Welcome to my review of the 1:18 DNA Collectibles Audi R8 LMX in Ara Blue! If you don’t fancy reading the whole background of the real car, feel free to click here and skip straight to the model itself.
With the second generation of R8 due out sometime in 2015, Audi wanted to give its very first supercar one final special runout – a swansong, if you will. Announced on 9th May 2014, you’d be forgiven for thinking the R8 LMX looks a lot like the R8 GT introduced at the 2010 Wörthersee Tour. The GT weighed 100kg less than the regular R8 V10, had an increased power output of 552bhp and was able to complete the 0-62mph sprint in an impressive 3.6 seconds (0.3 seconds quicker than the R8 V10). It was also super limited to just 333 examples worldwide. So how can Audi possibly take the R8 GT up yet another notch?
The Audi R8 LMX takes the power up another 18bhp over the outgoing GT to make a total of 570bhp from that glorious naturally aspirated V10 engine and it dispatches the 0-62mph sprint even quicker in 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 198mph. Oh, and it is limited to just 99 pieces worldwide which is even rarer than halo models from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini! All in all, the R8 LMX was Audi’s most powerful, quickest and rarest supercar at the time of release.
Audi is undoubtedly the leader in developing automotive lighting technology. In 2008, the Audi R8 became the first production car in the world to boast all‑LED headlights; this was followed in 2012 by dynamic turn signals – those cool scrolling indicators. Audi launched a new chapter in automotive lighting with the Matrix LED headlights, which debuted in the updated A8 in 2013. Now in 2014, their plan was to be the first to debut laser headlights on a production car in the form of the R8 LMX! Whether that plan came to fruition or not is up for debate with BMW claiming victory with their i8. Car and Driver has an interesting write-up of the whole saga, but the crux of the story is that BMW delivered 8 laser-equipped i8s early to customers in a special handover ceremony on 5th June 2014 before the R8 LMX was delivered later that summer.
Audi’s press release at the time explains how the laser headlights work. “With the new laser high beams, one laser module per headlight generates a cone of light with twice the range of the all‑LED headlight. Each module comprises four high‑power laser diodes. With a diameter of just 300
If you’re wondering what that stunning blue paint job is, its an Audi Exclusive colour called Ara Blue, crystal effect. Of the 99 cars made, it seems most were delivered in Ara Blue. There are believed to be only 15 right-hand drive R8 LMX models, with 9 being delivered to the UK. Of those 9, just one was painted in Matte Daytona Grey, but you could have had it painted in any Audi Exclusive colour you wanted.
Most
A large, fixed rear spoiler increases the downforce on the rear axle. The front spoiler lip, canards, engine compartment cover, exterior mirror housings, sideblades, rear wing and the diffuser are made of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) with a matte finish. The Singleframe grille, air inlet grilles up front and the outlet grilles at the rear are finished in titanium grey. The sports exhaust system has high-gloss black tailpipes to round off the rear.
The interior is black and features blue accents to match the exterior. The sporty bucket seats are covered in Fine Nappa leather with Sepang Blue diamond stitching. Sepang Blue stitching provides subtle contrasts on the handbrake lever, central tunnel, steering wheel and the instrument cowl. The black Alcantara headlining and black Fine Nappa leather door trim panels also feature the Sepang Blue diamond stitching of the seats.
The review…
The first generation Audi R8 is no stranger in 1:18 scale. Kyosho made the original R8 V8 Coupe, R8 V10 Coupe, R8 V10 Spyder and R8 GT Coupe, each in various colours. Frontiart also made the R8 GT Spyder. But no one has made the R8 LMX version, so we should be thankful that DNA Collectibles have stepped up to the plate and produced the LMX at least in sealed resin form. There will be those of you out there saying, “what is the point in another first generation R8, especially in sealed form?!” To you, I say get over yourselves and embrace the model. You will have read in my previous reviews of their models that DNA craft some of the best interior and exterior details in the business, so who better to replicate details such as the matte CFRP and Sepang Blue stitching?? I’m personally a huge fan of every version of the Audi R8 – it is the sensible person’s supercar in my opinion and I know there are plenty of collectors out there who want to collect every variant made in 1:18 scale. I would just like to thank DNA Collectibles for sending me this sample to review – your trust in me to produce complete and unbiased reviews is always appreciated! The 1:18 Audi R8 LMX reviewed here is currently for sale on their website at a cost of 202.80CHF/€186/£164 (including taxes) and don’t forget models are now shipped from within the European Union, so no more customs and duties to worry about for EU buyers – hurrah!
