Race/Series: DTM Championship 1992
Result: 5th in Championship Standings
Driver: Keke Rosberg (FIN)
Based on Mercedes' entry level 190E, the 190E DTM race car dominated the 1992 season, filling 5 of the top 6 championship places. This car, driven by Keke Rosberg, features a quite unique livery supporting Berlin's bid for the 2000 Olympic games, and the car was heavily sponsored by the city of Berlin. In the end the games went to Sydney, and this car only managed fifth place in the championship, though the AMG team did take the championship. The model is still a must have in my touring car collection due to the livery, which bore the signatures of many famous sporting personalities including footballer Jurgen Klinsmann, racing drivers driver Gerhard Berger, Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda, and tennis star John McEnroe.
The model is by Autoart in 1:18 scale, and retails at £59.99, though I bought mine on ebay for around £30. Packaging is a polystyrene box with cardboard outer.
Exterior
An excellent start for this model, capturing the look and stance of this car perfectly. Panel gaps are very good all round, including the bonnet, boot and all four opening doors. However, one small complaint is that the bonnet, on it's clever hinges, does not always lie closed quite flush without some fiddling. Door hinges on the other hand are well made and secure, and obviously are not of the dog-leg type seen on older models. Lights front and rear look superb, and really could be real, with excellent lens and bulb detail. The front grille is perforated, and more impressively so are the small air intakes below the numberplate. Exhausts are nicely made and chromed, but unfortunately they are not hollowed out very far and you can see black plastic inside. However, from most angles this is barely noticeable. Small details are really nice, including the very fine Mercedes star on top of the radiator grille, the (non-operational) bonnet and boot catches, and the towing rings. Even the heated rear window is wholly convincing, and overall the exterior of this model really is up there with the best, and I honestly can find very little to criticise at all.
Score: 9/10
Paint
Paint can often be overlooked in model reviews, unless it is exceptionally bad(!), but in my opinion this model deserves to have the paint job praised, as silver can often be a problem colour, yet here the paint seems very good indeed. There are no apparent colour discrepancies between parts, on my model at least, and there is no sign of the horribly obvious flakes that can often affect metallic colours. Furthermore, application is smooth and seemingly flawless. The underside of the bonnet and boot have also been finished nicely. Very good.
Score: 9/10
Tampo and Decals
The livery on this car is certainly eye catching, and Autoart have done a good job of replicating it here. Colouring all appears to be accurate, and the signatures that adorn the car are very finely done, so that even the tiny printing underneath them is legible. When you bear in mind that this lettering is about 0.5mm in height, that's quite impressive! There are only a couple of places where the livery straddles a panel gap, but in these places the parts are well matched up. One point of interest is that some of the printed names mentioned above are represented merely as rectangular blocks of black. Given that other ones are made so nicely, I wonder whether these names have had to be disguised for legal reasons of some sort? I would be interested to find out. All in all though, another very strong category.
Score: 8/10
There is not very much to the wheels on this car, being largely flat, silver discs that are quite characteristic of Mercedes wheels of this era. However, Autoart have modelled them well, and they do not let the rest of the exterior appearance down at all. Tyres are racing slicks with no molding lines to be seen, and have a realistic dull rubber appearance, with slightly shinier sidewalls. These have the appropriate Bridgestone markings.
Score: 8/10
Brakes
These are all but totally hidden behind the wheels, but they have still been replicated properly, with rotating metallic effect discs, complete with realistic grooves, and black calipers front and rear. In fact, it is a pity more of the brake detail is not visible, as it seems to be just as impressive as the rest of this model.
Score: 8/10
Engine
The first thing you'll notice about the engine is the way that you gain access to it. The bonnet operates on very realistic hinges, which I will probably wear out playing with! The movement is great, and it means that for once an Autoart bonnet stays open unaided! Once inside, the engine is very well done. It will never compete with the likes of Exoto due to little details like moulding seams but then it is not even close to the same cost. What you do get is a very nice engine, with 'chrome' radiator hoses, wiring and plenty of nicely painted details like the yellow dipstick. The whole engine bay is finished very well, and once again the whole area is really quite convinving.
Score: 7/10
Interior
All four doors on this model open to give you the best view of the stripped out racing interior. Nevertheless, even though there is not that much inside the car, it still seems nicely detailed and looks like an expensive model. Although many of the little parts inside are one piece of plastic painted in different colours, they are still done very neatly and as a result are quite convincing. The rollcage looks great, as does the racing seat and harness, and while dashboard and steering wheel detail really is minimal, it is still accurate and finely done. The interior of this model really has to be seen to be fully appreciated, due in part to my inability to take good photos of it! Seriously though, the interior of this car simply continues the great detail and finish that the rest of the car shows.
Score: 8/10
You may have gathered by now that I am a big fan of this model, but it is not without good reason. Bearing in mind that here in the UK an Exoto would set you back probably 3 times the price of this model, this really is an impressive piece. It scores only a fraction less than my Exoto Jaguar XJR9, and although it is not quite of the same intricate detail in places, overall this model would definitely not disgrace itself amongst more expensive company. I am very happy to add this to my collection, and I think pretty much any other collector would be too.
Overall Score: 8.1/10