HW Ferrari F40

Here's the next review, guys. This one's for one of my latest new models, the Ferrari F40 by Hot Wheels

PAINT
The paint application is virtually faultless. The coverage is complete and the thickness of the paint is even. However red paint is applied in places where it shouldn't be - the engine bay of the real F40 is black but the model's own is painted red. The Ferrari logos on the front fenders as well as the Pininfarina logos are tampo-painted and the Ferrari logo on the nose is a sticker.
6/8

EXTERIOR
The model's scale and proportions are correct and the fit is quite good but the panel gaps could be tighter, particularly around the separation between the bodywork and the engine cover. The headlights don't pop up (as expected from a budget model) but the foglights and indicators are simulated quite well with plastic parts. There are no side repeaters, just indentations in the bodywork. The tail lights are reasonably well done with separate plastic pieces but there is little attempt in simulating the reverse lights in the donut-style rear indicators - the texture is different in the centre of the tail lights. The vents on the hood are genuine openings and the air dam as plastic mesh that has real perforations. There is no attempt at simulating the clips on the fenders that allow the front section of the model to be opened and there is no attempt of doing them on the engine cover either. The air intakes leading to the engine behind the doors are genuine openings too including those by the side windows. Note was taken with the dual fuel filler caps but they are painted on rather than moulded with the metal. The Plexiglas rear window is quite well done and the louvers are perforated. The grilles behind the rear window are genuine openings although those beneath the rear wing on the side are not - they are just mouldings. The rear wing is made separately from the engine cover (the wing on the real F40 is moulded with the engine cover) and this is easy to notice. The name "F40" is painted on to the right-hand side rear wing. The mesh at the rear, like the front, is perforated too.
4/8

INTERIOR
The real F40 is very well known for having a minimalist, racecar-like interior but the model's interior could be much improved. The interior of the doors should look like carbon fibre or at least black plastic but they are made with red plastic. The carbon fibre effect in the cockpit is done with fine diagonal mouldings in the plastic (like with Maisto) and the effect is quite convincing. The dials are simulated by an unsightly large sticker that is applied across the dashboard and centre console but there are a few moulded buttons. The racing seats are too large and the seatbelts are too thick. The pedals are also too wide and the holes are just mouldings, not perforations. The pedals also have the incorrect chrome colour - they should look like polished aluminium - but at least they are offset correctly from the position of the steering wheel. The gearstick is incorrectly placed - it is not within the 6-point H-gate but rather just behind it. The interior roof is incomplete and the interior rear-view mirror should be black instead of red.
3/8

WHEELS & BRAKES
The five-spoke wheels are quite well simulated but the wheel nuts aren't painted black or yellow. Some of the holes in the brake discs are genuine holes but the others are just moulded in to the discs. Brake calipers are present too and they have some detail but they are fixed to the brake discs so the brake discs do not rotate with the wheels. The tyres aren't branded and they have the incorrect tread - it is the same style as Bburago's generic tyre tread.
3/6

ENGINE & UNDERCARRIAGE DETAIL
The engine cover lifts and is kept up with a prop rod to reveal the engine bay. The detail in the engine bay is quite impressive where the intercoolers, the turbochargers and other parts with in the engine bay can easily be made out. There's no fine wiring but this isn't really to be expected from a model of the price range but the suspension is quite well done with the springs in the position that the shocks are in the real car although the suspension doesn't function. The main problem with the engine bay is that, as mentioned before, there is red paint in much of it including the diagonal beam which should be black. The front section opens to reveal the front suspension and the spare wheel and tyre - it is a whole wheel and tyre. The front suspension has some detail but the red plastic used to simulate the front shocks spoils the appearance of the front suspension. There isn't much undercarriage detail but this is correct as the F40's underbody is mostly flat to aid its aerodynamics. Parts of the engine and gearbox can be seen from underneath and the vents at the rear of the underbody are perforated.
5/8

COMPETITION
Bburago made the F40 in 1/18 too. Hot Wheels' version is based on this one and it is marginally better.
4/6

DESIRABILITY
These models aren't rare but on the same hand, they aren't by any means easy to find, especially in the UK. The quality is average for Hot Wheels but the F40 is still looked at as the definitive supercar so the model's desirability may increase because of this, especially since there is no better alternative in 1/18 scale.
3/6

OVERALL
This is far from Hot Wheels's best effort in making a 1/18 model but that is mainly because the model is essentially a slightly improved copy of Bburago's F40 model and in doing so, they copied many of the faults. Despite the faults the model is a must have for Ferrari fans and it looks great in any Ferrari collection and most supercar collections.

Total Score - 28/50

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