REVIEW: GT Spirit Chevrolet Corvette C8.R #4 Presentation • DiecastSociety.com

REVIEW: GT Spirit Chevrolet Corvette C8.R #4 Presentation

If you been around the scale model hobby for a number of years you will definitely have witnessed a decline with race and livery examples in general.  Unless your marque featured a brand that inspires more than the casual collector and one that is to guarantee to draw sales, like Ferrari, the options today are pretty slim, especially one in full 360 access form.

Carrying the race pace is the likes of Spark, Minichamps and possibly IXO Models.  There are others brands that occasionally dip their toes, one is GT Spirit.  One of their latest examples is lapping the competition with a budget-friendly option in static form.  That model is the 1:18 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R #4 Presentation version, which is under the microscope today.

If we have this correct, there are a few options for the Corvette C8.R in race form today. Replicas are available from GT Spirit and TopSpeed.  You know where we stand with TopSpeed, decent, but from a static execution, they usually miss the mark on the important elements…  They lean to solid plastic grilles over perforated and usually priced higher than the immediate competition.  The flip side is true for GT Spirit, read on to discover more.

As per GT Spirit, the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R #4 Presentation car is designated as a limited example, actual production is defined as 999.  Out of the box, the Grey/Yellow theme is quite striking and definitely works well with the C8 lines.  Mated to the rear of this race car is a massive spoiler cementing its most immediate distinction over the streetcar.

The results of the exterior side are very good overall, GT Spirit does capture all goodness in terms of design elements are decal work, also the paint application along with decal application is excellent throughout.

It’s not all roses, this car is in fact designed to race.  Front and rear body panel locking mechanisms are painted in Black, in reality, they should match the Grey exterior colour based on the images we reviewed.  Note, not sure if there is a difference from presentation car to full race, we have seen images of Black latches.  From a quality control aspect, we’ve read many concerns from collectors, our example did meet the mark on the whole, but if you look closely at the front passenger side headlight the cover is missing, and it was nowhere to be found in the box.

The first of two of the team’s favourite elements of the C8.R is the secondary lighting found underneath the primary headlights, excellent work with the induvial bulbs and cover.  At first glance, the results look to be made of actual glass, the level of definition is very pleasing.  Also, careful attention to detail on the rivet work on the perimeter of the cover which is mirrored on the above headlights. And finally, note the perforated, metal grille in centre.

The plastic cover over the motor is tinted so dark you cannot see any of the available motor work definition if any!  No matter the light we shined it didn’t reveal any secrets  – not sure if anything is actually found behind the glass, further investigation would require us to take the model apart. The massive rear wing provides the downforce, and the SiriusXM decal rounds out the upper view.

Small side cooling vents are found with perforated metal grilles.  The lower design elements of the model mirror the original well but lack the depth and definition of a higher-priced brand.

The wheels and braking elements of the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R are insanely good!  This brings us to the second of two favourite bits of the model.  The tires shine with Michelin branding at all four corners – some of the Red decal work on the perimeter of the wheel was negated.  The inner working which includes the calipers and rotors is topic notch – we believe the combination is truly crafted in metal.  The rotors are first-class and provide an excellent definition with slots and scratched surfaces.  The calipers are a close second.  In short, the workmanship here is stellar.

You might think due to the tinted glass and our earlier comments of the motor not being visible that the interior may follow suit, well that is not the case.  Our primitive photo skills tried to reveal the inner interior working (see photos below).  We must say GT Spirit did provide more than we bargained for, and where other brands might take an alternative route GT Spirit stepped on the gas!  Racing harnesses, roll-cage and a number of other goodies are here for the view.

GT Sprit’s vision of the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R is a well-executed effort for the most part.  Lacking the ability to see the interior and motor does take away a little.  But the team does press on to ensure the exterior elements are met.  And one cannot deny the shelf presence is brilliant, and for those looking for a race replica of the C8 Corvette, we believe this is the better of the two options available in resin form today.

There are some challenges, though, most are on the quality control side.  As collectors, we can appreciate the constant flow of new material from GT Spirit, but there are limits to dealing with an array of quality control misses and the challenges that go with returning or sourcing a replacement.  We would welcome more accurate, more definition, and fewer quality control challenges if this meant a slow down in speed to market.  Wouldn’t you?  Enjoy the pics!

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8 Responses to "REVIEW: GT Spirit Chevrolet Corvette C8.R #4 Presentation"

  1. SamtheCat says:

    Oh, woah, they actually put carbon fiber on the wing. They only “forgot” to put it about everywhere else…

  2. Adiel says:

    When is AA releasing their version of the C8-R ?

    • DS Team says:

      We’re not sure if they mentioned the C8.R. Street cars, yes. Noted as TBD.

      71280 – Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Z51, Black
      71281 – Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Z51, Rapid Blue
      71282 – Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Z51, Torch Red
      71283 – Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Z51, Sebring Orange
      71284 – Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Z51, Ceramic Matrix Grey Metallic

  3. Nordschleife says:

    I bought this model for €89,-. Excellent value for money. Thumbs up!

  4. spikyone says:

    The dark tinted glass is typical of presentation cars, which are often just static shells or a rolling chassis and often don’t have anything mechanical on the inside. So that might be why you can’t see through to the engine or much of the interior. You’re right about the error on the latches too, they should be body coloured on the presentation car, they were only black on the race version. Lots of pics here: https://www.motor1.com/photo/4422124/chevy-corvette-c8r/

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