There's something about the Porsche 911 isn't there? Almost every manufacturer makes or has made at least one variant of the 911 - Scalextric, SCX, Fly, Ninco, Carrera and ProSlot to name a few. 

Now AutoArt are adding another to the list, their version of the Porsche 911 GT3R.

AutoArt already produce a 911 GT3RS, but despite the similar names they are completely different models. The GT3R is completely new, even the chassis and interior.

We've come to expect flawless paint from AutoArt, and the GT3R doesn't disappoint. The Porsche is quite a plain shape, and the plain white paintjob isn't very exciting, but overall the car looks nice and the shape looks accurate. Nice bright lights, front and rear, complete the car.

The interior is again rather plain as you'd expect in a race car, but there are some chances for AutoArt to show off their detailing skills. The complex full roll cage is a good example, as is the detailed dashboard and instruments. The driver sits (un-harnessed!) in a high backed racing seat. The driver figure isn't the best, but he's better than their 'civilian' drivers.

The chassis has a standard Mabuchi-type motor mounted as a sidewinder. Gearing is all plastic with a 12 tooth pinion and 36 tooth spur gear. Both axles run in metal bearings. The front axle mounts allow some vertical movement which is controlled by a spring clip over the axle. In practice I found the spring too strong - it held the axle down which meant the weight of the car was resting on the tyres, not the guide and gave some intermittent running. My car runs better with the spring clip removed.

The guide is a quick-fit type, which seems to have been modified when compared to some of the earlier AutoArt cars. On the early cars the braids could sometimes slide off the guide, but they seem to be held much tighter on this version.

The magnet is a small but strong rectangle, held in place with a single screw. The wheels are nicely detailed but seem a little narrow, and the treaded tyres don't offer a huge amount of grip. The tyres are a little loose on the wheels too.

The rear axle from a Scalextric Porsche GT3R will fit in the AutoArt chassis as a direct replacement. The Scalextric axle is slightly narrower but the wheels and tyres are wider. You'll need to fit a couple of slim spacers to locate the axle properly. 

First impressions of driving the GT3R are quite promising. It's quiet and smooth, and grips well on Scalextric Sport track. Previous AutoArt cars have been criticised for lack of brakes, but that doesn't seem to be an issue here (the change of gear ratio helps). Too much power will push the tail wide, but the guide has enough travel to allow some quite impressive power slides.

I thought I'd try comparing the AutoArt Porsche against some of the Scalextric Porsche GT3R models, and it scores fairly well. Against the early Scalextric models (with button magnets) the AutoArt car wins quite easily. The later models pose more of a threat, bigger magnets and a better guide mean they can corner a little faster, but it's fairly close.

On my routed track magnets make no difference, so the cars are quite evenly matched. Only the Red Lizard car pictured here has a real advantage because of its 20,000rpm motor.

The AutoArt car is nice to drive on the wooden track. It's a smooth and consistent car which makes it easy to do quick lap after quick lap without the car seeming twitchy or unsettled. Lap times were in the 10sec - 10.5sec bracket, which is comparable to the best of the Scalextric Porsches, only beaten by the Red Lizard car. 

AutoArt seem to be listening to their customers and gradually ironing out the quirks, and the performance is getting closer to what we'd expect. To be honest, the Porsche GT3R is better than I thought it would be and is definitely worth considering.

Bigger pics in the Gallery