The new generation electric street racer has been recreated in a 62cm long model by the world’s finest model makers
     
|
Bristol, UK, 1st of August 2023
The world’s leading automotive model creators at Amalgam Collection today unveiled the first photographs of their most recent creation: the Formula E GEN3 at 1:8 scale. The edition of GEN3 models, strictly limited to 199 pieces, perfectly replicates the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car
ever made and the first to be ever be designed and optimised specifically for street racing. Development necessitated over 2500 hours and the resulting prototype only received the approval of the GEN3 designers and engineers once they were fully satisfied with its accuracy of representation. Measuring over 62 centimetres (24 inches) long, each subsequent model takes 250 hours to cast, fit, fettle, paint and assemble, as Amalgam’s team of artisans focus on ensuring that every minute detail is accurately depicted.
Sandy Copeman, Brand Director at Amalgam, said: “Following an electrifying first season of GEN3 action in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, we were delighted to be able to reveal our model at 1:8 scale. Only after detailed scrutiny by the engineering and design teams at Formula E and the FIA, our first completed prototype model received a unanimous approval.” Models of the Formula E GEN3 in its 2023 season livery are now available to order from the company’s website, or through its global sales team.
Amalgam’s model at 1:8 scale perfectly replicates every aspect of the GEN3’s design, from the electric racers’ distinctive angular form right down to each individual series sponsor logo. Working from CAD data supplied directly from Formula E, Amalgam’s engineers developed a pattern for each component of the model, utilising the team’s data to ensure that the details were accurately reflected at an eighth of the real car size. The master patterns were created for each piece of the complex assembly using 3D printing, followed by meticulous hand finishing. Moulds were then taken from each pattern and used to create a small batch of cast components, each one fettled and fitted to make a complete set, before painting, finishing and assembly.
The future of all-electric high-performance motorsport, the GEN3 platform was developed by engineers and sustainability experts at the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Formula E. Officially unveiled at the Yacht Club de Monaco in April 2022, the GEN3 was designed to show the world that high performance, efficiency and sustainability can powerfully co-exist without compromise, pioneering cutting-edge technologies that will make the transfer from race to road. It is the fastest Formula E car yet with a top speed of more than 200 mph (322 kph) and up to 350kW of power (470 bhp), as well as the most efficient formula racing car ever with more than 40% of the energy used within a race produced by regenerative braking.
The edition of 1:8 scale models was developed primarily to meet the requirements of Formula E and their official partners and sponsors. Amalgam’s relationship with Formula E dates back over a decade, well before the first season started in 2014, when the two companies first discussed the use of large-scale models to support the racing series with models for exhibition and gifting. Amalgam are fully embedded in Formula E circles, with connections to many important motorsport teams and figures, including a friendship with the manager of two-time Formula E Champion Jean Eric Vergne, and are increasingly involved as the series continues to grow in strength each season. The Bristol-based company have created models in every generation of the Formula E chassis, building models of the cars raced by NEXTEV TCR, Renault e.dams, Jaguar, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, Mahindra Racing, TAG Heuer Porsche and Mercedes-Benz EQ.
Amalgam also offer an exclusive bespoke team livery service, that can develop and supply models with any team’s livery from any race, subject to approval from the relevant team. Discussions are already underway with several teams to supply models in their livery. Copeman continues “our tailor-made service for fans, drivers, teams, and sponsors offers a superbly and deeply detailed model replicating every aspect of a specific race car’s specification. Utilising our deep relationships with the teams, we have access to key specification data to allow the most faithful representation of a chosen livery in all details.”
----------------------------------------------------------------
High resolution images of the GEN3 model can be found here >
High resolution images of previous Formula E 1:8 scale models can be found here >
EDITORS' NOTES:
MEDIA CONTACTS
PR & Media Enquiries: tom.gibsoncommunications@gmail.com, T: (201) 476-0322, Mobile: (201) 264-3646
PR & Media Enquiries: pressandmedia@amalgam.com
Director of Brand and Business Development: Sandy Copeman sandy.copeman@amalgam.com
Business and Sales Enquiries: enquiries@amalgam.com
ABOUT AMALGAM COLLECTION AND THEIR HISTORY
- Amalgam are recognised worldwide as makers of the finest hand-made large-scale models. Their work is unique in its attention to detail, with a focus on creating models that truly capture the style and spirit of each car. They have dedicated all their skill and passion to achieving a level of excellence that raises the impact and value of each finished piece to a level far above anything previously created.
- For owners of cars they have already modelled at 1:8 in a limited edition, for which the tooling already exists, they offer a tailormade service, customising a model to perfectly match the specification of the real car.
- For owners of unique very high value cars, Amalgam Collection offer an even bigger 1:5 or 1:4 ‘one-off’ model build from their UK workshops in Bristol, England. They will digitally scan the car wherever it is in the world and take up to a thousand pictures of every detail, allowing them to perfectly and accurately replicate everything at scale. Given the significant number of hours required to develop a unique model the costs are high, so the model is built at a very large scale to maximise the impact and detail, and to deliver the ultimate finished piece.
