history

From Pocher:
In the beginning H0 scale trains and prototype models for FIAT and the Turin Auto Show had been Arnaldo Pocher’s business but in the mid-sixties he began manufacturing model kits of famous automobiles in 1/8 scale. Over the years the company he founded produced models of iconic super sports cars such as the FIAT 130hp, the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 or the Mercedes-Benz 500K. Later, having been acquired by Rivarossi the Ferrari Testarossa joined the new Prestige series of Pocher. The Testarossa was Pocher‘s first model featuring a body made of metal die-cast, a formula for success that has been adopted for the new Ferrari F40, too. In 1998 the Porsche 911 was Pocher’s last model kit. In 2004 Pocher joined the Hornby family and thoughts for a revival by Hornby kept being discussed for quite some time. After a long period of planning we are proud to announce the Resurgence of a Legend!

introduction

Resurgence of a Legend indeed! Pocher always has me thinking of beautiful, large scale, highly detailed museum quality kits. On the flip side, from what I’ve read about the earlier kits, fit was poor and the finish was not the greatest, especially on the Ferrari’s. Still, with some effort, all the past releases resulted in a stunning finished product.

With the reintroduction of the Pocher line, I believe Hornby has made an excellent first choice with the Lamborghini Aventador Coupe. And, from what I’ve seen so far, has kept all the high points while eliminating the flaws from the past releases. Finish on the pre-painted parts is nearly flawless. The pieces that I dry fit so far lined up perfectly, and I have not read any real issues in the builds online. Sufficient detail is included to keep you saying ‘Wow’ and ‘Cool’ for a very long time. This looks like a kit that will be a pleasure to build and end up as the highlight of the display case. I believe a New Legend is Born!

The kit is designed to be built straight out of the box (there are builds online with no painting done) or used as a base kit with extra painting and details added. The former looks surprisingly very good, although painting where needed and adding a few small details will transform this into a real showstopper.

Hornby has released three colors so far in the coupe line: Arancio Argos, Bianco Isis and the newly released Nero Nemesis that is shown here. October 2014 will bring the roadster version in Monterrey Blu and Bianco Canopus.

the peek inside

Just a peek today, as a real review would be insane on such an intense kit, sub-assembly builds will follow to go through all the details.

Nothing can really prepare you for this kit, although you know when it arrives as the grunts of the delivery person lugging the 33 pound box precedes the doorbell ringing. Packed in a box with the size being between a microwave and a dorm refrigerator, the parts arrived in perfect condition.

The 40 page instruction manual contains 41 line drawing steps, none look overly busy although first glance may be deceiving. One item missing from the instructions is any paint reference, so if further painting is desired some investigating will need to be performed. Many of the parts are screwed together with a few requiring adhesive, all marked throughout the manual.

Contents include approximately 30 sprues…some very large…, over 300 screws in 14 different styles, cast metal body parts (for the most part), metal frame and suspension pieces, hard rubber/vinyl tires (to support the 15 plus pounds of the finished kit), carpeted trunk with vinyl weatherstrip, pre-painted center control console, numerous metal parts, photo-etch frets, decals, seatbelt material…and the list goes on. The kit can be configured for right or left hand drive as two dashboards are included.

Doors are operational, and the speed of opening can be adjusted with the included counterweights. Of course, the trunk and engine compartment hatch can be opened, but the kit also features a deployable spoiler, working steering and suspension, a fuel door that opens, adjustable side mirrors and adjustable seats (front to back).

A few of the differences that I noticed immediately with this matte black version from the prior two releases are a bicolor interior, pre-painted Lamborghini lettering on the intake, and a metal battery tray.

conclusion

Hopefully that’s enough to whet your whistle, as I can go on and on about this kit (and I’d rather write about building it!). There are numerous videos on YouTube on unboxing the Pocher Aventador if you want to see how well packed this one is. There are also informative videos that can be found on the Pocher website (and YouTube):

Pocher Aventador Videos

I would also like to personally thank Carlos del Teso from Hornby for all his help so far.

A build has been started in the Features section:
Part 1