1:20 McLaren MP4/4 - Engine Parts Set

McLaren MP4/4 – an engine parts set in 1:20 (Studio27)

This is neither a model nor a kit. It is a set of additional parts from the Japanese maker Studio27, intended for reworking the engine section of the McLaren MP4/4 in 1:20 scale. You have to own the basic Tamiya McLaren MP4/4 kit (1:20) separately – without it the set has nothing to go into. The set is supplied as a detail set: unpainted, unassembled and without a plastic body.

The real subject

The McLaren MP4/4 is the car against which all the others are measured. In the 1988 season it won fifteen races out of sixteen – one of the most dominant seasons in the history of Formula 1. Behind the wheel sat Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, two of the finest drivers of all time in the same team and in the same car; Senna took eight wins and his first world championship title, Prost seven wins. Their duel grew into the most famous rivalry motorsport has known. The car was powered by a turbocharged 1.5 liter Honda V6 and carried what is today an iconic red and white livery.

Why an engine parts set

On the MP4/4 the engine is a technical centerpiece where detail is the whole point. Molded plastic cannot do a truly thin edge or a real grille – on a kit it is always only a suggested engraving. Photo-etched sheet, by contrast, is as thin as real sheet metal in scale, and that is the difference that decides things on a display table. Anyone building a Formula 1 car with an open engine wants it to look like a real machine, not like a toy. A Formula 1 car moreover has no bodywork to hide mistakes – you see every wire, every clip, every bolt.

Usage tips

• Photo-etched sheet has to be bent – an etch bender comes in handy, or a razor blade and tweezers.
• The photo-etched and metal parts are glued with cyanoacrylate glue, not with plastic cement.
• The original plastic detail often has to be sanded or cut away – this step is irreversible, so measure twice.
• Degrease the metal parts and treat them with primer before painting, otherwise the paint will not hold.

Who the set is for

• More experienced modelers who already have the Tamiya McLaren MP4/4 kit in 1:20 scale.
• Builders of Formula 1 cars who want a model with a faithfully reworked engine section.
• Fans of the turbo era and of Senna and Prost.
• Competition and exhibition builds, where detail at close quarters decides.

The parts set is supplied unassembled and unpainted. It is not a complete model – the basic kit, the glue, the paints and the tools are not included in the package. Working with small photo-etched parts calls for tweezers, a magnifier and patience.