Exterior
Hotwheels have done a reasonable job in capturing the overall shape and stance of this car. It is worth mentioning that despite the limited production run of the real car, photos seem to suggest that there were a considerable number of subtle differences between one F40 and the next ( I don’t know whether these were factory differences or alterations made by owners – I would assume the former). For example, air vents seem to differ in number and positioning, and ancillary lights seem to be present on some cars and not others. This makes it a little difficult to review the model accurately, so I will give Hotwheels the benefit of the doubt and classify a detail as correct so long as it featured on one version of the real car. In any case, the model seems to replicate correctly the most common arrangement of vents, lights etc. Panel gaps can best be described as reasonable. They are not gaping, but tighter gaps will be found on models from the likes of Autoart or Kyosho. One impressive feature of this Elite version of the F40 is the treatment of the openings in the bodywork. They are nearly all perforated (the exceptions being the small vents in the front hood and the groups of 4 vents below the rear wing). Furthermore, those openings have been fitted with a fine mesh which is very nicely made and greatly enhances the exterior appearance over a budget model. The slots in the rear window are sadly not cut. The lights are perhaps one clue to this model’s budget origins. Though the headlight lenses are nicely made and fitted, the bulbs underneath leave more to be desired. The main headlights are silver plastic pieces which, though not exactly inaccurate, look a little cheap for a model of this price. Indicator bulbs are better, and the small side indicators are separate plastic pieces. There are not even any attachment stubs visible. Rear lights are not at all bad, though the ‘clear’ reverse lights ought to be rather less opaque. The ancillary lights below are plagued by attachment stubs unfortunately. Exhaust pipes are silver painted plastic and are a little crude. They are also hollow only a small way down, though black paint inside hides this fact well. The Ferrari badges appear to be stickers rather than metal pieces, and some are applied very slightly crooked, though not enough so as to spoil the overall appearance. Once criticism of the exterior is the use of black paint to replicate openings, specifically openings around the pop-up headlights (which don’t, for the record!), and the fuel caps. The black painted lines are too thick, and as a result they just look like black lines, rather than the panel gaps they should simulate. The black line around the body is also a little too wide, and finally the rear wing should not be a separate piece – the join should be completely smooth where the wing joins the main body. Nobody could claim the exterior of this car is perfect, but for all the little complaints the overall appearance is still quite reasonable.
Paint
Aside from the issues with the detailing paint mentioned above, I can find no fault with the paint on this model. The colour is a lovely deep red which appears accurate, and I can see no thin areas around edges or corners. The finish is smooth and flat, and overall the paint on this model only serves to enhance the exterior appearance.
The first thing that struck me about the interior on my model was how difficult it was to get to it! With nothing to get hold of on the exterior of the door, and some very tight fitting doors, I was forced to put a finger through the gap in the window and pull, a method which was somewhat nerve-racking as the plastic windows are not all that sturdy. The hinges have loosened up a little now, but I can still only open the passenger door by pushing it open from the inside once the driver’s door is open! Inside, the dashboard and dials have a very nice appearance and are very finely made. Pedals, gearstick and steering wheel stalks are not quite so nice, but the most interesting area is the seats. As part of upgrading the model, Hotwheels have covered the seats, presumably to replicate alcantara or similar. However, they do not really replicate the seats in any photos of the real car that I can find. In fact, a soft-touch plastic would probably have looked and felt more accurate. The model features a racing harness rather than standard seatbelts. Once again I have found photos of the real car with both setups, so the model is a correct replica of at least some of the real versions. The belts are fabric, with a photo-etched buckle, and very much look the part. That’s about it for the spartan interior of this car – something of a mixed bag from Hotwheels.
The engine is further evidence of the fact that this car was originally designed to be sold at half the price of this Elite version. Despite much improved paint detailing, it cannot rid itself entirely of the budget appearance. It is clearly still made of several large pieces of plastic, rather than many separate elements, and molding seams and imperfections are apparent. It does seem quite accurate however, with all the major components in the right place and the correct colour, but fine details and elements such as wiring are non-existent. For the sake of completion, the reference pictures I used also show the strut for holding the engine cover open located in the centre, rather than off to the side, though this is a minor detail.
Tyres and Wheels
The wheels accurately replicate those of the real car, and the only details missing are the valve and the small locking pin that should run through the centre of the hub. However, one would really hardly notice that these were absent. Perhaps the biggest complaint is that the wheels look too much like the plastic that they are. That said, I don’t think other model manufacturers are often much more successful at replicating the metal alloy of wheels. The tyres have a nice tread pattern which seems reasonably accurate though not identical to the reference photo I used. The rubber has a realistic appearance, but as with the majority of road car models the sidewalls are lacking in any markings.
Brakes
This model has rotating brake discs and calipers, but they are quite basic. The discs are silver plastic, and though they replicate the drilling on the real car the holes are too large in comparison to the discs. The plastic appearance also falls quite a way short of the real metal used on some other premium models. The calipers are also quite plain, unmarked black plastic, although in reality very little of them can be seen behind the chunky wheel rims. This is an area where Hotwheels does fall some way short of the benchmark for this price range.
