REVIEW: Schuco Aston Martin Valkyrie • DiecastSociety.com

REVIEW: Schuco Aston Martin Valkyrie

As supercars go, they come in generations. We all know the 80’s heroes, like the F40 and Porsche 959. The 90s were a real highlight with the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJ220, Bugatti EB110, F50 etc. The 00s saw the light of the Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT, and also the start of a new category, the hypercar with the (re)birth of the likes of Bugatti, Koenigsegg etc. If we continue, the 10’s saw the birth of the hybrid super- and hypercars, think about the holy trinity, the Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and also the Koenigsegg Regera. Also, some newer brands got more and more established if we continued towards the 20s, but one brand that is older than any of the previously mentioned has made countless high-performance cars, mostly very powerful and gorgeous GT’s, but was more or less absent in the super- and hypercar category. You all read the title of this review, so of course we are talking about Aston Martin, founded all the way back in 1913.

The model under the lens today is Aston Martin’s first proper hypercar, the Valkyrie. And what a car the Valkyrie is! It is the brainchild of Adrian Newey, one of the greatest Formula 1 designers of all time. The car is designed in collaboration with Red Bull Technologies and of course heavily influenced by aerodynamics, a trend we can see in basically all cars in this part of the market in today’s world, but this car has been taken to a completely different level, with a tiny cockpit and massive underbody aero tunnels, strongly based on the current F1 regulations. The specs of the Valkyrie are mind-blowing: 6,5-liter N/A V12, 11.000 RPM redline, electric assistance, 1139 Horsepower on only 1355kg. Oh and the downforce? 1800kg!

Over to the model. The model is, on paper that is, made by a company called Schuco. If you are a bit longer in the game of collecting these gems, you probably know Schuco from very nice and detailed full-opening metal models of older Porsches, VWs, and some more utilitarian vehicles, tractors and small trucks, like the Steyr-Puch. So is this from the same sort? Well no, not really… Apart from logos on the package, there is nothing Schuco about this model, it is made by Spark. The way the model is made, the package, the Plexiglas display case it comes in, it is a Spark model and it has, apart from the use of the Schuco name, no connection to previous Schuco models. Is that a bad thing? Well, yes and no at the same time. Let me explain, yes because it hurts to see that the Schuco of the past is not the Schuco of the present. For a reason unknown to probably most of us, Schuco has shifted, like other brands, toward sealed resin models. In this case, making use of the capabilities of the Spark brand. This brings me to the no of the above question, is this a bad thing? If you know this is basically a Spark model and your expectations are like that, the answer is no. I have, including this one, 26 Spark models now and not a single one has ever had a (real) QC issue or disappointed in any other way (touching wood as I type). Yes, it is sealed, but that is known with this brand and doesn’t come as a surprise.

Why have I chosen a sealed Valkyrie? Well, there hasn’t been a single announcement from any manufacturer that there will be an opening version, apart from Maisto, but for me, that is not an option. Plus, there isn’t much to see on a Valkyrie interior anyway and under the engine cover of the real car there is also hardly anything visible, like most modern cars, most are covered. But, given that the model maker, Spark in this case, only had to concentrate on the exterior, that part better be good.

We begin the review with the overall presence, shape and stance of the model. Compared with photos of the real car, it all looks as it should be. One thing that stands out with the Valkyrie is how small the car is, especially knowing it houses a 6,5 litre V12 hybrid powertrain! Maybe, the front wing is just slightly leaning too far back on the model when looking at the real one.

Also, something that has to be good on sealed models is paint. In this case the model in executed in AMR F1 green, a really nice metallic green. I’m delighted to say, the paint is absolutely flawless. Glossy, evenly applied and not a hint of orange peel. Very good. Quite a large portion of the bodywork is covered in carbon fibre. Schuco, sorry I meant Spark, always does this by applying decals, this time no different. The weave of the carbon is flawless and the application of the decals is spot on, no bubbles, no rough edges and no misalignments. The biggest negative here is that Spark doesn’t cover the decals with a clear coat, so, especially when the model gets older, handle it with care! Also, a layer of clear coat would have made them more glossy, which I would have preferred, now the light reflections in the carbon are a bit cloudy. By the way, everything that has to be carbon is carbon here, so the roof, sides, front and rear wing, diffuser, and even the suspension parts, so that is kudos to Spark, or was it Schuco, now I am confused. Forgot to mention the panel gaps, but on a sealed resin model, it is more or less a given that they are excellent. My only complaint here is that there was a bit of polish residue in one of the gaps, which wasn’t hard to remove.

Next on the list are the wheels, tyres and brakes. The wheels are executed in black and nicely done, including centerlocks with tiny Aston Martin logos on is. The tyres are round and black and a bit basic here. There are not the best parts of the model I must say, the thread of the tyres is not representative of the Michelin Cup 2(R) tyres the real car rides on and also there is no tyre branding. That last bit is not a real complaint, not many model makers do that, but especially on sealed models, why not? A small remark here, as you can see on the photos the left front tyre wasn’t properly on the rim. I found that out after taking the photos, it was very easy to re-align the tyre, so no big deal. Onto the brakes, the disk and calipers are nicely done, both front and back, but unfortunately no Aston Martin logo on the calipers.

The interior of the Valkyrie is very much purpose-based. Seats are part of the chassis, an F1-type steering wheel and three screens, one for driver info and two as rearview mirrors. It is nearly impossible to see into the model, but it is all present. Also, there are two five-point harnesses present with photo-etched parts. While peeking into the interior it is a good moment to look at the windows. Many sealed resin models have bad-fitting windows and/or glue stains surrounding them, but not on this model, just perfection. I have, by the way, never had any issues with this on my Spark models.

