The 1000-km race at Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium on May 17, 1970, was once again won in the Group 5 class by the dominant Porsche 917s, even though the Ferraris were able to put up a fierce fight, at least for a time.
The winning Porsche 917 from the Gulf team crossed the finish line at an average speed of 240 km/h. In what was an exceptionally fast race overall, the 1968 Formula 1 track record was even matched. Ferrari fielded both the red works cars with drivers such as Jackie Ickx, John Surtees, and Nino Vaccarella, as well as a yellow car from the Belgian Scuderia Francorchamp team driven by Derek Bell.
In this interesting clip ,www.youtube.com you can see this car at 1:22 min… however, it still managed to finish the race in 8th place.
Appearance:
Since it’s been a while since I’ve seen a Ferrari 512S in person, the model seemed
The paint job looks very realistic and, thanks to the color scheme, is naturally very easy to spot on the track. With a little patina, the car will look even more true to the prototype. The prototype-accurate wheels could sit a bit closer to the wheel wells at both the front and rear. The antenna-like rearview mirrors, while true to the original, are fortunately easy to remove for racing.
The dummy engine with two exhaust tips is rendered in sufficient detail; unfortunately, it’s located in a vulnerable spot, so used 512S models will likely soon be recognizable by their missing exhaust tips.
Mechanics:
The front and rear axles show no noticeable misalignment and run quietly. However, adding a drop of oil before use can’t hurt. The wide tires provide good grip and only require a brief break-in.
True to the prototype, the 512S features a third headlight built into the front of the vehicle, which is also illuminated in the model. Due to the set-back position of the main headlights, the amount of light is subjectively similar to that of the Ferrari 330 P4. However, the family resemblance between these two vehicles isn’t limited to the lighting alone. At the rear, the 512S features a dual taillight that also lets light shine through the rear ventilation channels … clearly visible and ideal for long-distance races with a night phase … anyone who can’t see the brake lights needs to be replaced ;-)
Workmanship:
No defects are apparent in the workmanship; the printing is clean and crisp. The moving parts function as they should, and the assembly is also flawless. One of the fiber-optic connectors mounted on the side—on an extended section of the circuit board—sits slightly askew and isn’t very secure. Despite the car’s size, the interior seems rather cramped.
Handling:
In terms of its design, the Ferrari 512S is most comparable to the Ferrari 330 P4. It has a wheelbase that’s about 3–4 mm longer than the Porsche 917, tires of the same width, and an approximate 3–4 mm wider at the rear axle. As expected, it runs pretty much foolproof with a magnet… you can barely get the new cars to lift off the track… without magnets, in my opinion, it’s most similar to the 330P4… I’m looking forward to hearing about other users’ first real racing experiences.
Conclusion:
I’m thrilled about the continuation of the classic race car series featuring
See you later,
joergW
