Carrera Evo/DIGITAL 132: Red Bull RB5 'Sebastian Vettel No. 15'

Carrera Evo/DIGITAL 132: Red Bull RB5 'Sebastian Vettel No. 15'

Better and more successful every year!
CoMod Lotus Review of theCarrera Evo/D132 Red Bull RB5 'Sebastian Vettel No. 15'  (27324/30517)

2010 marks the sixth year that Red Bull Racing has competed in F1. The team is owned by the Austrian “Didi” Mateschitz, who launched the Red Bull energy drink in Europe and became a billionaire as a result.

Although the Austrian Formula 1 team, based in Milton Keynes, England, had already become a sponsor of the Swiss Sauber team in 1995, it ended its involvement at the end of 2004 following the acquisition of the British Jaguar Racing team. Since the 2009 season, Australian Marc Alan Webber and German Sebastian Vettel have been driving for the team.

The new Formula 1 Carrera car is the 2009-season model, the Red Bull RB5 (RB5 stands for the fifth race car since the team’s founding). The original has been powered by Renault engines since 2007; the RB5 is powered by the well-known 2.4-liter V8. As a result, the Red Bull team was significantly more successful than the Renault team itself in 2009; the French team could only manage 8th place in the Constructors’ Championship, while the Austrians secured 2nd place.

The car shown here is Sebastian Vettel’s team car. http://www.sebastianvettel.de/

The Heppenheim native is considered THE rising star since Michael Schumacher, a fact he has impressively proven through various victories to date. In 2009, he was ultimately beaten only by Jenson Button.

Now a few details about the model:
The RB5 is skillfully crafted, with the massive fin behind the driver being a striking feature. Thanks to their color scheme, I consider the Red Bulls—along with the cars of their sister team, Toro Rosso—to be among the most beautiful in the Formula 1 field.

By the way, the Red Bull is the first Formula 1 car to feature the new chassis! The narrow engine was installed here, the magnets are permanently mounted, and the keel has also been redesigned and is now narrower. The car is quite responsive off the line (the EVO more so, like the DIG132, though that was likely due to variations in the production batch of the engines).

Handling through corners is good, though that was to be expected given the track widths.
There’s also something new with the pit wall decals: instead of the mirror-finish film, an image with the autograph of the affable Swiss resident now adorns the pit wall of the Evolution or DIGITAL 132 models.

CoMod Lotus*

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Test report by CoMod long on theCarrera Evo/D132 Red Bull RB5 'Sebastian Vettel No. 15'  (27324/30517)

The design is always a winner—it doesn’t get any more intricate than this—those were my first thoughts as I unboxed the F1 Red Bull RB5.

It’s really fun to lift the lid off the beautifully designed box and then take your time examining the model to discover all the truly amazing details: the Red Bull livery, flaps, wheel covers, helmet design, tires, and so on. As for the execution—it’s really well done, especially considering the size and dimensions of the Red Bull. I don’t think it could be any better.

After enjoying its visual appeal, it was time for a test drive. I’ll admit, I was pleasantly surprised by its handling. The Red Bull sits firmly on the track; the magnetic grip is just right—not too strong. What I’ve never liked was the rim design and the corresponding treaded tires. But here it’s completely different: decent rims and slick tires. The combination of tires, a new/revised chassis, and the rake range of the front keel helps the F1 car achieve truly great lap times.

In comparison, I found the Evo to be just a tad more responsive than the digital version.

Definitely a MUST-HAVE for Formula 1 and Vettel fans.

CoMod long