The packaging is much the same as all their other models. Within the brown outer cardboard box you will find the microfibre bag that can be used to clean your model – each model has a unique tag detailing the model inside and the product code. Within that you will find a white cardboard box containing the model itself, simply suspended in nothing but air and attached to its clear acrylic base surrounded by walls of protective foam. No polystyrene clamshell here potentially scratching your beautiful model! The only way the unboxing could get any better was if you were greeted with an acrylic display cover atop the base, which incidentally you can buy separately from their website.
Just four simple Philips screws are holding the model to the base. Let’s remove them and take a look around this stunning model. Look at the stance and the way that Ara Blue paintjob pops under studio lighting. We’re just getting started and I’m already in love!
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Time to crack out the macro lens and save you from squinting for those up-close details I know you all crave and other reviews just can’t provide! If you remember how Audi describes the paint of this car from the introduction, they call it Ara Blue “crystal effect“. Boy, does this look stupendous under bright light – the metallic flakes look perfectly in scale and I couldn’t see any major signs of scratches from polishing as you get with many other model brands out there. Big tick for DNA Collectibles already. The titanium grilles could maybe do with having a more satin-type finish and DNA appear to have made a slight mistake with how they’ve painted the horizontal slats in the grille? If you compare with the real car below, you will see how the slats should be black with a titanium accent line along the edges. In isolation, you’d never notice this and I suspect it would be really difficult to replicate this in 1:18 scale anyway (even for the amazing team at DNA), but it is something that jumped out at me nonetheless. They more than redeem themselves with their badging. The Audi badge on the nose is so crisp and clear, although maybe it would have benefitted from a little extra relief to make it more 3D looking like on the real car? Again, nothing major. The Quattro badge is absolutely spot on – the lettering and even the silver border are perfectly replicated. I compared this to the badge on my 1:18 Kyosho Audi R8 V10 Spyder and there is simply no competition, with the detail on this LMX surpassing the older Kyosho model. DNA have left the front and rear number plate areas empty and I think I’m going to get some made up to stick on and make this model look even more realistic!
Moving to the flanks and rear now to see some more stellar photoetched badging, with the V10 on the sides and the Audi sport R8 and four rings badges on the rear. Kudos to DNA Collectibles for using real mesh on the grille below the rear wing too. How nice does the Ara Blue paint look up close?
I have mentioned in previous reviews how DNA Collectibles often add details that most people would never notice are even there and this Audi R8 LMX is no exception. If you tip the model slightly as if to look at the underside of the rear wing, you will see the number plate lights and the rearview camera (although this should be black and not silver). It is still so refreshing to see this approach to model car making, where a lot of others are trying to get away with doing as little as possible. Keep up the good work! The underside of that wing is also covered in matte effect CFRP and the parking sensors have
One of the Audi R8’s signature design aspects is those massive side blades. Finished in the same matte CFRP the right-hand side features the silver fuel filler cap. DNA Collectibles has even replicated the extra deep indentation which represents the hinge mechanism on the right edge of the filler cap. Literally, the only way this could be improved is by using a pencil or fine marker to draw around the cap to add a bit more realistic detail – in fact, I might give this a go myself some time.
The wing mirrors are also finished in matte effect CFRP, complete with integrated indicators. The wing mirrors are usually one of the most difficult components of a model to wrap in any sort of decal, never mind carbon fibre effect where you need to make sure the weaves of the different sections don’t look completely ridiculous. It appears that DNA has split the wing mirror into three parts when applying the decals – top, middle and bottom sections. It looks pretty good, with the weaves lining up fairly well between the three pieces and no major crinkling that I have seen with other manufacturers. If you compare the model to the real car below, you’ll see that even the real wing mirror is split into two separate sections. Another little detail to note is that DNA has replicated the tapered angle of the edge of the integrated indicator to match the real car. If you didn’t have the real car in front of you to compare, you’d never know, but now you do and this model and the company who make it deserve to have all the positives (as well as negatives) highlighted equally. Well done to DNA Collectibles!
