FSW Weekly Edition #44/2025

Endurance & GT: Ferrari’s Can-Am Spirit and the Evolution of Speed

There’s always been something wonderfully audacious about Ferrari’s venture into Can-Am racing — a championship defined by excess, freedom and unrestrained horsepower. The Ferrari 612 Can-Am, driven by Chris Amon in 1969, was Maranello’s thunderous answer to McLaren’s dominance in North America. Based on the 512S and powered by a 6-litre V12, it was beautiful, unruly and unmistakably Ferrari — a car that embodied experimentation as much as performance.

Tecnomodel’s new 1:43 collection captures that spirit with finesse. Four versions — Watkins Glen, where Amon finished third; Mid-Ohio, Riverside, and the press car — trace Ferrari’s short but spectacular Can-Am campaign. The sculpted bodywork and meticulous detailing make each model a vivid reminder of when raw power met artistic intent.

That same sense of evolution runs through this week’s endurance announcements. Tecnomodel’s 1:18 Porsche 718 W-RS series revisits the early-’60s prototype era from Le Mans to the Targa Florio, while its Ferrari 365 P2 Spiders capture the Guards Trophy and Kyalami endurance classics. Werk83 brings the story forward with a breathtaking 1:12 Mazda 787B Le Mans Winner 1991, joined by an Audi 90 GTO IMSA 1989 — proof that endurance racing has always been as much about imagination as engineering. Together, these releases map a lineage of innovation stretching from Amon’s V12 roar to Mazda’s rotary victory song.

Ferrari 612 3rd Watkins Glen 1969 #16 Amon - TEC43066B

Porsche 911SC 5th Condroz 1983 #4 Boutsen/Lux - TRFDSN339

Rally: Belgian Heritage and the Privateer Spirit

Long before Formula 1 podiums and Le Mans drives, Thierry Boutsen was taming the wet, narrow lanes of Belgium. His Porsche 911SC from the 1983 Rallye du Condroz, co-driven by Willy Lux, perfectly embodies that gritty privateer era — a time when determination mattered more than budget. Against a grid of works-backed Opels and Audis, Boutsen’s fifth place was a triumph of skill and spirit.

DSN 43’s new 1:43 recreation captures the moment with authenticity: the clean black-and-white livery, period-correct stance and understated realism evoke the 911’s poise on damp Belgian roads. DSN 43 extends its reach this week with two more standouts — a Porsche 911S Le Mans 1970 for Koob and Kremer, and a Chevron B23 Luanda 2 Hours 1974, rare tributes to endurance’s far-flung frontiers.

The rally scene stays strong through Trofeu’s evocative set of Ford Escort RS1800s from Sanremo 1977 (driven by Björn Waldegård and Ari Vatanen), joined by an Alpine A110 Ypres 1973 and the charming BMW 2800CS “Miss Levi’s” Spa 1971, raced by Liane Engeman and Christine Beckers. In smaller scale, Pop Race revisits Richard Burns’ Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evo IV Monte Carlo 1998, perfectly capturing the future champion’s early career. Together, they trace rallying’s journey from analogue passion to modern precision — and remind us that the sport’s soul still lies in the hands of those who dare.

Classic, Heritage & American Icons: Yenko’s Thunder and Racing’s Living History

Few names summon raw American energy quite like Don Yenko. A racer, engineer and showman, Yenko transformed the Chevrolet Corvette C3 into a symbol of muscle-car defiance. His 1974 IMSA Mid-Ohio entry — co-driven by John Thompson — thundered through the five-hour race with side-pipes blazing and V8 power shaking the tarmac. It was racing at its loudest and most charismatic.

Arena’s 1:43 hand-built model captures the car’s presence with remarkable accuracy — flared arches, deep-dish alloys and that unmistakable Corvette stance. It leads a huge new Arena line-up spanning Carrera Panamericana Ferraris and Hudsons, rally-prepared Ferrari 308 GTBs, Lancia Stratos and Porsche 924 Carrera GTS entries, each offered in kit or hand-built form.

The week’s classic and road news complements it beautifully. KK Scale’s BMW 635 CSi (1987) arrives in several colours alongside VW T2B Porsche Renndienst service vans — the backbone of any paddock scene. Model Car Group’s Saab 99 Sweden 1977 salutes Stig Blomqvist’s home victory, while Pop Race’s Mazda 787B JSPC 1991 Efini connects endurance success with Japanese road-car heritage. From Yenko’s V8 thunder to Mazda’s rotary scream, this week’s classics prove that motorsport history never stands still — it simply changes gear.

Chevrolet Corvette C3 6th Mid-Ohio 5hrs 1974 #17 Thompson/Yenko - ARE1446