My father-in-law, who works at a BMW store near me, brought home this amazing 1/18th scale BMW M8 GTE race car kit one night. As soon as he left, I couldn't resist opening the box and starting the building process. It turned out to be a perfect middle ground between intricacy and simplicity, making it an ideal gift for both car enthusiasts and casual hobbyists.Building the Model Over Several Nights
I spent several nights building the model, taking it one step at a time. It was so engaging that I couldn't even focus on watching TV while assembling it. This showed me that it had just the right level of attention-worthiness. The model wasn't difficult, but I preferred to build it methodically to avoid losing any of the small pieces in the carpet. After all, my kitchen table isn't a factory; there are so many little details to enjoy as I worked through the kit.
Dealing with Assembly Hangups
One of the assembly hangups I faced was marrying the chassis and body in the final step. It required a bit of patience to align the pins correctly. Another challenge was getting the steering to operate properly. Since the steering operates via a motor moving a little nub acting as a steering rack, it was easy to misalign the nub and the motor during installation. If the model didn't steer properly after assembly, I had to take the front apart again and double-check the alignment.
Applying Stickers with Precision
Applying the stickers needed a steady hand. They were forgiving as long as I didn't firmly press them on until I was satisfied with the alignment. Using a tweezer was essential, especially when it came to the hilariously tiny BMW emblem for the steering wheel. One tip is to apply some of the stickers before breaking the plastic pieces out of their shipping containers. It made the process easier.
The Performance of the R/C Car
Once the model was assembled, its performance as an R/C car was acceptable. It could move smoothly across a smooth floor and navigate a low pile rug, but it was relatively slow and not designed for outdoor use. It was perfect for buzzing around the kitchen, office, or desktop. You could even create a little race course with your housemates. However, it wasn't the kind of thing that would make you want to spend a lot of time modifying and racing like with high-end R/Cs.
Finding a Pilot for the Car
Another aspect I got a bit stuck on was finding a pilot for the remote-controlled car. It looked strange without someone in the driver's seat. Since I didn't collect humanoid figurines and there was no mini race car driver in the kit, I had to search around the house for something suitable. I first found an African penguin, which was a good scale with the car but didn't fit the seat properly. Then my wife found a weird little rubber monkey that fit perfectly. I had to come up with some seatbelt concepts using cable-packing wire, a bread bag twist, and a paper clip. Eventually, a doubled-over piece of electrical tape worked best, giving it a vaguely seat belt-like appearance.
Adding the Final Touches
I added the driver before finishing the rest of the car for convenience. The doors on the finished model do open, adding to its charm. One of the biggest benefits of this model is that it snaps together without the need for glue. This is great because modeling glue can be smelly and stick to your fingers for days. Without having to deal with glue, the building process was a lot more enjoyable.
Availability and Alternatives
Unfortunately, between drafting this story and publishing it, the RASTAR M8 is out of stock on Amazon and BMW's accessory site. However, you might still be able to find one at a BMW dealer parts desk or on some smaller retail websites. If you're looking for other model kits that can be assembled without glue, there are several options available. RASTAR also has a Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and even an F1 car kit in stock and currently 20% off for about . Based on my experience with this model, I'm confident that these other kits will be just as much fun to build.
