Ferrari has a history of building limited edition supercars based on their Formula One racing technology. Think GTO, F40, F50 and the Enzo. The Ferrari La Ferrari is the latest chapter in this storied tradition. It is, essentially, a 200+ MPH, 963 horsepower, gas/electric Hybrid. With only 499 La Ferrari being built and those being offered to the upper echelon of Ferrari’s clientele, the chances of getting one are kneel to none.

However, Tamiya seemly has a history of offering excellent 1/24-scale replicas of these incredible supercars, and its latest rendering of the La Ferrari is no exception. The kit comes in a stylish and sturdy black box with a glamour shot of the finished model on the cover. Inside are several parts trees molded in red, black and silver. The body parts are in red, the chassis and interior in black and the engine is molded in silver. There is a small tree of clear parts for the windows and lights. The wheels are molded in a satin chrome finish and the tires are soft rubber. The decal sheet, vinyl mesh material and instruction booklet complete the parts list. There are 169 parts total and all of them are used.

Tamiya also offers a separate detail up photo-etch set and carbon fiber decal set for the La Ferrari kit, however this review will deal with only the basic kit.

Assembly begins with the build up of the engine and exhaust. The engine/transmission are molded in halves and various other parts attach to it. The engine has excellent detail; unfortunately most of it won’t be seen once the model is complete. The suspension is simplified but like most supercars today the La Ferrari has a flat smooth underside that covers most of the suspension components. What is visible look correct to my eye. The front wheels are posable.

The interior builds up from the floor pan and consists of the seats, dash, steering column and rear firewall. The center console is molded into the floor pan. There are decals for the instrument pod, the nameplate on the passenger side of the dash and gauges in the center console.

The external body panels, doors and rear hatch attach to the completed chassis. Ferrari offers the 1 to 1 La Ferrari in three colors: Red, Black and Yellow. I chose red for my build to match the box art. Painting the body can be tricky with all the different vents and scoops on the car. The lower portions of the doors were painted red and then masked so the upper portion could be painted black to match the roof. The vents at the front of the car, on the sides and the rear hatch are covered with the vinyl mesh. There are templates provided for cutting. At the rear the car Tamiya chose to represent the vents in the lower valance with clear parts and a mesh decal. When completed the clear parts reflect light and is not very realistic looking. This makes a case for getting the photo-etch set.

Final assembly was a breeze. The parts fit is precise with good locating points. The decals are thin, opaque and laid down well on the body. From what I have seen of photos of the 1 to 1 car, the kit builds into a very convincing representation of the real thing. If you are not one of the 499 lucky individuals to get your hands on the real thing, this kit is a good substitute.

I would like to thank Tamiya for providing this kit for review and IPMS for allowing to review it.