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AutoArt 1:18 2006 Porsche 911 (997) GT3 Cup Car SC VIP (Green Livery/Porsche Engineering)

Reviewed by: Bill Bennett

AutoArt’s #89 2006 Supercup VIP car is a beautifully executed example of the cars raced in the Porsche Michelin Supercup which ran as a supporting series to the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship. The Supercup was sponsored by Michelin through 2006 and for 2007 is sponsored by Mobil1 and is run with identical “spec” Porsche 911 GT3 (997) cars. In addition to the regular slate of teams and drivers, Porsche sponsors and maintains two cars to be used by prominent motorsports celebrities at specific venues. The green #89 car was used just once in the March 12, 2006 season opener in Bahrain by Fahad Al Mussalam. It qualified 27th and finished 23rd. In the past these VIP cars have been piloted by Mika Hakkinen, Eddie Irvine, Ralf Schumacher and actor Craig T. Nelson, among others.

This car and its sister the orange #88 are probably the prettiest of the cars raced in the series, even though not the most historically significant. Because they were sponsored by Porsche (Porsche Design and Porsche Engineering) they didn’t have to have all the cobbled-together sponsorship logos necessary on the other cars.

I am an unabashed fan of AutoArt and this car has all of the build quality and finish that are hallmarks of an AutoArt 1:18 model. The paint and all of the tampo prints are executed beautifully. As with all of AA’s products the paint is smooth and there is not a mold parting line to be seen. All of the tiny details: the tow rings, exterior electrical kill switch, hood pins, door handles and window trim and glass all fit and look like they’ve scaled down the Porsche tolerances to 1:18. The bonnet, boot and both doors open on hinges that mimic the real thing. The doors’ leading edges tuck nicely inside the body line when opened. The beautiful web-spoked 18-inch wheels are cloaked with massive Michelin slicks and allow a clear view of the yellow, Porsche-labeled brake calipers and cross-drilled rotors. The car is equipped with the optional aero pieces front and rear that really under-score its function.

When you open the door, you can see that all the amenities that normally populate a street Porsche’s interior have been stripped-away in favor of a spartan interior with bare metal floorboards, a full rollcage and a molded-composite racing bucket with 5-point quick-release safety harness. The tall shifter commands the six-speed sequential transmission that allows up-shifts at full-throttle without having to lift or use the clutch.

When you open the bonnet, things are really sparse. The spare tire’s gone and all that remains are the master cylinders for the clutch and brakes and the fuel cell. In contrast, there’s a lot going on under the simulated carbon-fiber boot. This is where the 400hp, water-cooled, 3598 cc, dry-sumped and fuel injected flat-six boxer engine resides that runs on 98 octane unleaded ROZ. The exhaust features a race-prepared catalytic converter running through a twin-branch center exhaust tailpipe.

All in all, this is one beautiful car! I wish it’d won a race (only five guest drivers have won races out of 130 races run) or had been driven by a world-renowned driver, but that is not to be. The car is a real beauty with AutoArt’s wonderful execution and I’m proud to add this car to my collection.

(07/16/2007)