Carrera DIGTAL 124 Ferrari 512S Berlinetta Daytona 24h "No.28", 1970 & "Ecurie Francorchamps No.23", Spa 1000km 1970
The 1000 km race in Spa-Francorchamp/Belgium on May 17, 1970, once again went to the all-powerful Porsche 917 in the Group 5 class, even though the Ferraris were able to put up a strong fight, at least for a while.
The Gulf team's victorious Porsche 917 finished the race at an average speed of 240 km/h. The overall fast race even equaled the 1968 Formula 1 track record. Ferrari fielded both the red factory cars, driven by Jackie Ickx, John Surtees, and Nino Vaccarella, and a yellow car from the Belgian team Scuderia Francorchamp, driven by Derek Bell.
In this interesting clip At www.youtube.com you can see this car at 1:22 min… but it was still able to finish the race in 8th place.
Optics:
Since it's been a while since I've seen a Ferrari 512S in person, the Carrera model initially seemed a bit short. No problem... I looked up the specs online (length: 4360 mm, width: 2000 mm, wheelbase: 2400 mm). Ruler out = rough measurement x 10 x 24 = pretty much the same. How appearances and memory can be deceiving ;-)
The paintwork looks very realistic and, thanks to the color scheme, is naturally very visible on the track. A little patina makes the car even more authentic. The scale wheels can be positioned a little closer in the wheelhouses at the front and rear. The feeler-like rearview mirrors, while true to the original, are fortunately easily removable for racing.
The dummy engine with two exhaust stubs is sufficiently detailed and is unfortunately located in a vulnerable spot, so that used 512Ss could soon be identified by the missing exhaust stubs.
Technology:
The front and rear axles are free of any noticeable misalignment and run quietly. A drop of oil before starting the car can't hurt, though. The wide tires offer decent grip and only require a quick corner break.
The 512S, true to the original, features a third headlight built into the front of the car, which is also illuminated in the model. Due to the rear-set headlights, the amount of light is subjectively roughly the same as that of a Ferrari 330 P4. However, the relationship between these two cars can be seen in more than just the lighting. At the rear, the 512S has a double headlight, which also transmits light through the rear ventilation ducts... highly visible and ideal for endurance races with dark periods... if you can't see the brake lights, you should replace them ;-)
Processing:
There are no defects in the workmanship; the printing is clean and crisp. The moving parts are as they should be, and the assembly is also flawless. One of the light-conductor connectors, mounted on a separate part of the circuit board, is slightly crooked and not entirely secure. Despite the vehicle's size, the interior seems to be quite cramped.
Driving behavior:
In terms of its design, the Ferrari 512S is most comparable to the Ferrari 330 P4. It has a wheelbase approximately 3-4 mm longer than the Porsche 917, tires of the same width, and a rear axle width approximately 3-4 mm wider. With a magnet, it drives pretty foolproof, as expected... it's almost impossible to lift the new vehicles off the track anymore... without magnets, I think it's more like a 330P4... I'm curious to see what other users have to say about their first real-life racing experiences.
Conclusion:
I'm happy about the continuation of the classic racing car series with Carrera124 Digital vehicles from the late 60s/early 70s and hope for a continuation next year with the Lola T70 MK3B or Chevron B16... and after that we'll see what else would fit.
Until then,
joergW
The 1000 km race in Spa-Francorchamp/Belgium on May 17, 1970, once again went to the all-powerful Porsche 917 in the Group 5 class, even though the Ferraris were able to put up a strong fight, at least for a while.
The Gulf team's victorious Porsche 917 finished the race at an average speed of 240 km/h. The overall fast race even equaled the 1968 Formula 1 track record. Ferrari fielded both the red factory cars, driven by Jackie Ickx, John Surtees, and Nino Vaccarella, and a yellow car from the Belgian team Scuderia Francorchamp, driven by Derek Bell.
In this interesting clip At www.youtube.com you can see this car at 1:22 min… but it was still able to finish the race in 8th place.
Optics:
Since it's been a while since I've seen a Ferrari 512S in person, the Carrera model initially seemed a bit short. No problem... I looked up the specs online (length: 4360 mm, width: 2000 mm, wheelbase: 2400 mm). Ruler out = rough measurement x 10 x 24 = pretty much the same. How appearances and memory can be deceiving ;-)
The paintwork looks very realistic and, thanks to the color scheme, is naturally very visible on the track. A little patina makes the car even more authentic. The scale wheels can be positioned a little closer in the wheelhouses at the front and rear. The feeler-like rearview mirrors, while true to the original, are fortunately easily removable for racing.
The dummy engine with two exhaust stubs is sufficiently detailed and is unfortunately located in a vulnerable spot, so that used 512Ss could soon be identified by the missing exhaust stubs.
Technology:
The front and rear axles are free of any noticeable misalignment and run quietly. A drop of oil before starting the car can't hurt, though. The wide tires offer decent grip and only require a quick corner break.
The 512S, true to the original, features a third headlight built into the front of the car, which is also illuminated in the model. Due to the rear-set headlights, the amount of light is subjectively roughly the same as that of a Ferrari 330 P4. However, the relationship between these two cars can be seen in more than just the lighting. At the rear, the 512S has a double headlight, which also transmits light through the rear ventilation ducts... highly visible and ideal for endurance races with dark periods... if you can't see the brake lights, you should replace them ;-)
Processing:
There are no defects in the workmanship; the printing is clean and crisp. The moving parts are as they should be, and the assembly is also flawless. One of the light-conductor connectors, mounted on a separate part of the circuit board, is slightly crooked and not entirely secure. Despite the vehicle's size, the interior seems to be quite cramped.
Driving behavior:
In terms of its design, the Ferrari 512S is most comparable to the Ferrari 330 P4. It has a wheelbase approximately 3-4 mm longer than the Porsche 917, tires of the same width, and a rear axle width approximately 3-4 mm wider. With a magnet, it drives pretty foolproof, as expected... it's almost impossible to lift the new vehicles off the track anymore... without magnets, I think it's more like a 330P4... I'm curious to see what other users have to say about their first real-life racing experiences.
Conclusion:
I'm happy about the continuation of the classic racing car series with Carrera124 Digital vehicles from the late 60s/early 70s and hope for a continuation next year with the Lola T70 MK3B or Chevron B16... and after that we'll see what else would fit.
Until then,
joergW
