Perfection in miniature

Swedish customer truck builder Svempa Bergendahl made headlines throughout the global trucking world some years back with its stunning Scania R 999 convertible (pictured) – a Red Pearl rocket powered by a 1000hp twin-turbo V8 capable of 0-100km/h in five seconds and a top speed of 210km/h.

Now the creation has been honoured in miniature, with a German remote-control specialist producing a 1:87 scale replica of the original. The RC version recently debuted at the world's largest model vehicle exhibition – Intermodelbau, held last month in Dortmund, Germany.

While the RC truck lacked the presence of Svempa's thundering V8 masterpiece, it did draw plenty of attention from many of the show's visitors, at an event where the final attendance figure topped 82,000 across the five days.

The Scania R 999 convertible was a head-turning feature of the Scania stand at the 2011 Brisbane Truck Show – it's yet to be seen whether this RC model will make a similar pilgrimage to Australia's premiere RC show, wherever or whenever that may be. Certainly the freight costs would be far more palatable!

Svempa actively assists model makers by supplying them with images to help them recreate his trucks, and his Chief Designer, Jan Richter, says the custom house was impressed with the RC effort.

"It can appear simple without the subtle details but is a credible version of the full-scale truck," he said.

Check out the YouTube clip below to see the RC model in action...