For rally racing fans the glory days are undoubtedly the Group B era, and the Audi Quattro was the catalyst that started it all. The cars were extremely powerful and quick, and spectators flocked to the events in record numbers. Unfortunately, the combination proved fatal and after several spectators were killed, the FIA decided to ban the cars at the end of the ’86 season.
This new release from NuNu is a modified reissue of the Beemax Quattro released a few years ago and depicts the car driven by John Buffum, the U.S.’s most awarded rally driver, to 3rd place in the ’86 Olympus rally. New to this release are the body, wheels, and decals. This build also includes the NuNu Models Detail-up Parts (No. NE24023; $27.99) which are sold separately and adds photo-etched metal (PE) parts, seat-belt ribbon, and one turned-metal part.
Construction starts with the chassis. Molded in black, it needs to be painted white. I airbrushed it white Tamiya Surface Primer (No. 87044) to build up a base before a couple of coats of Tamiya Pure White (No. TS-26). Problem solved. All the suspension and running gear is separate, so no complex masking is needed. Everything fits together well and benefits from good detail. The front wheels are posable, but I did need to splice a small length of tubing into the tie rod to correct a toe-in problem. PE parts from the detail-up set replace the molded tow hooks, brake rotor faces, and radiator mesh.
One thing I would change about the kit are the tires. From what I can tell, the rally is run largely if not entirely on gravel, so the slick tires provided in the kit would not be the tire of choice.
The interior floor and side panels are also molded in black and will need to be painted white. (Really, the A sprue should have been molded in white.) Here, again, all the extras are molded separately, including the shifter, handbrake, pedals, and fire extinguisher, making detail painting a breeze. When assembling the roll cage, be sure the notch for the rear view mirror in the front bar (Part D7) faces forward. Detail-up set parts include seat-belt hardware, ribbon material for the belts, kick panels for the driver and passenger floor, and straps for the extinguisher.
The body required very little cleanup prior to paint. However, be cautious of paint buildup because the windows are a tight fit.
Every NuNu kit I’ve built so far has had fantastic decals. The instruction guide mixes up the numbers for the main color stripes, but it’s pretty obvious which goes where. Still, be sure to study the guide to figure it out. A full-color print would help, but the box art works, too. Decals are provided for the black trim on the side windows but not the front and back. There is a nice ridge on those parts, so masking or even hand painting isn’t terribly difficult.
All in all, I’m pleased with the end result. Sure, there were a few minor obstacles to overcome, but, for the most part, the build was trouble free. I probably spent somewhere in the 40-hour range building, with lacing the seat belts and decals taking the majority of the time. NuNu Models keeps improving with each kit, and its range of subject matter is like a page from my wish list. Definitely recommended!