All LaLD issues seem to be solved, at least I've got my avatar back on the right. So here it is again: French Friday! Last week I promised to return today with something more sporty and well known. So I give you 2 Renault 5 Turbos. The mid-engined ones.
The first one is a Norev Racing Retro 3". It's the first Norev I'm not completely satisfied with, just look at the wheels/tires. They just don't seem to fit on one and each other.
And they're extremely thin, those tires. Although me taking these pictures during the night with artificial light don't make this all too clear, excuse me. But next picture clearly support my feelings:
That differential looks great though!
Other details all are okay. Head-lights are 'glass', blinkers & rear-lights are painted decent. Not bad for a 4,50 euro (I think) model. It's also available as a non-race Retro model: then it's just blue with the 'Turbo'-decals on the side as they were on the homologation specials.
The other one is a 1/43 Solido. That one seems not to be finished as only one side has the decals on it. The remaining decals are supplied with the model to put on your self.
Those decals are the same as the Norev, both nr. 3 with 'Philips autoradio' sponsoring. Which is actually correct as Jean Ragnotti raced the Philips nr 3, resulting in the first Turbo victory in the WRC in 1981.
Solido tried to recreate the car above even better, with all those rally-lights!
Too bad they're just painted on except for the upper 2. And not enough yellow (which I love so much and is the ultimate proof of being French!).
As I said earlier, the car doesn't come 'decalled' completely. I really don't get this 'French' move, either you do decal the car completely, or don't do it at all. Just the passenger side has been done.
But the Solido feels way superior to the Norev. Of course it's a bigger scale but those wheels on the Norev are a real turn-off IMO.
But this one misses that diff. Just glad I have both I suppose ;-)
And of course that Solido comes with both the blister package and a travel-box.
Come to think of it: seems that the Norev is a 1980/1981 Turbo 1 with those signal-lights in the front bumper. And the Solido is a 1985 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo in which Ragnotti finished 1st in the Tour the Course.
There's much more to tell about these small nimble Frenchies. Best thing I remind it of is some story about Le Mans winner Jan Lammers (he drove a R5 Turbo in the R5 Turbo cup, a track-championship so it wasn't just rallies it competed in) evading the Dutch police and eventually stopped by a chopper and a roadblock. Although some sources state that he did this in a A310V6. Speaking of which: I'll have some A310s as well but that's for another Friday.