Vehicle reports

Carrera Digital 124 Ford GT 40 Mk II " No 4"

Item No. 23896


It's been some time since the last Ford GT Mark II was released, but the car continues to enjoy undiminished popularity among drivers of historic GT cars. CARRERA is responding to this demand by adding the Ford with chassis number 1032 to its lineup this year.

By 1966, Carroll Shelby and Holman & Moody (a US race car manufacturer) were already heavily involved in the "Le Mans: Ford vs. Ferrari" project, and up until then, everything was going quite well. The 7-liter Fords dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing first through third in arguably the most famous period in Ford's racing history. Henry Ford's anger at not being able to buy the Ferrari brand was appeased. The background to the story is well known: Ford wanted to buy Ferrari to reposition itself in motorsports, as the three major American automakers – Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler – had decided to stop motorsports in the late 1950s, but this decision was torpedoed by Chrysler's involvement in NASCAR. The talks between Ford and Ferrari were already well advanced. But ultimately, they ended up arguing over a "small matter": Enzo Ferrari was determined to manage Ford's motorsports activities alone, without any say, while Henry Ford II, in turn, refused to let Enzo Ferrari dictate anything to him. The classic problem of two alpha males. The talks ended inconclusively; Henry Ford II was furious and declared war on Ferrari.
In fact, the GT40s won Le Mans four times in a row. The GT40's legacy is so enduring that in 2005, Ford built the Ford GT, which was developed from the Ford GT Concept Car introduced in 2002—a modern interpretation of the original race car. The successor to the 2005 GT was the new GT in 2016, which we also know from the current Carrera lineup.


But back to the MK II: This car, chassis number 1032, is one of eight MK IIs. It was completed on November 5, 1965, along with P/1031, by Ford Advanced Vehicles in Slough, England. P/1031 is the dark blue GT40 with the yellow front end (not yet available in the Carrera range). It was then delivered to Shelby American in California, where it was completed in MK II configuration, including the 427 engine with twin four-barrel carburetors and a four-speed transaxle. Painted white with a black nose, it was then driven by Walter "Walt" Hansgen and Mark Donohue as one of two Shelbys in the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring, where it finished second.

After returning to California and further testing and development, it was painted bronze with a green front end and entered in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The No. 4 drivers were Paul Hawkins and Mark Donohue. During this race, Dan Gurney, driving another MK II, set a new Le Mans lap record of 142.98 mph.
By the way, the No. 4 retired after just 12 laps with differential damage.


Ford had ended an era at Le Mans. Ferrari would never again achieve an overall victory in the 24-hour race.

And another interesting detail about chassis number 1032:
Upon returning to the United States, this No. 4 MK II was painted to look like the Le Mans winner and then exhibited throughout the country by the Ford Motor Company.


CoMod Lotus

Carrera Digital 132 Plymouth Superbird " No. 14"

Item No. 30944


Richard Brickhouse and his only NASCAR victory

The Plymouth Superbird is now a classic in the CARRERA range. The first NASCAR models were delivered in 2003.
However, the vehicle is still selling very well in the homeland of oval track racing, which is why CARRERA has added a few models to its new product range after a few years.

The red and gold one is a Plymouth Superbird, based on a real car that ran in the 1979 DAYTONA 500. Driver was Richard Brickhouse.
But who was Richard? I've delved into his story a bit for this club report, as the story of his only NASCAR victory is more interesting than the car he drove the year after his victory.

Richard Brickhouse was born on October 27, 1939, in Rocky Point, North Carolina. He drove in just 35 NASCAR races, including 13 top-ten finishes, including one victory. He is best known for winning the first Talladega 500, which took place on September 14, 1969. Talladega Superspeedway is now the largest racetrack on the NASCAR calendar, hosting two races each year.

Brickhouse was a second-row driver who was only able to win the 1969 race because the stars of the scene at the time did not compete in the race:
The size of the track and the 33-degree banked tires, coupled with hot temperatures and an abrasive surface, led to tire failure in practice, often after just a few laps. The Professional Drivers Association (PDA), led by Richard Petty, asked Bill France Sr. (Big Bill), the legendary founder and manager of the NASCAR series, to postpone the race until Goodyear or Firestone could guarantee that the tires would withstand the stresses. Big Bill refused; his solution was simply not to go as fast (max 185 mph / 298 km/h)! This wasn't an option for many racers, as in their opinion, it had nothing to do with "racing."
Led by "The King" Richard Petty (who had shredded three of the four Firestone tires on his car during qualifying), the majority of the top drivers simply went on strike! The boycott didn't sit well with Big Bill, who was determined to hold/host the race no matter what. With only one top driver (Bobby Isaac) and primarily second-tier drivers like eventual winner Richard Brickhouse, the race ultimately took place. Brickhouse, a relative newcomer to the scene, resigned from his PDA membership to be able to drive. It was his only NASCAR victory; he only drove in 38 more NASCAR races in his career, from 1968 until his retirement in 1982. Incidentally, he held the Guinness World Record for the fastest time on a closed course for many years.

