26 September 2011

Build your own McLaren F1 car - from RM9.90


Back in my student time in Bristol, I always dropped by this one modeler shop every other weekend. It is situated in Fairfax Street if I'm not mistaken, in the quiet path somewhere off the Nelson Street. I bought the scale model of Formula 1 cars and some Ferrari cars at that time. During other non-purchased visit, I usually spent time looking the new arrival and the RC car kit and day dreaming about building my own RC car.


Fast forward many,many years, when I'm already back in Malaysia, I found out the price of scale F1 car or any die-cast car for the matter, is exorbitant in Malaysia, thanks to our wrong currency value.

Now, the scale F1 is available in Malaysia, with slight twist, from DeAgostini. Rather than buying a complete car (usually 1:16), now you can build your own at twice the scale. Starting price is RM9.90 only for front wing assembly, and the subsequent part will be released every week until the car is completed. Final price? I don't know, but at least you are forking out the moolah every week rather than lump sump. Admittedly, the price of subsequent part is more expensive the RM9.90.

The car of choice? Its MP4-23 McLaren, the car that Lewis Hamilton drove to his world championship in the year 2008. This is the year when the F1 car is at their peak aerodynamics optimization, with winglets, fins, vanes, ears, horns, ducts, curved, slits, and every imaginable flow-cheater appendages were applied throughout the car bodywork. McLaren is one the most fantastic looking car of the lot that year, and by winning the championship from Felipe Massa did prove too that beautiful cars go fast. 


For more information about the package, head to buildmclaren.com.my and see for yourself. There are subscription too, and with that, some goodies are thrown in FOC. I've bought my kit just now, and I can't hardly wait to start assembling the front wing. Now DeAgostini, can you release the pack all in one go so that the hardcore fanatics doesn't have to wait? Details about Part 2 and 3 of the pack after the jump.