayman S" plates I installed. Builders in other countries will need to hit their spares boxes for region-accurate plates.

The body is a beautiful piece of work; the side intakes and rear wing are separate pieces. The body is molded in bright-red styrene, so if you're thinking about painting your Cayman a lighter color I'd suggest applying several coats of primer first. Fujimi's instructions provide painting directions for the red box-art car, but references for other schemes are easy to find.

The windows are a single drop-in piece; the rear window has a delicate defroster grid. The taillights are one of the kit's nicest features. Each lens is two pieces, with a translucent-red surround and a drop-in clear center. All the parts fit perfectly. I installed clear parts with Microscale Micro Kristal Klear.

Exterior decals include Porsche crests for the nose and wheel centers and Cayman S script for the rear. The decals went on fine without setting solution. They released from the backing paper almost immediately after being dipped in water, so be ready to work quickly.

My Cayman went together quickly and the kit is beautifully detailed and engineered. I'm really looking forward to more all-new car kits from Fujimi.
- Matthew Usher