If you clicked on this video, odds are you love Ferraris, but you're also curious about Barago's race and play models. Are they any good? How detailed are they? Are they collectibles or just toys? What scale is right for you? And how are they compared to msto Ferraris? Ah, see that? Well, I'm going to answer all those questions and more starting right now. Carault. Hey guys, I'm Rick and welcome back to the Model Car Vault, where I cover die casts of all scales and brands for all types of collectors and ages. Growing up, I collected a ton of 118 cars, especially Ferraris, and most of them were Baragos, and they weren't just sitting on shelves. I actually played with them. Fast forward to today, and diecast models have become way more detailed, way more delicate, and let's be honest, way more expensive. The age bracket shifted, the prices went up, and now you see boxes labeled adult collectibles everywhere. So, that got me thinking, if kids today want to collect and play with diecast cars, what options do they really have? Well, while Barago has definitely evolved over the years, they've also stayed true to their roots by keeping an affordable entry-level line aimed at younger collectors. And that's exactly where Race and Play series comes in. These are officially licensed Ferrari diecasts made of metal and designed to live somewhere between the box and the display shelf. For today's video, I chose the SF90 Stradale, the first plug-in hybrid Ferrari. Not my favorite Ferrari, but it's the only one I can find in all four scales, and we're going to compare them all. So, we've got the 164, the 143, the 124, and the 118, which is the largest in the series, and they're all in the same iconic Roso Corsa color. You can find these racing plays online, uh, in toy stores, big box stores. I've even seen them in my local pharmacy, but I picked these up at Canadian Tire, and they were even on sale. And I'll get to pricing in a bit. Now, I'm not going to go into a deep dive on each car here. This is more about what each scale offers and who they're best for. All right, before we take these cars out, let's quickly talk about the boxes. We got very simple packaging with the classic red uh and the green and white accents for the Italian colors. Every box says ages three and up. So, technically, yes, these are toys. It's literally in their name, Race and Play. On the back, they promote their other scales, but that's about it. No info or artwork on the actual car. All right, let's start with the smallest, the 164. And this is the only one that doesn't come in the box. All right, first impressions. For its size, it actually feels really solid. There's a nice weight to it. It's well proportioned, and honestly, it's pretty premium looking for its size. The lines, the curves, the accents. It all seems very accurate. The headlights and tail lights are nicely detailed. Uh you get a glimpse of the sculpted black interior, and you can even see inside the engine bay, also all black. You've got Ferrari badges on the sides, and the paint is really well done. Now, the wheels, this is where it starts to feel more toylike. They are plastic with no rubber, no tread, but they do roll great. Oh, and check this out. There's actually a suspension. Now, these go for anywhere between $4 to $7, which is a little more than you'd pay for a Hot Wheels mainline Ferrari, but this is way more detailed than Hot Wheels. And you're getting a suspension here. So, who are these little guys for? To me, these are great for kids who are just old enough to appreciate Ferraris, but also want to play with them. They're durable, affordable, and have just enough detail to satisfy collectors of any age. All right, before we move up to the next scale, I want to know what you think. Does this feel like a collectible to you, or is it still just a toy? And if you're cool with 164 Ferraris like this, hit that like button. Now, let's step it up. All right, we have the 143 scale. So, I'm opening the box, and the car comes out super easy. Just turn this little knob underneath and it comes right off. All right, I got to say I love this size. You can see how much bigger it is than the 164. Just over an inch longer. The proportions and curves are spoton. I can already tell there's more detail here. And the Ferrari badges are sharper and more legible. Up front, you've got nice detail in the mesh grill and headlights. And around the back, same thing. Clean, consistent detailing all around. The paint is fantastic. It looks nice and thick, which I guess is intentional because this is meant to survive being played with. You definitely see a lot more interior and engine detail here compared to the 164. Still all black, but there's more depth and shape. The one downside again is the tires. Still plastic. And interestingly, there's no suspension here unlike the 164. That surprises me a bit. Also, the wheel gaps are blocked, so you can't see through the mags. And if you're wondering, no, this is not a pullback. So, you'll have to race this Ferrari using your own horsepower. So, where does this scale land? Well, for about 8 to 12 bucks, you can build a serious Ferrari collection without feeling like you're overspending or taking over an entire room in your house. There's enough detail here to appreciate these as collector pieces, especially once they're on display. Oh, and just to be clear, this video is not sponsored by Barago. I bought all of these myself. So, if you're enjoying this video so far, please help support my channel by hitting that like and subscribe. Or I might have to return all of these. Oh, wait. Okay, 90 days. We're good. All right, moving on up to the 124 scale. And this is where things start to get serious. This is a big jump in size. And the second it comes out of the box, once we line it up next to the other scales, you can instantly see it. This one starts taking up some real estate. Costwise, it's roughly about double the price of the 143, usually landing around the 20 to $30 range, but you get way more detail here. As a collector, my first impression is that this does not feel like a toy at all. It's got some serious display appeal, and it's not just for looks either. In this scale, things start opening up. The doors open, and inside you get lots of noticeable detail. You've got gauges and painted buttons. Nothing crazy, but definitely appreciated. Okay, so the doors open, and that's great. But the frunk and the engine hood look like