Friday, June 11, 2010
REVIEW: Hot Wheels Elite - Schumacher's Ferrari Enzo
BACKGROUND::
Michael Schumacher has long been regarded as one of the greatest drivers in history. As a parting gift from Ferrari racing, Schumacher received a track-only FXX. Just before this, he was became the owner of a one-of-a-kind Ferrari Enzo. The car was painted Rosso Scuderia (a brighter type of red) with grey wheels, and the interior was a new type of tan natural leather. Schumacher then had the hood of the car signed by all the men that worked on building it. His car is a special version of what is arguably Ferrari's most special car.
THE GOAL::
Hot Wheels Elite aims to be the higher quality line of Hot Wheels models. Generally found for anywhere between $65 and $100 for a new model, this Schumacher Enzo is about $75 for an opened copy, which places the model firmly below AutoArt territory, and just below Kyosho's models. This scale 1:18 model is a relatively new model that should be expected to sell very well.
WHAT WORKED OUT WELL::
The model very accurately represents Schumacher's car, with extremely rich paint and generally excellent proportions. In what really is a surprise for Hot Wheels, the wheels and ride height are both very much to scale, and the entire body of the car is made of metal. This should be expected in a $75 model, but we've learned not to take that for granted with Hot Wheels. There are a few quality control issues, but we'll get to those later on.
The interior of the model is very strong, which we've luckily been seeing very much on Hot Wheels models. The felt carpet and seatbelts are nice touches that remind of the quality put into the model, and nearly all buttons and pieces are represented and accurately painted. The materials are all plastic underneath, but have a quality feel to them.
The engine and boot compartments of the car are also of very high quality. The engine is extremely well-detailed, with an accurate engine block and torsion beams alike. The engine looks great from the outside, and the novelty feature of propping up the hood is nicely shown on the HW model. The boot comes with a (now-obligatory) suitcase which looks better than it really is, but main element of the boot is the lid, which shows all of the signatures on the real car extremely well. This is a final great touch on a very nice model.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK OUT WELL::
In a word, plastic. While the body of this car is entirely metal, the vast majority of pieces in the engine are plastic, with some even shockingly glossy and cheap-looking and feeling elements deep below. This is extremely disappointing. The same issue is evident in the interior. The pedals are the same cheap plastic, which is really something to be avoided in a model originally intended to sell at AutoArt prices.
Quality control is also an issue on the model. Mine arrived without a prancing horse at the rear, and with a hastily repaired left-wing mirror, with glue still obvious. The model is also missing (not just mine) the roll-up windows on the real car. Those roll-ups sound tiny, but are actually the main element of the interior door on the real car.
IN CONCLUSION::
Let's not dwell on the shortcomings of this model. If you can snatch one for $70, which is quite possible, you can consider yourself a lucky buyer. [Not so at $100.] The model is imperfect, but it's still a very high quality model. The next option for a Michael Schumacher edition Enzo is a $400 BBR model, so certainly, this specific car is hard to find. And for the price, the quality is none too shabby.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
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