Amalgam Collection’s design, management and development heart is in England, with extraordinarily skilled and dedicated teams producing the bigger editions in Hungary and China. They are a multinational, multicultural team of crafts-men and women, dedicated to creating the world’s most precise, beautiful and exclusive models. Inspired by the F1 teams and iconic luxury car marques of England and Italy that they serve and partner with, they take huge pride in their mission to perfectly capture the designs, and honour the designers, drivers and creators of the automotive art they love.
Originally a partnership of four talented model-makers formed in 1985, from the start Amalgam created finely tuned models for the most important UK and German designers and architects. Working closely with Norman Foster’s team on the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and on the Hong Kong Airport project was a fast, steep learning curve which quickly opened their eyes to subtle aesthetics and refined engineering. Working with such gifted architects their passion and desire to model the very best designs was ignited, which in due course led them to Williams F1 and Adrian Newey who were dominating the F1 championship in 1995, then on to Maranello and to the massively important design heritage of Enzo Ferrari in 1999, and latterly to the works of Pininfarina and Ettore Bugatti.
The seminal performance and luxury car designers of the early to mid-20th century were obsessed with achieving ever higher speeds, lighter and more powerful engines, more streamlined bodies, an impassioned quest that inevitably resulted in elegant and beautiful solutions as a consequence of stretching the supreme excellence of the craftsmanship and engineering to the very limits of what could be achieved at the time.
The companies that today bear these iconic names continue to be inspired, and their creativity is still fuelled, by the extraordinary passion and genius of their founders. Amalgam Collection too find inspiration in the creations of the founders and their companies who continue to design and create automotive artworks.
Recognising the beauty and importance of these designs Amalgam Collection have utterly dedicated their energy and passion to modelling these cars to a level of accuracy, precision and excellence that raises the finished replica to a level far beyond anything previously created. Amalgam have chosen to work at a scale of 1:8 which is widely acknowledged to be the most satisfying scale to comprehend the entirety of a car’s design at a glance, whilst in addition showing the most minute details.
To create perfect scale replicas of modern cars they use original CAD data supplied by the manufacturer and work closely with the design team to perfect their rendition of the interior and exterior finishes.
With regard to classics, in their quest for supreme accuracy and authenticity Amalgam’s team goes to great lengths to locate the best examples of original cars and digitally scans them to capture the precise shape and proportions of every part of the car including the chassis, engine and drive train. In addition, 600 to 800 photographs of every aspect and detail of each car are shot, to ensure a complete understanding of the finishes and detailing. The resulting models beautifully and precisely capture the entirety of the original and are impossible to discern from a real car in photographs.
Amalgam is the only maker of model cars in the world that can be considered alongside a maker of luxury watches like Richard Mille or Hublot. In fact, Richard Mille is an Amalgam patron who recognising a shared passion for engineering detail and perfection has commissioned from Amalgam Collection many unique models of his own cars and those he sponsors.
HOW THE MODELS ARE CREATED
- The patterns are created using original CAD from the manufacturer, or extraordinarily accurate digital scans and hundreds of photographs of an original classic car.
- The patterns are used to create silicon rubber moulds that capture every detail.
- Prototyping resin is used to cast the parts from the silicon moulds. Around 20 to 30 parts can be cast from each mould and then a new one must be made.
- Each model is built from thousands of parts: castings, photo-etchings and CNC machined metal components.
- Genuine car paints and manufacturer or archive colour references are used to spray the bodywork.
- It takes between 2,500 and 4,500 hours to develop the tooling for each model.
- It takes between 250 and 450 hours to cast, fit, fettle, paint and build each model.
Every Amalgam Fine Model Car is made entirely by hand from thousands of parts. Detailed original CAD data is supplied by the car's manufacturer or the race team of the car to be modelled. The process of developing each model and creating the master patterns takes between 2,500 and 4,500 hours of skilled work depending on the complexity of the car, with classic cars taking the longest.
In the case of the classic cars an extremely accurate digital scan is made of the car, and hundreds of photographs of all the details of a carefully selected original car are taken, to ensure complete accuracy and adherence to the authentic finishes and materials. Many parts of the model are machined from metal with the major components hand cast from prototyping resin. Each model is individually assembled by a small team of highly skilled model-makers. In total the time taken to machine, cast, hand fettle, paint, polish and assemble each model is between 250 and 450 hours of highly skilled work depending on the complexity of the car.
The finished model is a very precise scale replica of the original car with every detail perfectly and authentically represented at an 8th of the original size. This is modelling elevated to such a high level that it becomes an art form.
Since 1995 Amalgam have been admired and hugely respected by leading designers and engineers in the European automotive industry, as well as F1 designers, drivers and team principals. Amalgam's models appear on the desks of CEOs and presidents of the world's most important car companies. Due to the extreme accuracy and authenticity of Amalgam's creations, made in small limited editions, they are also much sought after by devoted collectors of fine handmade objects across Europe and in the USA.
SCALE GUIDE
