You can get the Formula E car from CaDA C64004W for €61.35 on AliExpress. In the motorized version, as always, it is expensive at 101.27€ on AliExpress.
The CaDA C64004W set, released in February 2022, represents a Formula E racing car. The set consists of 1667 parts and can optionally be equipped with a motor and remote control.
CaDA C64004W Review, Specs & Price
- CaDA C64004W
- at AliExpress for €61.35 | CaDA for ~99.74€ (Coupon: CADA5%CG ) | Amazon for €109.98
- including motor & remote control
I have to admit: I had no idea that Formula E even existed. Apart from Michael Schumacher’s heyday, when we were still watching Formula 1 with the family every weekend, I’ve actually always had very little to do with motorsport. So I apologize in advance to all fans as I really don’t know what I’m talking about here. For me, this is just an interesting terminal block set.
The set consists of 1,667 individual parts , is almost 60 cm long when assembled and has a scale of 1:8. The exact dimensions are 59.6 x 23.6 x 13.8 cm. The motors are not included in the set, but a motorized version can be ordered for around €40 more. The engines can also be retrofitted, so if you want to try the standard version first, you don’t have to disassemble the whole vehicle later.
Packaging And Assembly
Ours came from CaDA itself from their official store and therefore also in the original box. There are no special features here, it looks like the CaDA boxes now look. A few illustrations of the assembled set with some detail shots on the back, plus English text. The optional motor is also mentioned.
In the carton there is a large box containing about 20 different bags with parts as well as the instructions and stickers. All parts are complete and as always you even have a few parts left over.
I would describe the structure as an advanced level. There are no incredibly complicated steps, but a few steps do take a little finesse and patience. As long as you take your time, anyone can do it, even if the children will need help in places depending on their age.
As always with sets of this size, assembly takes place in several steps. The bags are each numbered, step A requires the bags with the 1, step B with the 2, etc. Since the parts are sorted, you can make the assembly much easier by keeping the contents of the different bags separate. Again, I’ve divided everything into different Tupper boxes, I just like the overview and order in the assembly.
I particularly enjoyed the construction here, as there are some construction steps that I have not seen in other sets. The wheel suspension is particularly memorable. This is solved in a similar way in many sports car sets, but here there is a completely different variant – probably due to a lack of space in the front part of the vehicle. Difficult to describe in detail, but I found it very fascinating.
There are also a lot of stickers here, a trend that CaDA unfortunately continues to follow, no matter how good the sets may otherwise be. With a racing car it still makes sense that it is covered in lettering, in reality it is no different with the many sponsors.
And simply leaving out the stickers is always an option. As I’ve said elsewhere, I’m not necessarily against stickers as long as they match the color of the underlying parts. Printed parts are simply much more complex to produce, and without a sticker the car looks somehow bare.
As with the Dark Knight GTR, the blue color has an additional advantage. Since CaDA likes to use blue pins a lot, they often stand out visually from models of other colors; here it bothers less. But there are a few red pins in this set, which are all the more recognizable – not to mention the yellow elements in the rear.
Features and optional engine
The tires are all separately sprung. That’s almost irrelevant with a car that sits so low; in fact, the front of the vehicle is almost a little too high off the ground because the springs are so strong. The steering wheel is connected to the front tires and you can also steer the car with it. Unfortunately, the bar in front of the cockpit is a bit in the way.
The rear with the two small spoilers can be opened up, and I really like the mechanism here too. This function feels somehow unnecessary, because apart from the suspension of the rear wheels, you don’t see much underneath. The very interesting rotating engine, on the other hand, is located centrally behind the driver’s seat and is barely visible.
As always, the engines are optional. In addition to a servo motor for the steering, two motors are installed for the drive, which means more power and speed. That’s only appropriate for a racing car. However, “fast” is a relative term, even with two engines you can’t drive fast races here.
Conclusion after building the CaDA C64004W
There is no longer any need to speak of a “test” here. The quality of the sets from CaDA C64004W is well known, here it is no longer a matter of finding out whether the stones hold together or whether everything is complete. All of this is taken for granted here. Rather, it is about the question of how the set performs in comparison to others in the same price region.
On the other hand, you are welcome to take a look at what the market leader from Denmark takes for its Formula 1 car (with 200 parts less), namely about twice as much. On the other hand, it is also cheaper, the racing cars from Mork made of almost 1,100 parts can be bought for around 40€.
The highlights of the CaDA set are certainly the chassis and also the (“wrong”) engine that sits in the rear of the car. The construction was as exciting as the pictures had already promised. The price of the set roughly corresponds to comparable CaDA sets. 100 dollars or about 90€ is the “normal” price for a technology set with 1,600 to 1,800 parts. I think it’s a bit steep, but it’s a reasonable price, especially when you compare it to other brands.
The set can be obtained from various sources. CaDA sells it through its own store with shipping from China for the equivalent of around €88. At AliExpress you can get it for less than 80€, but here you have to do without the packaging. The set including the motor is available for “only” €117.