My father-in-law, who works at a BMW store near my place, brought home a 1/18th scale BMW M8 GTE race car kit one night. As soon as he left, I couldn't resist opening the box and starting to build it. This model found a nice middle ground between intricacy and simplicity, making it a great gift for both car enthusiasts and casual admirers.

Building the Model Over Several Nights

I spent several nights building the model, doing just a few steps at a time. It was engaging enough that I couldn't watch TV while assembling it, which showed its attention-worthiness. It wasn't difficult, but I like to be methodical with models like this to avoid losing small pieces in the carpet. There are many little details in this model that are fun to inspect and appreciate as you work through it.The final step of marrying the chassis and body was slightly tedious. It took a moment to line up the pins correctly. And getting the steering to operate required some backtracking. The steering operates by a motor moving a little nub acting as a steering rack. It's easy to misalign the nub and the motor during installation as you snap them together blindly. If the model won't steer after assembly, take the front apart again and peel the steering motor and steering box apart to double-check that the nub from the bottom is slotted into the steering motor's movement thingie.Applying the stickers requires a steady hand. They are forgiving as long as you don't firmly squeeze them on until you're satisfied with the alignment. Using a tweezer is essential as the BMW emblem for the steering wheel is hilariously tiny. One of the biggest benefits of this model is that it snaps together without the need for glue. Modeling glue smells bad and can stick to your fingers for days, so not having to deal with it is a big plus.Some of the stickers are easier to apply before you remove the plastic piece from its shipping container.

Adding the Driver and Other Details

Another aspect I focused on was finding a pilot for the remote-controlled car. It looked strange with nobody in the driver's seat. I didn't collect humanoid figurines, so I had to improvise. First, I found an African penguin, which was a good scale with the car but not the right shape. Then, my wife produced a weird little rubber monkey. He fit perfectly, and I drafted a few seatbelt concepts using cable-packing wire, a bread bag twist, and a paper clip. Eventually, a doubled-over piece of electrical tape had the right combination of functionality and form, looking vaguely like a seat belt.Strap in, mister monkey! You've just qualified for the "get chased around the house by my family's dogs" circuit!

The Performance of the R/C Car

Once assembled, the M8's performance as an r/c car is acceptable. It can scoot across a smooth floor and power its way across a low pile rug, but it's relatively slow and not designed for outdoor use. It's perfect for buzzing around the kitchen, office, or desktop. You can create a little course on the floor and race with your housemates. It can even be used to transport a cigarette across a table. However, it's not the kind of thing you'll be constantly itching to play with or spending a lot of time modifying and racing like with high-end r/cs.I think the real fun lies in the build process. And it looks great sitting static on a shelf. I said I "completed" it, but I still haven't done most of the exterior stickers. I might do them eventually.Annoyingly, between drafting this story and publishing it, the RASTAR M8 is out of stock on Amazon and BMW's accessory site. But you might find one at a BMW dealer parts desk or on some smaller retail websites. If it was a popular seller last month, the supplier is likely to get another batch out in time for the Christmas gifting season.If you want to take advantage of Black Friday deals or don't want to wait, the same brand RASTAR has a Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and even an F1 car kit in stock and currently 20% off for about . Based on my experience with this model, I'm confident that the other kits will be just as much fun to build.Know any other good model kits that can be assembled without glue? Reach out to the author at [email protected].