Result: Overall Winner, 343 laps
Drivers: Hans Herrmann (D)/ Richard Attwood (GB)
The Porsche 917 is an icon in motor racing terms, and this 917K holds perhaps the most coveted of all of this car’s achievements – Porsche’s first ever outright win at the
Autoart pretty much nailed the outlandish shape and stance of this car, and the scale is perfect in all directions. The only really noticeable discrepancy in the shape that I can see is around the area of the rear wheels. On the model, the engine cover conceals quite a large portion of the tyre, whereas on the real car this is not the case. The bodywork ought to rise up higher and over the wheel rather than overlapping it. Panel gaps are perfectly acceptable. Not the very best but not sufficient to spoil the appearance. The doors could close a little more flush to the bodywork, although this would make them incredibly difficult to open. Openings in the bodywork are not perforated, although this fact is very well disguised by neat black paint or black plastic pieces, and you really have to look closely to reveal the truth. Headlights are average. They don’t look terrible but there are mounting stubs visible and they lack the realism of newer models. The tiny rear lights are neat enough, but again stubs can be seen. The only other comment to make on the exterior appearance would be that the fan on top of the engine looks rather unconvincing. It is not incorrect as such, but it does cry out for a little more realism. Overall though, the exterior appearance of this car is very reasonable. There’s no mistaking its age, but fortunately it still looks very much the part.
Score: 7/10
Paint
No complaints in this department. The vibrant red paint is smooth and nicely applied, and would be more than good enough even if this car was released today. This is not a car that will get overlooked on the shelf, even if it no longer stands out as the most detailed model in a collection! It is difficult to fairly judge the colour, as photos from 1970 do not really show off the true colour of the real car. A more recently taken photo of the car in a museum suggests that the model is accurate however. The only problem with the paint is around the engine cover hinges, where there is actually bare metal visible. This may be a factory fault, or it may have been caused by the friction of the moving hinges. A fine result overall though.
This is one of the areas where diecast manufacturing has mercifully progressed since this car was released. The livery on this car is made up entirely of decals, which means that the model has to be handled with a lot of care, as they appear very fragile in places. There is also the threat of cracking and flaking over time. The livery itself appears to be accurate in terms of placement and size. If any inaccuracies in size and positioning exist they are not worth even mentioning. Alignment of the stripes between body panels is not perfect, but again this is a relatively minor flaw. Overall, the livery looks good, and the most pressing problem is just that it is made up of decals. Although this doesn’t really detract very much from the appearance of the model, I still consider it a flaw in that a painted livery is preferable by far.
Autoart rarely fail to impress in this area, but here the model is somewhat crude. The wheels appear accurate in shape and size, but they would never pass for anything except the black plastic that they are. The wheel nuts are the only detail present. Tyres are fine, being made of rubber and with a reasonably realistic finish. Sidewall markings are present, which is interesting as the photos of the real car that I used don’t appear to show any markings. However, I am far from certain on the issue so I won’t penalise the model. Overall, an average result in this area.
This is another area where Autoart tend to have an edge over most companies, but once again the model shows its age. The discs are a plain and flat piece of silver/grey plastic, and the calipers are not much better, being simple black plastic pieces with no real detailing. From photos this appears to be basically accurate, but the discs would be much nicer with a metallic finish or even formed from metal sheet as is the case on newer models. Discs do spin independently of the calipers though. Another average area.
The heart of the 917 was its fearsome 12 cylinder boxer engine, but unfortunately the heart of this model is rather less exciting. There is very little to see beyond the big yellow fan. The main block of the engine is visible but it is formed from one large piece of grey plastic. Other details in the engine bay are equally uninspiring, although some paint detailing could work wonders here. The likes of realistic plumbing and wiring are the things of dreams on this model. Probably the most interesting and detailed view of the engine is from underneath the model, but sadly I don’t tend to display my models upside down! This is the most disappointing aspect of the model in my opinion, and it could be so much better.
Things do not get all that much better inside the cockpit. Although not terrible, the interior of this model doesn’t have an awful lot to shout about. The dials are represented by a sticker, and the seats are a slightly flimsy plastic. Seatbelts are also plastic, although to the model’s credit they are separate pieces and quite nicely detailed. It is difficult to see inside the cramped cockpit of this car, but suffice to say that the detailing is on the whole quite basic. Not disastrous, but nothing special.
This model is something of a mixed bag. The exterior appearance is generally very nice, and although the prolific use of decals is not ideal, it will stand up very well on display amongst other models. Detailing in other areas is not so good unfortunately. The interior is decidedly average and the engine is something of a let down even for an old release. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this car is no better than a good budget release such as the Maisto Audi R8. In some areas it is better, but in others it is actually worse in my opinion. None of this has prevented this model from being popular however, and in the current market the price that this model commands is not representative of its detailing. Nevertheless, it is an iconic racer, and an important