Abarth 695 Ferrari Tributo

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

This is the Fujimi kit, reviewed in April '11 Scale Auto Magazine.

The real car is really cool, but very expensive. The model is decent, and very expensive (at least given the $65 USD suggested retail price).

Having already built a Fujimi 500, I expected problems with ride height/track in front.

The real car runs 17" BBS Challenge wheels, the kit has very disappointing 15" wheels on even more disappointing (and the same as the earlier 500) vintage Pirelli P7's. The only upside is that OOB the wheels fit inside the wheel housings better than the standard 500.

Seats are new, and nice (and there's an extra set of standard Abarth seats left over). Dash is standard 500, steering wheel and shift console are both incorrect for the 695. Hobby Design makes photoetch you would want to make the patterned "Scuderia" floorboards and for other parts as well.

The body is exceptionally clean and glossy, I forgot to shave off the side trim. Decals are decent but the wide clear carrier film between the stripes is unnecessary and the surface is much duller than paint.

I scavenged custom wheels/tires from a Revell Acura RSX kit that look 1,000 times better than the kit wheels. I also used some Fujimi aftermarket rotors in front.

If you like the subject matter, it's a neat kit...but there are many compromises and the price of admission, at least in the US, is steep.




Here's what it looks like with the kit-based wheels and tires

[BVC500]

I wish Fujimi would get the details right for each version, especially if they are going to charge $65. I don't really like the Fiat....I like the Alfa MiTo a lot better and wish Fujimi would have made one of those. As usual, nice work Bob! The red looks really vibrant.

[ales]

Looks good, Bob. Did you do anything to correct the interior inaccuracies?

That last picture is beyond ridiculous!

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by ales

Looks good, Bob. Did you do anything to correct the interior inaccuracies?

That last picture is beyond ridiculous!

Fujimi should be ashamed of that nonsense with the wheels, especially.

I clipped off the clutch pedal, didn't enlarge the brake pedal, attempted to paint the steering wheel to look like the proper one, and omitted the shifter and painted the shift base to look like the 2-button arrangement the 695 has. Yet oddly enough, they made a really nice set of seats for it.

Honestly, I'm concerned that Fujimi isn't doing well at all. With the lapses in quality and design as of late (especially on the 458 Italia), coupled with insanely questionable tooling (Prius, Sai, Lexus HS250) one has to wonder what is going on. Okay, they have the new Porsche GT3 race cars coming...we'll see how that goes. I just don't get a feeling that they're healthy and thriving, after building the 500, Abarth 695, and the Italia. The Prius is better than all of them...and the least desirable, by a long shot. What in the world is going on with them?

[BVC500]

My sentiments exactly. For a while they were on a roll, but not so much anymore. Maybe they chose the wrong cars to kit. Did we really need a third enzo and GTR kit despite them being fairly nice kits? Maybe they should have been producing more kits with universal appeal, like Bentley Continental GTs (plenty of room of wheel and body mods), AMG Mercs, BMWs, updated Lambos. Also, maybe they should move away from curbsides to full detail.

[Hartford]

Nice job, Bob.

On the subject of Fujimi could it be their market research people have them solely concentrating on the Japanesse market at the present time without looking further afield?

I wish they would do more European cars; they used to produce a good range.

Regards

Hartford

[da_ashman]

Nice work as usual Bob!! Ive been interested in getting this version & now seeing one built makes me want to head down to the model store (via the bank for a loan) & get one!!
Fujimi really need to do something to improve their kits, choose subjects with wide appeal, dont get me wrong some of the unusuall models are quite cool but to sell mass products Supercars & exotics is where the money is surely. I mean who wants to built a stock prius & have that on your shelf... we want to built cars that are out of our reach!

[Ferrari TR]

Nice upgrade on the wheels. The 500 is hitting the streets here next month so the interest in these kits (6 or so variations) should be higher then. I just hope the so-so quality of these kits doesn't turn off new modelers to building cars. I'm sure we'll see some 'tuned' versions of the 500 on the streets soon too.

[janositamas]

Very nice job, good to see one built! I also have one in my to-do pile, with the HD PE set for the correct parts and plan to use Fujimi BBS 18"s. As for the inaccurancies, one more thing to add unfortunately: the stock exhaust tips are good for the Abarth version, but not the Ferrari version:

Nice job overall, good choice on the rims!

[voyageur]

Hello Bob,

you did a very nice job on that little bugger. Excellent paint, as always!
The flaws of that kit are a real letdown for anyone wanting to build one.

Why Fujimi got the wheels THAT wrong is a mystery that will probably never be solved.
Check out the Welly Fiat 500. It has bigger and more accurate wheels/tires stock than the Fujimi has on the Abarth version!



Why should I buy an expensive (30+ EUR) Fujimi kit when I can purchase a very nicely done diecast for a third of the price?

Cheers from Germany,
Sebastian

PS: @BVC500: if you want a MiTo click here: Alfa Romeo MiTo (interestingly with wheels that are... to small)

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by voyageur

Why should I buy an expensive (30+ EUR) Fujimi kit when I can purchase a very nicely done diecast for a third of the price?

Fujimi seems to have completely overlooked that. There are quite a few diecast 500's & Abarths, Motorama makes the 695 with much better wheels than Fujimi.

For the Fujimi premium, the kit should have absolutely none of the lapses in design that we are discussing.

[Rtuned]

I myself also got 1 of this on my pile desk. Will replace the wheel with Hobby Design wheels. This kit is very expensive even in Singapore.

and thanks for the review on this fiat, thanks...

[hirofkd]

Nice build !
I'm planning for a double-build with Scuderia and Tributo because I'll be using the same paint. (saves time)

Originally Posted by voyageur

Why Fujimi got the wheels THAT wrong is a mystery that will probably never be solved.

This is a standard practice. Tires are the most expensive part of plastic kits, so manufacturers try to reuse existing parts as much as possible. Tamiya couldn't afford new tires for DBS, so they used noticeably wrong GT-R tires, instead. I don't have the standard Fiat 500 kit, but I'm sure all variations have the same tires.

The series of hybrid sedan kits isn't confusing either, because they all share the same chassis. It's like making Silvia & 180/240SX, Camaro & Firebird etc.

The upcoming "all new tool" 1977 Nissan Laurel *is* what I call confusing beyond belief.

[endac]

Looks nice, shame about the kit wheels, cool car though

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by hirofkd

Nice build !
I'm planning for a double-build with Scuderia and Tributo because I'll be using the same paint. (saves time)

This is a standard practice. Tires are the most expensive part of plastic kits, so manufacturers try to reuse existing parts as much as possible. I don't have the standard Fiat 500 kit, but I'm sure all variations have the same tires.

Thanks! I almost did the same thing, since I still haven't built my Scuderia...and now I've already built two 458's.

The Tributo has the exact same old/ugly Pirelli P7's as the original 500.

Fujimi easily could have used the same tires they put in their MX5 kit for the Abarth and Tributo kits. Something just isn't right with a company that makes mistakes like that For a company that used to go by the "inch up" motto, to make "2 inch down" is shameful.