The basic philosophy behind all of Colin Chapman’s designs was quickness through less weight and simplicity. Nothing better exemplifies that ideal than the Super 7. So successful was the Super 7 that the same basic design is still in production today more than 60 years since its introduction.
This latest Super 7 kit from Tamiya is a modified reissue of the kit first released in 1984 and includes an all-new sheet of photo-etched metal (PE) parts, turned-aluminum intake trumpets, and vinyl adhesive seat belts. Building options include the street version or a club racer with cut-down windscreens. Parts are molded in white to make painting easier, and the chrome parts are nice and bright.
The first step is painting the main chassis/body because it’s the central component for the rest of the build. There were large ejector-pin marks on the underside, some of which I routinely sanded off. For the ones above the rear axle, I found it easier to cover them with a thin sheet of styrene. I painted the underside and interior with Tamiya gloss aluminum (TS-17) and then masked for the exterior. I didn’t want to do another green British car and thought the red version on the box side looked cool, so Tamiya Italian red (TS-8) it was. Conveniently, the instructions do give a listing of the factory available colors and the corresponding interior and seat colors.
The poseable front suspension consists of nine parts. The lower wishbones are connected and need to be twisted slightly to install. The front spindles snap smartly in place, but I found the tie rod was a snug fit through the holes in the chassis. There are PE parts for the front brake-rotors. Unfortunately, they’re meant for the outer surface and the wheels hide them, so I left them off.
The rear suspension is rather basic with only four parts and the rear sub-frame. Assembly is straight forward, but I thought positioning the trailing arms (parts A17) a little tricky because the upper mounting pin is mostly hidden.
Tamiya has done a nice job reproducing the Super 7’s Cosworth engine. While not complex, what is included looks good and makes a great starting point for up-detailing. The new aluminum intake funnels definitely improve its overall appearance.
I’m not sure I know anyone who enjoys threading seat belts, but the work pays off as they become a focal point of the interior. The new sheet has a variety of three seat-belt colors and three manufacturers to select from. You will need to cut the seat belts from the sheet, but they were actually easy to work with; make sure you have a couple of good pairs of tweezers on hand. I painted the bezels on the dash with a Molotow chrome pen and then added the gauge decals with a drop of gloss clear on top to simulate glass.
Final assembly was relatively trouble free, although some parts needed a little extra care to get positioned properly. The nose piece only has a lower mounting tab, so I taped the part to the hood to hold it in place while the glue set. Mounting the stock windshield is finicky as well. If using the club racer windshields, be sure to open the holes in the top of the cowling. I also found that the notches for the roll bar in the tonneau cover needed to be enlarged slightly.
The new parts for the Tamiya Lotus Super 7 Series II are a definite improvement to an already sweet, and relatively simple, kit. I’ve seen enough of these in my years working as a Sports Car Club of America pit-lane official to know that it captures the look of the real car very well and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to add this iconic Lotus to their collection.