[Martinoss]

A few pics of this nice 1/12 composite model from Autoart.

Very nice to look at, but I have to say that it feels very light, fragile, flimsy

 

[RSQuattro]

It's a shame Autoart didn't make the P1 1/12 full access as the 1/18 version. And they insist using molded carbon on such expensive models. But it looks great anyway.

 

[Martinoss]

Yes not their best model. An "early" composite 1/12, for instance more recent Ford GT 1/12 are a lot more qualitative. They are getting better with time.

 

[Craig]

Nice looking model

 

[MATT_LR]

It does look good.
But it will feel flimsy, because it's plastic.
There is no such material as "composite."
Any material that is an amalgam of sorts is "composite," including die cast.
When you use the proper words for that which you are buying, the expectation is mitigated.
When you expect plastic, you won't be disappointed by the flimsiness.
However, when you purchase composite- who knows what you're getting.
These are plastic models by AutoArt with a die cast frame inside- That's all there is to it.

 

[mythic540]

It does look good.
But it will feel flimsy, because it's plastic.
There is no such material as "composite."
Any material that is an amalgam of sorts is "composite," including die cast.
When you use the proper words for that which you are buying, the expectation is mitigated.
When you expect plastic, you won't be disappointed by the flimsiness.
However, when you purchase composite- who knows what you're getting.
These are plastic models by AutoArt with a die cast frame inside- That's all there is to it.

i agree, people keep using the word "composite" as to refer to the material used but what it means its a combination of plastic outer body with a diecast base to add some weight and not feel TOO light. The pros to me of using plastic is better support for wing doors and bonnets compared to diecast metal ones that tend to want to slam shut and wear out those fragile little struts. the downside to this though is the opening parts creak and feel very flimsy to handle. If autoart would to put in the same level of quality as their older sig series lineup then i'm sure collectors would happily overlook this issue.

 

[Martinoss]

AMEN !

I got banned a while ago, from a French facebook group because I had a (little) argument with somebody that didn't believe it was plastic... I guess some people feel better telling themselves that their 500€ model is "composite" instead of "plastic". Anyway be careful I realized this is a very touchy subject to some people Let me just say that I still pefer plastic than sealed resin !

 

[mythic540]

AMEN !

I got banned a while ago, from a French facebook group because I had a (little) argument with somebody that didn't believe it was plastic... I guess some people feel better telling themselves that their 500€ model is "composite" instead of "plastic". Anyway be careful I realized this is a very touchy subject to some people Let me just say that I still pefer plastic than sealed resin !

people can spend their money however they want, but for them to expect to be immune to criticism when sharing on an open forum is another thing. I have a couple composite models now as well and dont find them to be that bad in terms of quality, but what does irk me is knowing that autoart touted this whole change up as a "cost saving" measure in order to benefit the customer. I know the market dictates the prices of anything but its a shame seeing how expensive things have gotten which keeps a portion of collectors out of the loop unless they're willing to shell out hard earned money. I also have noted though that their latest offerings do look more refined and highly detailed so they're obviously getting better and better as they come out but I can't imagine they will be "affordable".

 

[Magnus]

I don't think I've seen someone do an album of a 1:12 P1, so I'm glad that you've shared some photos. Moulded carbon fibre print aside, it looks pretty good.

It does look good.
But it will feel flimsy, because it's plastic.
There is no such material as "composite."
Any material that is an amalgam of sorts is "composite," including die cast.
When you use the proper words for that which you are buying, the expectation is mitigated.
When you expect plastic, you won't be disappointed by the flimsiness.
However, when you purchase composite- who knows what you're getting.
These are plastic models by AutoArt with a die cast frame inside- That's all there is to it.

i agree, people keep using the word "composite" as to refer to the material used but what it means its a combination of plastic outer body with a diecast base to add some weight and not feel TOO light. The pros to me of using plastic is better support for wing doors and bonnets compared to diecast metal ones that tend to want to slam shut and wear out those fragile little struts. the downside to this though is the opening parts creak and feel very flimsy to handle. If autoart would to put in the same level of quality as their older sig series lineup then i'm sure collectors would happily overlook this issue.

Maybe 'hybrid' would have been a better term for AUTOart to use, as it reflects the fact that both metal and plastic are used in their models' construction. The word 'composite' does seem to imply the use of a composite material.

I've owned a few of AUTOart's composite models and while I agree that things like boot lids and doors feel more delicate to manipulate, I have generally been happy with the build quality and details.

 

[MATT_LR]

I don't think I've seen someone do an album of a 1:12 P1, so I'm glad that you've shared some photos. Moulded carbon fibre print aside, it looks pretty good.





Maybe 'hybrid' would have been a better term for AUTOart to use, as it reflects the fact that both metal and plastic are used in their models' construction. The word 'composite' does seem to imply the use of a composite material.

I've owned a few of AUTOart's composite models and while I agree that things like boot lids and doors feel more delicate to manipulate, I have generally been happy with the build quality and details.

Magnus, if you say, "owned," does that mean you sold them?
I looked at a few early releases and didn't like the first few plastic-body-shell efforts.
I do however believe they improved?

 

[Magnus]

Magnus, if you say, "owned," does that mean you sold them?
I looked at a few early releases and didn't like the first few plastic-body-shell efforts.
I do however believe they improved?

Of AUTOart's plastic offerings, I've bought the Aston Martin 2015 Vanquish (which I believe was my first plastic model), the McLaren P1, the Jaguar F-type R, the McLaren 570S, the Lamborghini Centenario, the McLaren 720S, and the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera. I've since sold off the Vanquish, the Jaguar, the 570S, and most recently the P1, and those sales were to free up room and get some money, not because of any dissatisfaction with the models themselves.

Again, in terms of the quality of the models, I've been happy with all of them. That's not to say they were absolutely perfect, but any faults I did find weren't very large ones - the faults that come to mind involve photoetched badges.

The only fault that might be attributable to the plastic construction of the body would be that one of the door panels on my 720S seems to have been installed a millimetre too far back, resulting in a tight rear gap and a slightly too large front gap and making that door tight when it comes to opening.

 

[Martinoss]

I do however believe they improved?

Yes I really think they improved, for example early Autoart plastic Huracan 1/12 feels very cheap and flimsy compared to more recent Autoart Ford GT 1/12. Still flimsy but a lot less Openings also feel less fragile when being manipulated, and panel gaps don't have play in them. When holding them, the model is a lot more "silent" 😅 Less plastic noises, cracks, squeakings... Still don't like them, but I have to be honest and say they are improving with time yes.

To compare, plastic models from Tamiya (Carrera GT, Enzo, 288 GTO...) feels a lot more "thick" and solid. I don't have a problem with Tamiya's plastic models. And they already are like 15 years old so we know they hold up with time.