There is plenty to like about the side blades too, starting with the door handles. The shape and definition is spot on and the metal keyhole is present as well – that should probably be recessed a bit more like the real car but we’re really splitting hairs at this point. The matte CFRP pattern is well applied over the flowing contours of the side blade and the weave is in the correct direction as well. You’ll notice how it curves over the front edge to create a neat and uniform look. And praise the Lord, we’ve got proper mesh nestled in the side intake! Lastly, can you see the indentation underneath the door handle on the real car where your fingers slot into to pull the handle outwards and open the door? I didn’t photograph it here, but DNA included that small but crucial detail on this model and we should all appreciate that.
We mentioned the rear wing area earlier, but we’ll view it from another angle here. Again, the CFRP decal follows the contours of the wing that droops a little at each end. The struts that hold up the wing are also covered in CFRP decal, but you will notice a bit of excess glue showing where it is attached to the body. Not ideal, but hopefully a minor QC issue that DNA can work on for future models. We can also see that real mesh grille beneath the wing which I think is to allow air to escape from the engine bay?
The rear lights are nicely sculpted with plenty of detail – there are quite a few parts and layers that make up the tail lights in real life, from the indicators, reversing lights, brake lights and night lights. Despite the fact the internal section below the lens seems to have slipped slightly on my sample, it still looks really good to the naked eye. In fact, I only noticed this issue when editing the pictures. Praise must be given to the smooth transition between real mesh in the lower three vents to the sealed/fake plasticky vent at the top, below the light. If you look close enough through the mesh, I think you can even see some exhaust detail feeding from the engine to the circular pipes exiting the rear bumper which is a most welcome touch!
The R8 LMX is shod with 235/35 R 19 tyres up front and 305/30 R 19 tyres at the rear. 380mm carbon-ceramic disc brakes feature at the front with 356mm discs at the rear to provide relentless stopping power. Red anodized brake calipers shine behind the exclusive 19-inch designer multi-spoke wheels. DNA has done a pretty stellar job replicating these really special wheels. The Audi badge on the centre cap is well defined and they’ve also included the air valve which is always appreciated. Still no tyre branding present on their models, which you’ll know I lament on any review affected by the lack of branding. The calipers are well sculpted and include the Audi Sport Ceramic branding on them. Even the holes in the discs seem to match the pattern on the real car! The painted rims could probably have more of a satin finish like the real car, but the design is still really good. Overall a sterling effort from the DNA team!
The round sports exhaust pipes have been finished in high gloss black, as per the real car. If you look inside the pipes you will see some additional moulding in there to represent the exhaust pipes as they meet the end pieces in the bumper. You also get a sneak peek at the CFRP finish on the diffuser and the tyre tread. Integrated
The final piece of the exterior puzzle to explore is, of course, that glorious engine bay. Seeing the 5.2 litre V10 bedecked in CFRP beneath the engine cover is frustrating – it looks so good that you just want to open the glass and take a closer look! But alas, with this being a sealed resin model that just isn’t possible, despite the super realistic silver struts attached to the lid and engine bay. The sculpture of the silver engine cover, complete with the four rings on each bank of cylinders and even the five bolts down the centre
In my previous reviews of DNA Collectibles’ Saab 9-3 Viggen Convertible and Rezvani Tank, I’ve had full access to the interior – either by virtue of the subject matter being a convertible or being able to take the model apart to get full access. This time that isn’t possible due to the way this model is manufactured, with the screws holding it all together concealed under the glued chassis plate. So I’ve tried my best with the interior shots, but you might see some lens reflections through the windows. Still, I challenge you to find better interior shots from another reviewer!
I’ve always maintained that DNA Collectibles are right there at the very top of the tree in terms of interior details – their dials and buttons are always so crisp and clear, I am genuinely amazed every time I take macro shots. The Audi R8 LMX is certainly no different in this regard. There is yet more CFRP in the interior, with the instrument binnacle surrounded in the stuff – it looks very well cut and tucked into the edges. The Audi Multi Media Interface (MMI) screen has some well defined branding on it and all the controls beneath it are easy to read, even if it isn’t so visible in the photo below. The central air vents look really convincing with slats deep enough to trick you, as well as the silver directional tabs in the middle. The only thing missing is the dial in between the vents that controls the air flow.
