Who makes the BMW Z4?

[gabbadude]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a BMW Z4. Where can I get one. Tamiya doesn't make them.

~* gabbadude *~

[mickbench]

Originally Posted by gabbadude

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a BMW Z4. Where can I get one. Tamita doesn't make them.

~* gabbadude *~

Testors do.. http://www.ehobbies.com/tes440152.html

Wouldn't buy from ehobbies though.. Look around as ehobbies got a slagging on here not long ago...

[gabbadude]

Thanks, but from what I've heard they don't have the best reputation when it comes to fitment and accurate parts.

[pettercardoso]

Unfortunatly, you'll have to live with that...That's the only model I know of the Z4....It's either that or scratchbuilding time!

[freakray]

The way I look at it is this, it's not the kit, it's the builder.
A good builder can turn the worst kit into a great model!

[gabbadude]

Thanks Guys. You're probably right. I should be more optimistic. I think it's just the trust in Tamiya that I have that I feel all model companies should display.

Cheers

[Layla's Keeper]

Build a Tamiya S13 or Mini Cooper, or one of their older F1 kits, and see how much your trust stays unshaken.

Tamiya isn't infallible, bucko, they've made their share of crappy kits.

[gabbadude]

Well, there later kits are practically infallible as far as I'm concerned.

[freakray]

Originally Posted by gabbadude

Well, there later kits are practically infallible as far as I'm concerned.

Infallible in quality perhaps, but not infallible in accuracy.

[gabbadude]

Not sure what you mean. Are you saying that Tamiya's accuracy is not that accurate?

[mickbench]

Originally Posted by gabbadude

Not sure what you mean. Are you saying that Tamiya's accuracy is not that accurate?

Erm yeah..!!.. Subaru WRC 2002, was just a 2001 with new decals.. Focus 2002, same again as the headlights are wrong..

Skyline Z-Tune I think has the wrong exhaust system, even the Honda RA272 I built has the wrong windscreen and no rear mesh..

Tamya Quality is great.. There attention to detail is great, but they do get it wrong..

[Layla's Keeper]

How about their '94 Mustang Cobra R kit that had the convertible chassis brace (on a hardtop), the wrong roofline, full luxo GT interior (Cobra R's had stripped interiors), incorrect front fascia molding, and an automatic trans (Cobra R's were manual only)?

What about the relief molded Weber carburetors in their Lotus Europa? Europas used either Dellortos or Strombergs.

Tamiya screws up, but because the red & blue stars are on the box, too many modelers assume otherwise. Good research can turn up a startling number of problems with Tamiya kits.

[freakray]

Originally Posted by mickbench

Erm yeah..!!.. Subaru WRC 2002, was just a 2001 with new decals.. Focus 2002, same again as the headlights are wrong..

But wait, you failed to mention....

Even the 2001 Impreza kit was inaccurate, they modelled the kit off the presentation car and by the time it raced, the interior had been refined.
Continueing the trend, the 2004 Impreza kit was released with minor inaccuracies too.

The 2001 and 2002 Focus kits were both inaccurate, the roll cages in both were wrong!
As you mentioned, by 2002 the headlights had changed and the spare had been relocated.
Not only that, but you could only accurately build Duval's car with some minor mods, if you wanted to build Martin's car, you had a lot further to go!

Lets not get started on the Peugeot 206 kits

[gabbadude]

Well, It sounds to me that you guys are a little anti Tamiya. Sad to hear. Who does better then?

[Layla's Keeper]

I'm not necessarily anti-Tamiya (though I will say that detail for detail, Accurate Miniatures had them beat by a country mile) but I am strongly against the idea that Tamiya is the gold standard of automotive model kits.

I have plenty of Tamiyas in my "to build" pile I'm happy with (like their Group C kits) and plenty I'm not happy with. Recently, Hasegawa has been outdoing Tamiya with superior subject matter, curbside detail, and fit/finish (the Miura/Jota, Stratos, and 2000GT have to be seen to be believed).

Heck, ask any knowledgable kit builder and they'll tell you in a heartbeat to build Revell's Mazda Miata and not Tamiya's.

There's no such thing as the ultimate kit company, there are just good kits. Each company has put out some dreams and some disasters. It's foolish to think otherwise.