Experience the passion and excitement of F1 racing with an incredible 1:8 scale replica of one of Grand Prix’s most famous race cars 

New York, NY  — De Agostini is bringing a replica of a famous Formula 1 race car to North American builders with the launch of famed racer Ayrton Senna’s Louts Renault 97T Formula 1 Grand Prix subscription model.

Considered by many to be the greatest driver in the history of Formula 1, Ayrton Senna won three world championships, with 41 victories and 65 pole positions, during his extraordinary career as a racing driver.

The legend continues for the many fans and followers of Formula 1. Subscribers can build an accurate 1:8 scale reproduction of the Lotus Renault 97T, a model that was designed in close collaboration with Lotus and identical in every detail to the one driven by Ayrton Senna and based on the original car and the designs conserved by Classic Team Lotus. Assemble the Lotus Renault 97T step by step each month and explore the adrenaline driven world of Formula 1 racing.

Notable features of the Lotus include metal body components, a meticulously detailed cockpit with functional steering wheel and linkages to the front Goodyear Eagle branded wheels, and a realistic reproduction of the powerful Renault EF48 engine.

The car is presented with Lotus’ signature black paintjob with gold badges. The completed 1:8 scale replica measures 19.7 inches long. Every month’s shipment of components features an easy-to-follow assembly guide that features explanations, diagrams, and technical tips to guide the assembly of the car with ease. 

As the model’s construction progresses each month, subscribers can dive into the history of the legendary Lotus racing team with an informative, full-color magazine that accompanies each month’s shipment of parts. Meet motorsport visionary, Colin Chapman, the designer, team manager, businessman, and British engineer who founded Lotus and changed Formula 1 with his revolutionary ideas.

Explore the extraordinary career of driver Ayrton Senna with a detailed look at his greatest Grand Prix races with detailed examinations of his triumphs. From his early dates to his 1984 Formula 1 debut as a driver in the British Toleman team, his wins with the Lotus team and his three world championships (1988, 1990 and 1991) with McLaren. These magazines will become an essential reference for all fans of Formula 1 racing.

Subscribers to De Agostini’s Ayrton Senna’s Louts Renault 97T also will receive a variety of gift items at various stages that include a high-resolution print of Ayrton Senna in his first successful year driving a Lotus Renault 97T, a colorful, officially licensed Ayrton Senna t-shirt (Size: large), and a bonus 1:43 scale de-cast model of the Lotus Renault 97T. Upgrade to a Premium Subscription and complete the Lotus build with a lightweight display case, the perfect way to showcase the competed model.

Ayrton Senna helped the Lotus team to win again after the death of its founder, Colin Chapman, in 1982. Colin’s widow, Hazel Chapman, decided to keep the team going and the team leader, Peter Warr, accepted the challenge. Peter hired the brilliant French designer Gerard Ducarouge to take maximum advantage of the Renault Turbo engine’s power and the well-known skill and dedication of the members of Team Lotus.

Ayrton Senna immediately impressed the Lotus and Renault engineers with his technical skill, his confidence and his speed. In his second Grand Prix with Lotus, Ayrton achieved his first victory in Formula 1 on the circuit at Estoril, starting in pole position and setting the fastest lap. It was an incredible race in atrocious weather conditions. Ayrton Senna finished one lap ahead of the other drivers. The celebrations in the garage and the pits were extraordinary. Interviewed years later, Ayrton Senna considered that Estoril was his best race. Of course, Ayrton Senna was the person best placed to assess the dimension of his achievement at Estoril, in the torrential rain that fell during the entire race and handling 850 hp without today’s electronic aids. In just over two years after the loss of its leader and founder, Team Lotus was back on top of the podium thanks largely to the extraordinary talent of Ayrton Senna.