The 1969 driver boycott was, incidentally, attributed to the downfall of the Professional Drivers Association (PDA), which had only recently been founded under the leadership of Richard Petty. The organization from which the drivers hoped for the following improvements was higher prize money, better insurance coverage, the introduction of a pension fund for the drivers, and washing facilities in the paddock.


CoMod Lotus

Carrera Digital 132 Dodge Charger 500 " No. 71"

Item No. 30942

"We already know those," is probably what many people asked when they discovered these two models in the 2020 catalog. The term "reissue" was also frequently mentioned at the club meeting at the Toy Fair. However, these are not true reissues; the models from 2003 (Evolution Item Nos. 25717 and 25719) and 2004 (Pro-X Item Nos. 30209 and 30212) had the same design, but also featured the massive wings at the front and rear.

The chassis has been around since 2010 and is used again in these new models. The combined weight of both vehicles is just over 110 grams, resulting in a solid roadholding and handling. More than ever, it's essential to develop a smooth and predictive driving style, enabling lap-long duels on equal terms.


CoMod Chris

Carrera Digital 132 Porsche 911 RSR " Project 1"

Item No. 30916

We've had to wait long enough for the new racing version of the Porsche 911. The last design variants up to and including 2018 were generally just racing cars with a modern or current design, but with the body of the old Porsche 911 GT3 RSR from 2007.
In 2019, the time had finally come: Carrera launched the Porsche 911 RSR model 991. Despite its advanced age, the old GT3 was still a firm favorite with buyers, which was reflected in corresponding sales figures. This was primarily due to its handling; it could easily keep up with even ten-year-old designs.

The new 991 hasn't disappointed this trust. The chassis is based on proven principles: the car has a short rim and wide axles. At 108 grams, its weight is in line with its competitors.
The latest model, released in 2020, is the black and yellow Porsche of the Lohne-based Project 1 Motorsport team. The model is based on the 2018 World Championship car. With this car, the Project 1 racing team secured the GTE-AM class championship in its debut season in the FIA ​​WEC Endurance Championship.

The car is faithfully reproduced; there are quite a few links to the vehicle online, including some nice racing videos. The team's website is also highly recommended: https://project-1.de/


CoMod Lotus

Carrera Digital 132 Mercedes-AMG GT3 " Mann-Filter-Team HTTP"

Item No. 30910

Carrera Digital 132 Ford Capri Zakspeed Turbo " Lili Reisenbichler"

Item No. 30926

The new 1:32 Turbo Capri from the Zakspeed team looks great on the track with its white base color, making it easily recognizable and distinguishable even in difficult lighting conditions. The model's proportions are well realized and it's known for its good handling. The printing is clean and largely true to the original. Unfortunately, a production error crept in with the side stripes; the colors are reversed.

Lili Reisenbichler, the female racing legend of the 1970s, competed in various races with a BMW M1, Ford Escort RS, NSU 1000, Renault R5 Alpine, and Ford Capri. Her greatest success was first place in the touring car class of the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring in 1980, driving a Ford Escort RS 2000.

In addition to the Turbo Capris driven by Klaus Ludwig and Klaus Niedzwiedz, the Zakspeed team fielded a third Capri in Group 5 with Lili Reisenbichler in most races in 1982. She had worked her way up to this level of racing through the Ford junior program.

Lili Reisenbichler is currently traveling to many historic racing events as a Children's Heart Ambassador, where she drives various vehicles with many well-known racing drivers.

CoMod JoergW

Carrera Digital 132 BMW M1 Procar " Denim"

Item No. 30925

The BMW M1 already appears in the 1980/81 catalog in the "Denim" design, for the steerable Servo 140 system. Interestingly, the catalog image shows a retouched vehicle in a larger 1:32 scale, the whereabouts of which remain unknown to this day. The 1:40 scale version, which remains popular with Servo fans to this day, goes on sale. Fans of track-based racetracks had to repaint the car themselves, a relatively difficult task with this design. At least in the 1:32 scale, this is no longer necessary; the model is now available as a new release in both analog and digital versions.

The original car was driven in 1980 by Hans Heyer, who also won the German Racing Championship title that same year with a Lancia Beta. His spectacular accident at the Norisring remains unforgettable, although he fortunately survived unscathed.

Back to the model – the two-tone paint and printing are flawlessly executed. Combined with the differently colored rims at the front and rear, it creates a very attractive look. The original model also comes in a version with the familiar silver BBS rims, but I personally like the choice made here much better.

In terms of handling, everything is as usual – the model isn't overweight and drives accordingly fast, but it also has a relatively loud driving noise. Since this is now the eighth design variant in a smaller scale, nothing stands in the way of a Procar run.


CoMod Chris

Carrera Digital 132 Porsche 917K " Porsche Salzburg - Brands Hatch 1970"

Item No. 30873

Carrera Digital 132 Porsche 917K " Porsche Salzburg - Brands Hatch 1970"

Item No. 30873