Shooting from the driver’s side affords us a better look at the steering wheel and instrument binnacle. I definitely think the Audi badge on the steering wheel is slightly too big – something I pointed out on the pre-production sample images the team shared on social media. The buttons, silver trim and R8 branding on the wheel look good. I’m particularly impressed with the graphics on the rev counter and speedometer, as well as the stalk with the indicators and light controls. I wonder why the stalk above it is blank? Not only that, but these controls should actually be on the upper stalk and the lower one printed with the cruise controls.
Moving our gaze down to the central tunnel and we can see the climate controls, gear lever for the 7-speed S-Tronic gearbox, handbrake and CFRP covered tunnel. Look how well defined the tiny buttons and lettering are – you can clearly see the numbers, red and blue dots representing hot and cold temperatures and even a tiny seat icon for the heated seats. The R8 branding on the top of the gear lever plus the buttons and text around it are all there, but the central section of the lever should actually be painted black and not silver as per the real car.
The final component of the interior under investigation for this review is the doorcards. CFRP decals feature on the grab handles and armrest along with Sepang Blue stitching on the door trim panels. The multiple layers of the speakers look great, but I just wish DNA would have included the silver trim around the circular speaker grille which would have added a nice bit of detail and colour to the interior and matched the doorhandle above. Speaking of which, the handle is well sculpted with enough depth to almost convince you
Some extra details that I want to highlight that were impossible to photograph for this review due to lack of interior access are as follows:
- As per the real car, the seatbacks are painted in matching Ara Blue.
- The seats feature the R8 badge on the headrests, handles to tilt the seats forwards and Sepang Blue stitching in various areas.
- There are real fabric seatbelts.
- There are flocked carpets in the footwells.
- The internal door grab handles are of a different design between driver and passenger doors – DNA seem to have replicated this as per the real car.
- The real car has an Alcantara headlining with Sepang Blue stitching as per the picture below. DNA have included the sculpted central spine as well as the rearview mirror, sun visors and vanity lights.
So this is the third model I’ve had the privilege of reviewing on behalf of DNA Collectibles and I’ve enjoyed poring over every single detail of it. There is no such thing as a perfect model and there are a couple of mistakes here and there with a few small details missing. But taking the model as a whole, I simply don’t care! When you turn this model around in your hand and spend the time to look at all the details, on both the interior and exterior, you will definitely come away happy with your purchase. Some of you may think I’m harsh for pointing out some of these mistakes. Firstly, that’s just what I do – compare as many details possible between the model and the real car. Secondly, I almost feel like DNA Collectibles have become that freakishly talented child who rarely skips a
Before publishing this review I allowed the DNA team to read it to get their opinion on the issues pointed out. After all, it is only fair to give them the chance to defend themselves against any and all criticisms levelled. The team issued the following statement: “We had to avoid adding the blue effect on the laser headlights and also avoid the bi-colour gear stick in silver and black. However, we did not want to save on the carbon, as it is our first model with this ‘new’ effect for us. Those two points do not seem like big issues, but making them on top of all what we achieved, would have increased the costs significantly”. Fair enough guys, at the end of the day you’re a company out to make a profit and costs do need to be saved in certain places. Thanks for the feedback!
I have no hesitation in fully recommending this model for Audi R8 and supercar fans alike. Yet again, DNA has blown me away with their eye for the smallest of details and I’m going to put this in writing and say that they are at the top of the food chain in the resin market at this mid-level price point. Not only that, they are providing details over and above what models in the price bracket above offer. Dare I regard them as approaching CMC’s level of details in the sealed resin world? I’ll let you decide on that one. I for one am glad that we have DNA innovating and improving with each and every model. This was their first Audi available in 1:18 scale, with the 2003 Audi TT 3.2 already available to purchase and the very special 2012 Audi A1 Quattro expected to ship in January 2020.
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Thanks for reading this detailed review of the 1:18 DNA Collectibles Audi R8 LMX in Ara Blue crystal effect.
