The BMW sales tag line “the ultimate driving machine” rang true as the M8 GTE took the GTLM class win at the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The slick GT racer is now available as a 1/24 scale kit from NuNu Models. The base kit consists of just over 100 parts molded in white for the body and black for the chassis parts. Instructions break construction into 15 clearly illustrated steps with excellent detail painting callouts. Decals for the two team cars from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing are provided on four sheets. This review also includes the optional NuNu Models Detail-up Set which includes two photo-etched metal (PE) frets, ribbon material for seat belts, and a complete set of carbon-fiber decals.
Starting with the chassis the first task at hand is to apply the 26 carbon fiber decals to the undertray. As you can imagine, this took some time, but they fit absolutely perfectly and responded well to setting solutions. PE rotor faces simplify painting and look great, too.
After painting the interior tub Tamiya Pure White (No. TS-26), I picked out the electronics and other details. The detail set includes a metallic sticker for the heat shield, but the Mylar material didn’t want to flex with the contours. Instead, I used it as template and replaced it with foil. The carbon-fiber decals for the door panels, central tunnel, seat back, and steering wheel fit impeccably. The PE seat belt hardware looks too big — maybe almost 1/20 scale — but is an improvement over the base kit’s buckle decals.
The roll cage is a five-piece affair. If you use the interior tub as your base to hold the sides in place and glue the remaining parts one at a time, you shouldn’t have any problems.
After studying the decal guide, I decided it best to attach the side sills to the body prior to paint but left the rear bumper off. There’s also a couple of holes that need to be drilled in the roof for the antenna and pitot tube. There are a couple of other holes at the front of the roof that look like they would match up to the front of the roll cage, but I didn’t see the need and filled them. Otherwise, the body had just a couple of mold lines to clean up before paint (more pure white in this case).
I let the paint cure for two days before applying the multitude of decals, starting with the main striping. As with other NuNu kits I’ve built, these decals are a joy to work with. They cover well, conform to contours beautifully, and withstand a little abuse without tearing or curling up. They have a bit of a satin sheen, so most modelers will want to spray a gloss clear coat. I wanted the black areas to remain satin and added those decals after the clear. I painted the roof instead of using the supplied decal.
It seems NuNu Models has a direct line to my wish list of kits as it keeps coming out with subjects that are right up my alley. I see improvement with each kit they’ve released with respect to engineering, fit, and quality. I can’t wait to see what’s next!