AutoArt 1:18 2002 Bentley EXP Speed 8 #8- Wallace/Leitzinger/Van De Poele- Le Mans

The 24 hours of Le Mans has an epic feel to it no other motor race in the world matches. It’s not the length – there are plenty of other 24 hour races. It can’t be the track; the Nurburing is a more grueling workout than Le Sarthe. It’s not the size of the crowd or the TV audience – Indianapolis, Daytona and a handful of other races draw more spectators. Yet the mystique remains and it’s probably attributable to the fact that Le Mans is where you test your mettle against the best in the world and against history. You might “race” at Spa, or “compete” at Road America; but form a race team to challenge at the most famous 24, and people inevitably characterize it as “an assault” on Le Mans.

History drew Bentley back to this small town in France in 2001. The Bentley Boys of yore forged the brand name here, winning the famous race from 1927-1930, featuring the famous (or, if you were in the Bugatti camp, infamous) Bentley Blower. Volkswagen, the current owner of Bentley recaptured that reputation of endurance, performance and daring-do through a developmental program with RTN. They leveraged Audi’s dominant R8 platform and power, designing the now legendary LM GTP (Grand Turing Prototype) baring the Bentley name plate and the moniker EXP-8 or simply Speed 8.

I still remember the magical first time I saw an EXP-8 launch through the esses, scream through tertre rouge and thunder down the Mulsanne straight. This model captures the sleek and cat-like profile that made such an impression on me. The monocoque is replicated in faux carbon fiber and honeycomb aluminum. Since this a sealed model, there are no functional opening parts but there are openings, such as the front bonnet air ducts, louvers over the wheel wells, gas fill and exhaust tips. There is viewable detail of the AP Racing logo brake calipers through the Oz wheels. The brakes are correctly positioned but do not appear differently scaled front and rear as they should be. The soft, scuffed Dunlop rear slicks are visibly fatter than the fronts. The steering wheel moves when the front wheels are posed.

The interior can be seen through the glass and while it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust, you see elements like the modeling of the uniquely integrated roll cage. The belts, seating and controls all appear to be in place but having to tilt the model in various contortions in order to view the sumptuous detail detracts a bit from the wow factor. There is relatively good detail on the body, including the headlights, latches, lighted rear view mirrors and aerials. The massive double rear wing has slots at the division point. The tampo graphics are elegant - AUTO art's finishes are almost always of the highest quality.

I find the Bentley’s of 2001-2003 the most attractive of the modern prototype racers. I don’t know if it’s the traditional, and in this case well replicated, British racing green paint scheme with silver accents or the svelte profile enhanced by the closed shell. Maybe it’s not any one thing, as having this model on the shelf invokes the memory of watching this car chase dawn and history at Le Mans. To be able to own that kind of romance in a model of a modern racer is rare indeed. I hope one day AUTO art will make a fully detailed version but until then, this one will do nicely.

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