Kit: 1/24 Fujimi Toyota Altezza MT200

Pros:

Great subject. Good body proportions, no flash, easily removable mold lines, good parts fit. Nice (although somewhat small) wheels and tires. Clearly molded and easy to assemble headlights and taillights.

Cons:

The kit is oversimplified. Its curbside, with interior lacking fine details, and a very simple chassis with almost no suspension details. Front wheels do steer though. Glass is way too thick, and molded-in details are on the soft side. Typical Fujimi instructions, with mixed up part numbers and incorrect paint guide.

Verdict: 

Its a good base kit, and although it lacks the engine, its still could be build into impressive shelf model, with some work. It easily can be built into a very nice model straight from the box. As far as I know, no other manufacturer makes Altezza, so this kit (its been re-issued few times as a different version of the car) is the only way you could add this car to your collection. Recommended.

Interior is quite simple, with no engraving or other details on door panels, and very limited details on the dash. You will have to do some detail painting to bring it to life. The only interior decal provided in the kit is the instrument cluster.

Front grilles were molded with plastic "mesh" in place, so I cut the mesh out and glued real metal mesh from the inside. It changed the appearance of the model, and added a great deal to the front end.

I decided to enhance it a little bit - I flocked the floor and package shelf, added speaker grilles made from thin mesh in front and back , seatbelts and seatbelt retainers, photoetched pedals, and painted fine details on the dashboard and central console.

I also glued a piece of felt material to simulate the headliner, and although its not entirely accurate, it looks much better than just plain painted roof. I would suggest finer material though!

Here is the picture of the added seatbelts with photoetched buckles. I used thin paper for the belt material and Detail Master P/E buckles. Retainers were scratchbuilt from sheet styrene.

Here is the picture of the chassis. As you can see, there is not much suspension detail. Exhaust is a separate part, and kit has decent tires with nice thread pattern. Front suspension is even less detailed, with most of it covered under the mudguard plate.

I've built this Fujimi kit in 2001, shortly after Toyota announced its Altezza sports sedan. Car's good looks and excellent performance caught my eye, and after I saw Fujimi kit of the slightly modified (ground effects and side skirts) Altezza, I decided to build one. Kit was built box-stock, with some scratchbuilt and aftermarket additions, and finished with Testors enamels and Tamiya acrylics.