FSW Weekly Edition #2/2026

Endurance History — Ferrari’s Le Mans Challenge Revisited

Looksmart’s Ferrari 512S Le Mans 1970 #7 anchors the historic side of this week’s newsletter. Driven by Derek Bell and Ronnie Peterson, this model recalls Ferrari’s all-out but ultimately fragile assault on Le Mans at the dawn of the 1970s. The 512S was raw, brutally fast and reliability-limited, a car conceived to meet Porsche head-on rather than outlast it. Looksmart’s 1:43 resincast captures the low, wide stance, long tail and muscular aggression of the factory Ferrari entry, preserving a moment when ambition outweighed outcome. Although classified as a DNF, the #7 car remains emblematic of Ferrari’s determination during one of Le Mans’ most competitive eras. This release also signals the start of a broader Ferrari 512S programme from Looksmart, with multiple Le Mans and Daytona variants already listed for Q2 2026, joined by the announcement of the Ferrari 330 P4, second overall at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours, reinforcing the brand’s growing focus on endurance racing’s golden age.

hat historic thread continues strongly across this week’s deliveries. Arena Modelli adds two evocative classics: the Chevrolet Corvette C3 from Mosport’s 100 Miles in 1975, capturing the exaggerated wide-body IMSA-era silhouette, and the Ferrari 340 Ghia from the 1952 Carrera Panamericana in its distinctive #17 McAfee/McAfee configuration which is a reminder of endurance racing’s most dangerous road-race era. Ixo reinforces the classic catalogue with a varied mix of road and competition subjects, including the Citroën ID19 Break, Fiat Uno Turbo, Ford F100 and Shelby GT350 Mustang, spanning everyday classics and muscle-era icons. Carbone contributes further pre-war elegance with its latest interpretation of the 1927 Harrington-bodied Mercedes-Benz 630K Sports-Tourer, while Tamiya prepares the reissue of its 1978 DRM Zakspeed Ford Capri in Mampe livery, a brutal slice of late-1970s touring-car excess.

Ferrari 512S Le Mans 1970 #7 Bell/Peterson - MRCLSLM176

Porsche 963 2nd Le Mans 2025 #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport - SPK9258

Endurance & Hypercar — Porsche’s Modern Le Mans Benchmark

Spark’s Porsche 963 2nd Le Mans 2025 #6 stands at the centre of this week’s modern endurance narrative. Run by Porsche Penske Motorsport and driven by Kévin Estre, Matt Campbell and Laurens Vanthoor, the #6 car delivered a hard-fought second place overall at Le Mans in one of the most competitive Hypercar eras to date. Spark’s 1:43 resincast reflects that approach with precision. The tightly packaged bodywork, restrained aero surfaces and clean factory livery are rendered with clarity, emphasising function over flourish. Subtle surface detailing, balanced proportions and the car’s planted stance convey a prototype designed to endure night, weather and traffic rather than chase visual drama. It is a model that captures not just a podium finish, but the quiet effectiveness of Porsche’s Hypercar programme is a machine engineered to stay in the fight when others fall away. 

That benchmark is reinforced by one of Spark’s strongest modern Le Mans and GT deliveries to date. Hypercar depth expands with the Alpine A424, additional Porsche 963 entries from both Porsche Penske Motorsport and Proton Competition, and a full spread of Cadillac V-Series.R contenders. On the GT side, this week brings a comprehensive mix of Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo entries, BMW M4 GT3s from Bathurst, Le Mans and IMSA competition, and a wide selection of Porsche 911 GT3 Rs representing Nürburgring 24 Hours and Bathurst campaigns. LMP2 representation continues through Oreca 07 entries from Iron Lynx–Proton, RLR M Sport and IDEC Sport, while modern GT racing breadth is rounded out by fresh Super GT500 machinery from Honda, Nissan and Toyota. With many of these subjects already entering final allocation, this is a pivotal moment for endurance and GT collectors.

Formula 1 & Single Seaters — Champions, Transitions and the Road Ahead

Spark’s Red Bull RB20 F1 Champion 2024 #1 marks the arrival of Max Verstappen’s championship-winning machine, capturing the car that sealed one of the most controlled title campaigns of the modern Formula 1 era. Presented with its celebratory pit board, the RB20 represents the culmination of Red Bull Racing’s 2024 philosophy: compact packaging, extreme aerodynamic efficiency and a car engineered to dictate races rather than respond to them. Spark’s 1:43 resincast reproduces the RB20’s tightly wrapped bodywork and aggressive aero surfaces with clarity, preserving the exact specification of the title-winning car as it crossed into history. This sits within a broad and increasingly layered single-seater landscape.

Spark continues to build depth across modern Formula 1 with multiple RB21 and Sauber C45 variations in both 1:43 and 1:64, including current-season entries for Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, several now nearing final allocation. A recent Spark delivery has also brought fresh Haas VF25s for Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, alongside additional Aston Martin entries for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, reinforcing the depth of the 2025 grid in miniature.

Looking further ahead, Minichamps has indicated that the first deliveries of its newly announced Lando Norris Abu Dhabi World Championship models spanning 1:12, 1:18, 1:43 and 1:64, each with driver figure and pit board which are expected during the summer. This is joined by three new 1:64 Ayrton Senna Williams FW16 releases. GP Replicas contributes to the historic single-seater thread with the Brabham BT53, raced by Nelson Piquet to victory at the 1984 Canadian Grand Prix, while TrueScale extends the heritage narrative with Senna Collection releases including the Toleman TG184, second at Monaco.

Red Bull RB20 F1 Champion 2024 #1 Verstappen - SPK9547