SCALEXTRIC PORSCHE LMP2
     

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It hasn't been a bad year for collectors of Le Mans Prototype class cars. We've had the Audi R10, Courage C60, Zytek, Peugeot 908 and now Scalextric's version of the Porsche LMP2.

It's certainly a striking model in its bright yellow and red DHL livery. As we've come to expect from Scalextric the tampo printing and paintwork are pretty much flawless. The printing is crisp, legible and solid, but the body colour looks a bit too 'plasticky'. 

Although the LMP2 cars aren't as aerodynamically sculpted as their LMP1 rivals, the Porsche is nicely modelled and all the body detail is present. The aerials and mirrors are moulded from very flexible material so they're unlikely to break off. The rear wing is solidly mounted but again is able to flex and twist, reducing if not eliminating the risk of damage.

Personally I would prefer more detail in the cockpit of the car, the dashboard has a few moulded buttons but is otherwise unadorned. The driver looks wrong in his plain white overalls too! The rear of the car doesn't look right from some angles - there are three large openings at the back of the car and yellow paint is visible inside them - the effect is a little scruffy. The front doesn't look quite right either - the real car has twin headlamps each side, but the model only has one headlight lense on each side, the other isn't fitted presumably because it would obscure the LED, but it makes the car look a little odd.

Sorry for appearing to focus on the negatives - basically this is a very nicely made and well finished model, but there is still some room for improvement.

The chassis looks rather busy, but let's start with the basics. The motor is the standard Scalextric Mabuchi type, driving the rear axle via 9:27 nylon gearing. The rear axle is supported in nylon bushes - there's a small amount of slop in the driveline but not enough to cause concern. The front axle is solid and runs directly in the chassis. As usual with Scalextric models the front axle has no vertical movement. The wheels appear round and true, though the tyres needed sanding to get rid of high spots on the edges. The guide is the usual type with the braids on a removable plate.

The Porsche has lights front and rear. The light boards are quite small and the wiring neatly routed so it's a fairly unobtrusive set-up. Most of Scalextric's new releases are now 'Digital Plug Ready', in other words there's a plug-in system ready to accept the latest generation of 'chip' to enable you to use the car on a Scalextric Digital track. It makes converting cars to digital much easier, but means the wiring in the car is a little more complex.

The magnet is a large strong bar mounted between the motor and rear axle. No alternative mounting points are provided. For some reason the cockpit is attached to the chassis while the driver is attached to the body. It looks quite odd when you first take it apart!!

My Scalextric track is too small to really test the Porsche's abilities, but the initial runs are promising. The car is quick and quiet straight from the box, and the big magnet gives it plenty of grip. The guide sits deep in the slot so the only time the car de-slotted was when I drove it too fast and spun it! 

The lights work well, they're bright and look effective. But there is a lot of light 'bleed' - areas surrounding the headlights are affected, and the whole rear end of the car glows red!! Painting the inside of the body black should reduce this effect, but surely it should have been possible to design a surround for the LEDs to direct the the light better?

My larger routed track proved to be a better testing ground. As on the small track, the car proved to be quick and quiet. The Porsche is a big car, long and wide, so it's stable and has good grip. The length means it's not as smooth and agile through some of the tighter corners, but if the tail slides it usually recovers quickly. I say usually, because the guide travel is limited to roughly 45 degrees each way, so sometimes when the car slides the guide reaches the limit of its travel. This can make the car unsettled and sometimes causes it to de-slot. It's not a major issue but it means the car isn't always as smooth and easy to drive as, for example, the SCX Peugeot. 

But, as with most cars, you adapt as you learn what it can do. The Porsche accelerates strongly and brakes well, has plenty of speed in a straight line and takes wider corners fast, you just need to slow it down a little in the tighter curves. It doesn't take long to get this car hammering around the track!

Ok, so the Porsche LMP2 isn't perfect. But really the issues I've mentioned are minor and I suspect that they won't worry most prospective purchasers. Scalextric make good quality cars at reasonable prices, and this Porsche continues that tradition. A worthy addition to any LMP field.