03/23/2011

Carrera BMW M3 GT2 Rahal Letterman Racing - No. 92

I told Harry when I got this car I would like to try my hand at doing a review for it since I could not find any reviews out there about this great looking car. I am a fan of the ALMS GT cars so this car was a must have for me to go with the Porsche's I already have in the stable.

The first thing you notice about this car is how good it looks, Carrera has done a great job on this car and the detail they have put into it really shows how much they have stepped up there game in recent years. The paint and clear-coat on this model was very nice and I found no flaws or dirt anywhere on the body. Tampo stamped markings are crisp and clear throughout.

Looking at the front of the model the detail is very good with various sponsor logo's, tow hook, silver trimmed grille and BMW logo on the hood. You can also see the wing mirrors which are very sturdy but will probably become the first casualty in hard racing. That is ok though because Carrera has included a spare set in the case. I like the fact that they include these to replace if need be.

Going around to the back of the car you will see the detail is just as nice. Various sponsor logo's and tow hook. Behind the rear wheels are open vents which is a nice touch. The rear wing is sturdy but seems like it would have some give in the event of a crash.

As far as I can tell the car looks exactly like the 1:1 race car. It has lots of open vent areas just like the real car does which only improves the look of the model. The interior is a thin tray type but has enough detail for me with driver and roll bars. One thing I have noticed is the detail Carrera has been doing on the drivers helmets. Its a nice little touch that sometimes is easily overlooked.

Looking down on top of the car you can see the car has a nice flat black roof, front and rear window banners and more open vents on the hood.

The only flaw on my car were the wheels, While they look nice with the small logos, and brake rotor detail it looks as though the tires were put on them while the paint was still wet. You can see how the paint on the edge of the wheels is a little messed up and upon receiving the car the rear tire actually had silver paint smeared on it over the Dunlop logos. It may just be a isolated case and I was able to get the paint off the tire fairly easy.

Upon inspection of the wheels they seemed very true and there was hardly any flashing at the seams. I still like to sand these and get them smooth. I also ended up sanding the tires as I do on every car.

 

Turning the car over you can see the two magnets one before and after the motor. The guide is the typical long guide which like others prefer to trim shorter. Also the 4 screws to remove the body from the chassis.

With the body off you can see the electronics for the reversing switch and typical wiring with plugs. I like the fact that Carrera have made the plugs compatible so you can take out the switch and just plug the guide plug into the motor plug Which is something I always do. Up front you can see the independent front axles. Mine did have a little play in them but not enough to cause concern and I like the design with the brass bushings.

 

Here you can see the extended travel of the guide, I really like this as it lets the car have more travel around the corners. Compared to the Porsche's and other Carrera models that don't have longer travel I find it a big improvement.

On The Track

As I do not have a timing system on my track I cannot give you lap times but out of the box it ran good. On my wood track it was very tail happy around the corners and had some slight wheel hop but that was before any tire sanding. I like to take the cars right out of the box and try them before I do any adjustments. After I sanded the tires the car improved considerably, and was a very smooth running car. It is a good match for the other GT cars in the series.

Final Verdict

I really like this model as it gives another option to run with other ALMS GT cars. The paint and detail on the car is excellent and it really shows how much Carrera is doing to make great cars for our hobby. Not only that but they are at a price point almost anyone can afford. I picked this car up at HotSlots for $32.99 and in today's economy it is much easier to swallow than some of the higher price brands and it is just as nice if not better. Sure it will need the usual minor adjustments like tire sanding but most every car does so to me that is not a issue.

If you like this series of cars I recommend you give Carrera a try. In the past I was not a big fan of their cars, but after trying some of the newer models my mind has changed. If you take a little time with them they are very good running cars at a price we all can enjoy.

- Lee

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