AutoArt 1:18 2003 Toyota Supra JGTC #38 Au Cerumo

AutoArt’s new 2003 Toyota Supra JGTC #38 is one example of a car driven in the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or the JGTC. If you’re unfamiliar with this series, the JGTC was started in 1994 as a successor to the cancelled Japan Sport Prototype Car Championship (JSPC). This series features race cars in two classes: 1. GT500 for cars with up to 500 horsepower and 2. GT300 for cars with up to 300 horsepower. The cars are raced over distances of more than 250 km but less than 1000 km (approximately 150-600 miles). The cars are driven by two drivers, each of which has to drive more than 1/3 rd of the race. Both drivers have to qualify the car for the starting grid. Class parity is achieved through engine restrictor plates and there are weight penalties assessed for first through fourth place winners from the previous race, plus additional penalties for first through third starting position and fastest lap. There are provisions to allow LeMans, DTM, TransAm and FIA-GT cars to compete as well. The cars have flat bottoms and tube frames and are allowed unlimited suspension modifications. These cars all run with factory support and typically cost up to $1.5 million to build

JGTC is to Japan as the DTM is to Germany, NASCAR is to the US or V8 Star racing is to Australia and has become one of the most successful sports car series in the world. Typical races draw 50,000 spectators and have fields made up with cars from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari and Mosler, among others. This car was raced by the team of Hironori Takeuchi and Yuji Tachikawa. This team won 5 races in the years 2000 through 2005. Overall, the Toyota Supras have been very successful, winning more JGTC races than any other car or manufacturer.

AutoArt’s 1:18 version is one of their “sealed body shell” designs. This means that the bonnet, hatch and doors are not functional even though there is a very detailed interior with fully-functioning steering. This interior is only visible by looking in through the windshield and side windows. The window in the rear hatch on the 1:1 has been replaced with a molded carbon-fiber piece that is simulated on this car. Since this series runs with flat-bottom cars, the bottom of this model is completely flat with no visible engine, transmission or other parts of the drivetrain.

So you don’t get to open the bonnet to access the engine bay or the doors to access the interior……. Is this a big deal? Well, it is and it isn’t. The car is remarkably well done on the outside…..probably as nicely done as from any manufacturer. Small pieces like the quick-release bonnet and hatch locking pins are incredibly detailed and believable. The door handles look like they could really work, and the same goes for the quick-connect gas filler ports on the c-pillar. The wheels are backed-up by rotating discs that pass through fixed calipers…. all very realistically done. The tampo’ed graphics are also very well done as we’ve come to expect on any AA model. So what they’ve done, they’ve really done well. But I have to say that I’d love to pop the bonnet and see what’s under there.

AutoArt explains away the sealed shell by saying that the racers are highly reticent about giving anyone access to the technological "tweeks" hidden in the interior and the engine bay. I’ll buy that to a certain extent, but I also have to believe that there are elements of cost and time-to-market that creep into this decision.

Is the car done well? You bet! Would I buy it? Yes I would, because I know that no other manufacturer will bring out the same car with better detailing. Would I like to see what’s under the bonnet? Unfortunately so, but that isn’t to be.

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