Test report by CoMod Lotus on the D132/Evo Audi R8 Safety Car Le Mans 2010 (30591/27385)
'Nice fire engine!' That was my wife's comment after she took a quick look at the new Carrera DIGITAL 132/Evolution Audi R8 sitting on my desk. She somehow didn't understand my outrage. Oh well, whatever.
Because the newest Audi R8 from the 2011 Carrera lineup is anything but a fire engine! We've got what's probably the hottest safety car of recent years as a Carrera model in 1:32 scale. And I don't mean the 525 hp V10 engine.
If you enter the search term 'Safety Car' in Google Image Search , you'll get hundreds of hits. And with very few exceptions, the cars are all silver. I can still remember when the silver Audi R8 came onto the market in 2009: years of prayers from Carrera Club members were finally answered. Then in 2010, the next highlight came: the Mercedes SLS with a light bar on the roof. In silver, of course, but who cared?!
And then in 2011: the red Audi R8 from the 24 Hours of Le Mans! Actually, three of these cars actually raced at Le Mans. The current Carrera model is based on the famous production R8 from 2008. Since I had the Audi R8 LMS United Autosports to test at the same time, it was extremely interesting for me to be able to compare the old and new chassis again, both in terms of construction and in the road test. The LMS already has the new, smooth chassis, while the Safety Car still has the old chassis with its separate engine compartment. Performance-wise, there's not much difference between the two cars, but the new chassis does handle the track better. The tires on the 'old' R8 appear more delicate, not as beefy. The light bar is great, but could be a bit brighter for my taste.
All in all, the Audi is a real asset to the racetrack, especially when racing against Formula 1 or LMP cars.
CoMod Lotus
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Test report by CoMod Carrera 124 on the D132/Evo Audi R8 Safety Car Le Mans 2010 (30591/27385)
Safety first
Audi has now clinched nine victories at the storied 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's therefore not surprising that an Audi safety car is also being used: the Audi R8.
Carrera already offers this vehicle as the DTM Safety Car in a silver-gray color scheme. With a red paint scheme and matching lettering, it now becomes the Le Mans Safety Car. The color of the indicator lights on the roof has also been changed, faithfully redesigned to a transparent dark green. Unfortunately, this faithfulness to the original means that the indicator lights aren't as bright as one would expect, compared to previously released Safety Cars.
The digital vehicle uses a special decoder that allows all conceivable combinations of headlights and indicators to be switched on or off. The analog vehicle lacks the standard headlights; the lights on the roof flash while driving, depending on the control setting.
The landing gear is a familiar design from the 2007-2008 generation, with the familiar advantages and disadvantages: the magnets are relatively easy to remove or adjust from underneath. This is offset by only average performance, primarily due to the small rudder angle.
Conclusion: Visually very appealing, making it a great addition to the range, especially for owners of a racetrack with a pit lane and appropriate decorations. However, for racing, I prefer a vehicle with the newer chassis generation.
CoMod Carrera124
'Nice fire engine!' That was my wife's comment after she took a quick look at the new Carrera DIGITAL 132/Evolution Audi R8 sitting on my desk. She somehow didn't understand my outrage. Oh well, whatever.
Because the newest Audi R8 from the 2011 Carrera lineup is anything but a fire engine! We've got what's probably the hottest safety car of recent years as a Carrera model in 1:32 scale. And I don't mean the 525 hp V10 engine.
If you enter the search term 'Safety Car' in Google Image Search , you'll get hundreds of hits. And with very few exceptions, the cars are all silver. I can still remember when the silver Audi R8 came onto the market in 2009: years of prayers from Carrera Club members were finally answered. Then in 2010, the next highlight came: the Mercedes SLS with a light bar on the roof. In silver, of course, but who cared?!
And then in 2011: the red Audi R8 from the 24 Hours of Le Mans! Actually, three of these cars actually raced at Le Mans. The current Carrera model is based on the famous production R8 from 2008. Since I had the Audi R8 LMS United Autosports to test at the same time, it was extremely interesting for me to be able to compare the old and new chassis again, both in terms of construction and in the road test. The LMS already has the new, smooth chassis, while the Safety Car still has the old chassis with its separate engine compartment. Performance-wise, there's not much difference between the two cars, but the new chassis does handle the track better. The tires on the 'old' R8 appear more delicate, not as beefy. The light bar is great, but could be a bit brighter for my taste.
All in all, the Audi is a real asset to the racetrack, especially when racing against Formula 1 or LMP cars.
CoMod Lotus
********************************
Test report by CoMod Carrera 124 on the D132/Evo Audi R8 Safety Car Le Mans 2010 (30591/27385)
Safety first
Audi has now clinched nine victories at the storied 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's therefore not surprising that an Audi safety car is also being used: the Audi R8.
Carrera already offers this vehicle as the DTM Safety Car in a silver-gray color scheme. With a red paint scheme and matching lettering, it now becomes the Le Mans Safety Car. The color of the indicator lights on the roof has also been changed, faithfully redesigned to a transparent dark green. Unfortunately, this faithfulness to the original means that the indicator lights aren't as bright as one would expect, compared to previously released Safety Cars.
The digital vehicle uses a special decoder that allows all conceivable combinations of headlights and indicators to be switched on or off. The analog vehicle lacks the standard headlights; the lights on the roof flash while driving, depending on the control setting.
The landing gear is a familiar design from the 2007-2008 generation, with the familiar advantages and disadvantages: the magnets are relatively easy to remove or adjust from underneath. This is offset by only average performance, primarily due to the small rudder angle.
Conclusion: Visually very appealing, making it a great addition to the range, especially for owners of a racetrack with a pit lane and appropriate decorations. However, for racing, I prefer a vehicle with the newer chassis generation.
CoMod Carrera124