they open. You can see the gaps here, but strangely, they don't. They just won't open. And I don't want to force them open and break them. I'm positive that they open on the higherend models, but I'm curious what they did here. So, let's investigate. All right. What's going on here? Ah, see that? They put these crossarss to seal the parts shut. Check it out. That's no fair. You know what? I'm not going to accept this diecast shrinkflation. I'm going to cheat the system a little bit. At least for the engine. We're going to pop this guy off. We're going to do it very carefully, but pretty easy to do. And there you go. And now we have an opening engine cover. Check it out. All right. While we have the body off, let's take advantage and look at that V8 engine that now has some color and more detail to it. Now, the interior components were okay, but it's really the exterior where this scale really shines. Literally, the paint quality here is excellent for the price. No rashes, no weird texture, no obvious imperfections, except for this one little spot on mine, which looks like a defect because it's not on the other side, so it definitely shouldn't be there. The logos and badges are noticeably sharper and more refined. And the mirrors actually have mirrors. Even better, the headlights and the tail lights are separate components, which adds a huge bump in realism. Now, it's worth saying, and probably not noticeable, uh, unless you look really hard, uh, that the rear center brake light is just painted on, but that's actually common in these scales. But it does have a really welldone rear end. And check out those exhaust pipes, just like the real thing. Speaking of realism, this scale is where we finally get to have rubber tires, nicely detailed rims, and a clean Ferrari logo on the center caps. Oh, and if you look closely, you can actually see the brake discs and calipers right through the wheels. Now, there's no suspension here, but honestly, that's never really expected in this scale anyway. Oh, and if you're wondering, the wheels do not steer, but they do roll nice and smooth. Yes, it's significantly bigger than the smaller scales, but at just 7 in long, these are still incredibly easy to fit in almost any display cabinet. I don't really see this scale as a kids toy, at least not for a three-year-old. At this size, kids usually want something that's remote controlled or that transforms. Personally, I think the 124 scale enters the collector territory. Hit that like button if you agree with me. All right, next up. This is my scale. 1 to 18 is usually where you get the most detail and realism from a diecast, but is that the case here? All right, let's get it out of the box and find out. All right, this one comes with a framed base for more protection. And there's just two screws. Get those out. Now, we'll take off these two stickers holding the frunk down. And we're going to just snip off these straps for the doors and the engine bay. And here it is, the SF90 in 118 scale. Now, besides the obvious increase in size, how does it really stack up against the 124 scale? Are we actually getting more detail or just more car? At first glance, I'll be honest, they look extremely similar in terms of overall finish and detailing. They're almost identical. There really only two noticeable differences on the exterior. First, the 118 adds carbon fiber finishing in certain areas. You'll see it in places like the side air vents, inside the frunk, the engine bay, the front skirts, and the rear diffuser. Second, the wheels. The 124 came with those two-tone rims, while the 118 gets these darker wheels. They're supposed to be the matte Grijo Corsa finish. Not entirely sure why they changed that, but they are different. And really, that's it. Everything else, same details, just bigger. Underneath the cars, both models are identical. You're not getting any extra underbody detail on the 118. But as a bonus, on the 118, you do get a working suspension here. All right, we finally get to have everything open. But when you look inside, the interior doesn't go much further than what we already saw in the 124. There is a little more detail on the dash and steering wheel, but not that much more. At the engine, we get a little bit of an upgrade. We get the carbon fiber finish and a little bit more definition in the color and the shapes. So, what are you really getting extra with the 118 other than the size? Actually, I've got an even bigger question. What are you getting from this Brago SF90 that you're not getting from this MTO SF90, which costs about half the price? Well, quick fun fact for those of you who might not know, Barago and MTO are owned by the same parent company. Because of that, Barago and MTO often use very similar parts and materials, usually all made in the same factory, too. Sometimes you'll see small differences like window styles, uh, suspension, wheel design, paint color, but in this case, these two cars are literally identical. I can't spot a single difference between them. While the Barago Ferrari will cost you anywhere between $30 to $40, you can land the MTO version for just $15 to $20. So yeah, the biggest difference you're going to notice is in your pocket. So, why would someone still choose Brago over MTO? Well, I think it really comes down to brand connection, that attachment or loyalty collectors develop over time. But that's a whole topic on its own, and I'll probably do a video on that very soon. So, there you have it. What do you think? Which of these scales makes the most sense for you? I came into this fully expecting to tell you that this, the 118, was going to be my pick from Barago's Race and Play series. But honestly, after reviewing them and comparing them all side by side, there's only one winner, and that's the 124 scale. It offers more detail than the smaller scales, keeps a relatively small footprint, and gives you almost everything that the 118 does. opening parts, solid detail, great presence, and all that for about half the price. So whether you're getting your kid into collecting or starting a Ferrari diecast collection on a budget, Barago's Race and Play series is a great entry point, especially in a 124, which offers the most bang for the buck. Subscribe down here to stay upto date with my latest videos, and check out more diecast reviews and tips right up here. Thanks for watching and see you next time in the model car vault. >> Model car vault. The model car vault.