After two months in transit I have
finally received this gorgeous piece: the Porsche 996 GT3 Cup Car "A-Ha" driven to victory by
Matthew Marsh in the 2004 Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia. I like to think that this
model is AUTOart's second attempt at doing this car. AUTOart had already released a
batch of Cup Cars a few months before this model was released. Much to our
discontent, they had horrible paint, particularly this A-ha. Then a new series
(or excuse) was introduced and this A-ha, along this a couple other Porsches,
was reintroduced to the market in its proper brown glory. They come with a
separate COA with the driver's signature (that is why they are called "Driver's
Editions"). If I recall correctly, only this A-ha had any significant
corrections.
The model is quite handsome looking. In accuracy the paintjob and livery
are most probably 100% accurate. The paint looks quite thick and
homogenous whilst the livery seems to be all in tampo printing, much to my
delight.
The
little details on the body are not too bad. For instance, take those front
vents. At first glance they're quite realistic but then you notice that they
are not really perforated. The lights are not bad either as they are quite
accurate but they lack deepness.
The
wheels, which are a bit wobbly as most AUTOarts, look to be quite accurate with
proper "Michelin" writing and well defined chromed spokes. The brakes are again
quite good; the disks are perforated and the brake callipers, painted in red, are
static.
Externally, the
model is quite brilliant but once you open the doors it goes a bit wrong. Yes,
the front compartment is not so bad. It has the fuel tank and various pipes
and wires around it, which is fine. But the interior and the engine are a
mess.
Worse
part must be the flat six-cylinder boxer engine. It is in no way any
better than an old UT. It's bare. And I have searched the internet for
engine shots of this particular car. While I have not managed to find any, I
did manage to get the official launch pictures of the Cup Car at
Porsche.com and this model is nowhere near that awesome detail shown in those
pictures. Why do many manufacturers disregard the 911's engine? Do they think
we cannot see through the rear opening?
The
interior is not much better. The only good points to mention are the separate
seatbelt and the realistic full rolling bars. As the dashboard goes,
it has most details omitted. Even though the real one was not that
different, this AUTOart is really bland in this area. Detail level of a 10 year
old Maisto, and I am not exaggerating.
The
undercarriage is, as with most sports cars, sealed. As I have not been able to
find any suitable pictures of such area, I'll need to evaluate purely on my
expectations. Then, my eyes go straight to that engine. It is again not any
better than an old UT 993 model. Looks like a large chunk of boring grey
plastic.
They
say "don't judge a book by its cover" and I believe that saying applies here as
well, but inversely. The exterior is superb and the interior is lousy. So finally, I
do not really recommend this model, surely not for its ongoing price. The price
detail ratio is all wrong, I am inclined to think that the only reason this
model costs so much is AA's latest craze, limited edition Porsches. I just
hope that the upcoming 996 RSR and 997 have superior engine details.
Finally
something a bit off topic. I would like to thank Kev from
Diecastaholics.co.uk.
I would have never been able to get it for such a great price (about 50%
of local price), so thanks again Kev :D
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