What is absent from the car are old-fashioned rear-view mirrors. Instead, it has cameras, positioned just behind the front wheels. These are tiny but nicely executed on the model. Also tiny are the small louvres above the cameras. They are, as said, made from carbon fibre and look spot on. Only complain here, they are closed off. But on the other hand so tiny, that it is hardly noticeable, so I consider this nit-picking.

Speaking of small details on the car and thus also the model, let’s go over them, there are plenty. Starting at the front, we see a massive (there is no other word) front wing tucked under the nose of the car. How do you mean it is made by an F1 designer? The wing consists of multiple elements, which are separate pieces on the model as well. I know this from the Spark F1 models I own, this is always very nice on Spark models, where they go the extra mile compared to the competition. Good to see this follows the same line! Moving slowly to the rear, we see a nicely detailed front suspension through the openings in the bodywork. Also, the windscreen wiper is nice and crisply executed, though unfortunately is it not touching the window but hovering slightly above. I only saw this after staring at the model for quite some time to write this review, so not something that is easily spotted. On the side of the model are two big bargeboards and further back the edges of the floor. On the real car, there are small openings in the floor edge, on the model they are sealed. Just like the earlier mentions louvres, are no big deal.

On top of the Valkyrie, we spot the snorkel to feed the massive V12 power plant in the back.  It is nice, but it would have been nicer if the intake opening would have been slightly deeper than it is now. At the rear, we find a double-layer rear wing, which is, like the front wing, made from multiple parts and replicates the original well. Under the rear wing is also enough to see, like the ridiculous diffuser under the car. Massive is an understatement here believe me! Tucked between the wing and diffuser are the two exhausts located, they are true to the original. Slightly lower we find the rear crash structure, again just like an F1 car. Some things, like the 3rd brake light, are located here on the Valkyrie, in my opinion, this part could have been more detailed on the model as it is just moulded plastic now and nothing more.

Before we conclude this review, we only have to take a look at the front and rear lights and have a quick peak under the model. First, the lights, both the front and rear lights of the Valkyrie are (small) pieces of art. Spark has made a decent effort to replicate them, the fronts are made of multiple parts and look good enough. The rear is more of the same story, decent effort! Finishing the review at the underside of the model, where normally a sealed resin model doesn’t really score any points, I am pleasantly surprised, as the two venturi tunnels under the car are present and even small aero blades are used. Nice! The downside is, that the underside is not covered in carbon fibre, but painted matt black.

Coming to a conclusion, what do I think of this model and do I recommend buying it? If you collect sports, super- or hypercars, this car is obviously a must-have. If we look back in a couple of decennia, the Valkyrie will, without a doubt, be one of those cars that have its place in history, like the ones mentioned in the opening of this review. As far as I know, there are four choices at this moment for a 1:18 scale Valkyrie, in ascending order of price, Maisto (45 euros), GT Spirit (105), Schuco (200) and Fronti-Art (490).  The Maisto is, in my opinion, a toy and at least for me, not an option. The GT Spirit, which I have seen in the flesh, is not bad, especially since the wheels and brakes are nice, but lack any form of carbon fibre, which makes it a ‘no’ for me and probably most collectors. Leaving the Schuco and Fronti-Art. I Haven’t seen the latter in the flesh, but when looking at photos it is no doubt better in any way than the Schuco. But it is almost 2,5 (!) times the price of the Schuco, is that worth it? That is for everyone to decide for him- of herself. I have chosen the Schuco and as long as there is no proper full-opening model on the market I am very happy with it.

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7 Responses to "REVIEW: Schuco Aston Martin Valkyrie"

  1. DS Team says:

    Hey Marcel, thank you for the detailed review! Schuco has truly gone downstream since Spark acquired them. This review should be titled Spark as the lead brand not Schuco.

    We would agree at the moment this is the likely the best option for price and overall detail. Just received a GTS sample of the sample yesterday, we would agree with your comments.

  2. Matc says:

    Hi,

    And the Topspeed’s model ?

    Regards.

  3. Karsten says:

    Thanks for the review! I am an avid Aston Martin collector, but the Valkyrie is a little to hardcore for me and I prefer their top of the line grand tourers … at least for as long as the Valkyrie is only reporduced in sealed resin. I might cave in if it is made in high-end, all-open diecast metal to join my AA One-77.

    • Kostas says:

      I totally agree with you Karsten, I too love all the Aston Martin’s grand tourers as they are gorgeous, elegant and diachronic cars and I have them all in my 1/18 collection. We are on the same page here, I also find the Valkyrie too hardcore and to be completely honest, in the looks department it does not score well for me..

      As you mentioned your AA One – 77, a model car that I absolutely adore, earlier today I purchased from Ebay an Autoart One-77 in Spirit Grey, a great colourway inside out that I wanted for a long time. This is my 2nd AA One-77 as I already have one in Diavolo Red.

  4. Vitaliy D says:

    I have an 1:43 version of this model from the same Schuco/Spark, and I found it so interesting that I even unscrewed it from its base and took a photo of the bottom of the model, which provides unusual access and combination of the bottom elements.
    I think the Valkyrie deserves a serious replica with full openings at the level of AutoArt, Almost Real, LCD or MotorHelix.

  5. George K says:

    My experience with Spark models has not been good. I don’t have many, but the few I do are QC nightmares. Loose parts in the boxes upon the initial opening. Torn and misplaced decals, just garbage. I wouldn’t buy another.

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