Background:

I do like the look of Group C racers generally and the XJR-9 in particular - once it's got those horrible-looking side skirts off. The Castrol livery on this Jag is at least as striking to me as the Silk Cut one.

Pros:

It all fits together mostly well and the moulding is crisp. Aside from being the correct body insofar as louvres, mirrors etc for the IMSA spec XJR-9, there's little else good to say about this kit noting that the (non-IMSA spec) Tamiya kit does it all ten times better.

Cons:

No engine, low detail interior - in fact low detail overall, the body has no positive fitments to hold it to the chassis, the brake discs have no calipers, some of the parts do need a little work to fit and some are annoyingly fiddly. No suspension detail either and the wheels don't steer. Some of the decals are a little large to fit into the spaces intended. The instructions are a bit vague in places and the painting instructons are certainly wrong in places. There's a few areas with sink marks and quite a few ejector pin marks too.

Verdict:

Super average. Buy only if you really want the IMSA spec car.

Build notes:

I've added a P/E tow hook, opened up a few holes in the body, added an aerial and wheel nuts and fabricated some brake calipers. Additionally I added electrical shut-off lever and some wires to the box on the dashboard. I've also removed the rear wheel covers - there is photo evidence included in the kit's instructions of the car running without them at some point. Painted overall in Tamiya Pure White, and the rear wing is painted not decalled. The old decals are a little scruffy down the sides and yellowing in places so it's not exactly a super-clean build which is a little annoying. However it's still a great looking car/livery despite having black wheels which I don't normally care for. I didn't want to stray too far from the real car by making them silver.With hindsight I should have painted the green down the sides, not used decals.

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