Le Mans Contest Entry: 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 EVO

[lmdrs22]

My 2nd contest entry (full detail) Porsche 911 gt-1 EVO by UT models.




I'll build this one at the same time as the Clarion Nismo. Starting these today

[RallyRaider]

Ooh nice, but this might get a bit prickly rules wise

Can we say this is actually a Le Mans livery? The cars raced (and won the class) under the numbers 25 and 26. The decals in the UT kit are just generic not for any particular event, so unless you have the '97 Le Mans decals it won't really fit.

Its a similar situation with my Crocodile Audi R8, it would be ineligible because that livery was used at Adelaide 2000 rather than Le Mans. Even though the exact same chassis that was painted in the croc scheme finished second at Le Mans in a silver and yellow livery earlier in 2000.

Sorry to do this to you but better to find out now rather than later. If you can get hold of the Revel kit it has the 97 Le Mans decals

[PRIVATEER]

Originally Posted by RallyRaider

Ooh nice, but this might get a bit prickly rules wise

Can we say this is actually a Le Mans livery? The cars raced (and won the class) under the numbers 25 and 26. The decals in the UT kit are just generic not for any particular event, so unless you have the '97 Le Mans decals it won't really fit.

Its a similar situation with my Crocodile Audi R8, it would be ineligible because that livery was used at Adelaide 2000 rather than Le Mans. Even though the exact same chassis that was painted in the croc scheme finished second at Le Mans in a silver and yellow livery earlier in 2000.

Sorry to do this to you but better to find out now rather than later. If you can get hold of the Revel kit it has the 97 Le Mans decals

Good call Rally Raider....I knew you'd be a good judge. lol I would like to see this kit in the contest, with the correct livery of course. I hope you find the decals.

[RallyRaider]

Actually I was wrong. The Porsche GT1 won its class in 1996, not 1997. Almost won the race outright in 1997 only for the number 26 car to retire in the last hour.

Here are a couple of pics of the cars as they appeared at Le Mans 1997. Many subtle differences, most notably the lack of Warsteiner branding.

[lotus_man]

I was right opposite the Porsche pit in '97 when the 26 car went up in flames on the Mulssanne. The crew had no warning, we saw it on the giant screen right asthey did. Everyone was pretty stunned... the crew were devastated.

[lmdrs22]

Thanks guys- decals won't be a problem- Revell kit is easy to find, or I can make some up myself

THANKS FOR THE REF PICS RallyRaider!

[godfather23]

again, rallyraider, where do you find those reference pics? Do you simply use google or do you have somewebsites, nobody knows about??

[bvia]

[quote=RallyRaider]Actually I was wrong. The Porsche GT1 won its class in 1996, not 1997. Almost won the race outright in 1997 only for the number 26 car to retire in the last hour.

Here are a couple of pics of the cars as they appeared at Le Mans 1997. Many subtle differences, most notably the lack of Warsteiner branding.

Correct, the only time the Porsche GT1 won the Le Mans 24 overall was the 1998 Le Mans using the Porsche GT1 98.

The 96 was won by the #7 Joest Porsche TWR/WSC in Sanex/Autobaks livery. Le Mans Miniatires did a resin version in 1:24th.

The 97 was also won by a Joest Porsche TWR/WSC (taken over by the factory) and in "sister car" livery to the GT1's (i.e. splash-graphics Mobil-1 white). Le Mans miniatures also did a resin version in 1:24th as it was basically the same as the above car.

Interestingly enough, the TWR/WSC's were originally created to run in the then new IMSA World Sports Car class (..and even then there were simply Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) Jaguar racers with their top chopped off and Porsche power replacing the English powerplants), but were given too much of a penalty by IMSA for their turbo powered engine to overcome and never competed in the series that went to the R&S (as opposed to the 333sp, which IMSA wanted). They were then put into storage until Joest rented them for the '96 Le Mans...Where he won. Porsche would NOT rent them to him for 97, but rather let him run the WSC's under their aegis...for which he won again!

98 was the swan song for the GT1 class and Porsche's victory signaled the end. Modeler's and Scale Productions did this one in 1:24th resin.

hth,
Bill

[lotus_man]

I could be wrong but I seem to remeber the 'spash' graphics were on the ex-Joest car in '98, when the factory insisted they changed the body work and generally messed everything up for the proto so that the final revisison of the GT1 got the overall win (the only race it won all year). The 97 winner ran in Hagennuk colors, as opposed to the blue/orange car that got the overall win in 96. The GT1 won the GT class in 96, neither was classified in 97 (fire for the 26 car, accident for the 25) and then won for the factory in 1998. Least wise that's the way I remember it... I'll dig out my stash of photos from the race later today and see if my brains going mushhy from all the paint fumes ;-)

BTW - If anyone needs pics from 1996/97 I may be able to help as I got some pit lane photos those two years.

[lmdrs22]

Originally Posted by lotus_man

I could be wrong but I seem to remeber the 'spash' graphics were on the ex-Joest car in '98, when the factory insisted they changed the body work and generally messed everything up for the proto so that the final revisison of the GT1 got the overall win (the only race it won all year). The 97 winner ran in Hagennuk colors, as opposed to the blue/orange car that got the overall win in 96. The GT1 won the GT class in 96, neither was classified in 97 (fire for the 26 car, accident for the 25) and then won for the factory in 1998. Least wise that's the way I remember it... I'll dig out my stash of photos from the race later today and see if my brains going mushhy from all the paint fumes ;-)

BTW - If anyone needs pics from 1996/97 I may be able to help as I got some pit lane photos those two years.

More pics would be GREAT! PM me or post in gallery! Thanks

[RallyRaider]

Originally Posted by godfather23

again, rallyraider, where do you find those reference pics? Do you simply use google or do you have somewebsites, nobody knows about??

I've been on the net for a long time and whenever somebody posts a link I bookmark it. So I have lots of bookmarks Unfortunaltely a lot of them are broken, as I found when starting to organise the reference archive Got a lot of work to do there, will have to wait until the weekend sorry.

[bvia]

Originally Posted by lotus_man

I could be wrong but I seem to remeber the 'spash' graphics were on the ex-Joest car in '98, when the factory insisted they changed the body work and generally messed everything up for the proto so that the final revisison of the GT1 got the overall win (the only race it won all year). The 97 winner ran in Hagennuk colors, as opposed to the blue/orange car that got the overall win in 96. The GT1 won the GT class in 96, neither was classified in 97 (fire for the 26 car, accident for the 25) and then won for the factory in 1998. Least wise that's the way I remember it... I'll dig out my stash of photos from the race later today and see if my brains going mushhy from all the paint fumes ;-)

BTW - If anyone needs pics from 1996/97 I may be able to help as I got some pit lane photos those two years.

You are correct. The 97 was the white with orange/red striped Hagennuk car...(which was really the Sanex car repainted)!

As for pics, send/post what you have!!!!

Thanks for correcting me,
Bill