Lotus Elise

A little history

After a long period of uncertainty, Lotus found in Romano Artioli a new owner who understood what the company’s philosophy was all about: building lightweight GTs offering impressive performances, not overpriced supercars. Though the old Esprit would remain in production, a new model, small and affordable, would be added to the range: the Elise.

The Elise’s development was a protracted one, ending in the car being launched only in September 1996, just as Artioli had to relinquish the small British company to Malaysian giant Proton after the collapse of his over-ambitious project. The small roadster was constructed on an aluminium chassis fitted with Lotus’ traditional fibreglass body – as a result, at a time when extra electrical and electronic equipments had driven the weights of all other cars to towering heights, the Elise didn’t even reach 750 kilograms. With a 1.8-litre four borrowed from Rover, and rated at no more than 120 hp, the Elise was capable of impressive performances. Though its top speed was obviously no match for bigger GTs, its capacities in terms of acceleration and cornering enabled the car to challenge most of its larger and more expensive competitors.

Still, some customers were asking for more performance, that Lotus was keen to deliver. A 145 hp version debuted in 1999 as the Elise 111S, followed during the next year by the 179 hp Exige. The very same engine was also fitted to a lightweight roadster, the minimalist 340R, which with less than 570 kilos could be considered a modern interpretation of the original Lotus Seven.

During the same period Lotus decided to measure itself against the likes of Porsche or Mercedes-Benz in the FIA GT championship. Cunning interpretation of the FIA rules gave birth to the Elise GT1, which used the road car’s chassis but shared few other elements with its namesake. Its career wouldn’t essentially extend on more than a single season, as the car was only marginally short of being catastrophic. Its chassis lacked potential, aerodynamics weren’t its strong point, its gearbox was often failing and none of its engines (the GT1 could be fitted either with the 3.5-litre from the Esprit, brilliant but fragile, or the 6.0-litre lent by the Chevrolet Corvette, a GT block that proved insufficiently powerful) was satisfactory. Following the pitiful demonstration of the GT1, Proton, appalled by the staggering cost of the program, signified to Lotus that its unfortunate foray into international motorsports was over.

A Series 2 Elise was unveiled for model year 2001, which introduced many minor improvements and a body redesigned in a similar yet much more aggressive style – I personally prefer the more rounded, somehow more feminine look of the Series 1, but this is purely a matter of taste. The Elise is still produced today, the main event of its later years being the switch to a 1.8-litre Toyota engine following Rover’s collapse.

About the models

Model: Lotus Elise
Year: c.1996
Maker: Hongwell
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Cararama
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Manila, Philippines

A simple model that nonetheless does the trick perfectly well. At just above two euros it left my budget virtually unscathed in order to purchase rarer models proposed by more expensive brands. My rating is 12/20.









Model: Lotus Elise GT1 - Chevrolet
Year: 1997
Event: 1997 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Jan Lammers, Mike Hezemans and Alexander "Sandy" Grau (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.14 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l'Endurance press series
Acquired: new with neither box nor stand (probably a production overrun or quality control reject), in February 2007, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

A correct die-cast but I have serious reservations about the clear covers on the headlights, which get loose with extraordinary ease – if you present your model out of its box, take care not to lose any, of otherwise unscrew the chassis, then add two little drops of glue on the inside of the body, where their lone stems are supposed to hold these faulty parts. My rating is 11/20.

Fiat 2800

A little history

Fiat concentrated on more popular cars after ending the production of its 527 model, but shortly thereafter, returned to the luxury field with the 2800. “Luxury” is certainly exaggerated somehow, the 2800 being smaller in size and equipped with a lesser engine than most of its European and American rivals at the time. The last real attempt from the Italian company in the upper range of the market was then, and still is to this very day, the “Superfiat” of the early Twenties. Fitted with the only V12 of its time, the Superfiat simply didn’t sell and was quickly cancelled – this probably explains Fiat’s cautiousness since then.

The 2800 was, as its name implies, a 2.8-litre car, though 2.9-litre would be actually even closer. This overhead valve straight six was rated at a modest 85 bhp, bringing the heavy car at 130 kph – more than the average car of the late Thirties, but in no way impressive. Styling was up to date, taking cues from American cars of the time (pointed grille, headlights fairings) rather than from the aerodynamic bodies of the smaller Fiats.

Launched in 1938, the Fiat 2800 sold well to the elite of its native Italy, all the way to the very top as both King Vittorio Emanuele III and Pope Pius XII sat in these large automobiles, quickly imitated by a crowd of government officials and wealthy industrialists. Production continued during most of the war, supplemented by a special short-wheelbase variant aimed at the military establishment rather than the civilian one. Production stopped at the fall of Mussolini’s fascist regime in September 1943, though some sources indicate that a few more 2800s could have been built until the following year. In any case, production was very limited: around 400 civilian cars and 200 military ones.

About the model

Model: Fiat 2800
Year: 1939
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.47 of its Voitures Classiques press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2007, in Souillac, France

The Fiat 2800 is neither the most impressive nor the most memorable limousine of the era, but it still makes a nice model after being reproduced by Ixo, which chose the Italian monarch's official convertible limousine as its base. My rating is 13/20.

Hotchkiss Anjou

A little history

Though one step below companies such as Delage, Delahaye or Talbot on the luxury ladder, Hotchkiss was nonetheless agonizing as well as those by 1950. During that year, it introduced a seemingly new model, the Anjou, a large saloon that was actually a pontoon-bodied version of its pre-war chassis with unchanged four- or six-cylinder engines. Actually, the Anjou should have never seen light if Hotchkiss’ plans had run smoothly.

In 1948, Hotchkiss had agreed to build Jean-Albert Grégoire’s project for an advanced front-wheel-drive saloon. This wasn’t the first time the old company would collaborate with the famous engineer, who had also created the Compound, sold by Amilcar after this company had been taken over by Hotchkiss. This Compound wasn’t necessarily a good souvenir. Its advanced design had proved too hard to be produced in large quantities (it was virtually impossible to cast two identical pieces of its intricate structure in light alloy: they should be corrected and adjusted by hand in order to fit, making the construction time-consuming and expensive). Furthermore, Grégoire was extremely difficult to work with. If it is true that all great minds are egocentrics and megalomaniacs, then the engineer certainly was a genius.

Well, some people never learn.

As we said, Hotchkiss agreed to build the Grégoire car… which again proved impossible to produce in the quantities and for the cost that were expected. Production was so much delayed that an interim Hotchkiss model was needed – hence the birth of the Anjou. As it turned out, the latter would both outsold and outlive the Grégoire.

In 1955, the Anjou wasn’t far from being antiquated. Although ageing, its body still had some class, but on the road it unmistakably behaved like a car from another time. After the Grégoire’s failure, Hotchkiss was now in a hopeless situation. A decision was made to stop the construction of passenger cars, after fifty-two years of production. Instead, Hotchkiss would build Jeeps for the French market – a deal with Willys was certainly less problematic than one with Grégoire!

Fulfilling orders for the French army and a few administrations, notably the firefighters, kept Hotchkiss busy for a few more years, but the company never succeeded in selling large numbers of jeeps to the public – in France as anywhere else, civilians would turn to cheap army surpluses rather than buy an expensive new model. The last jeeps rolled out the production line in 1967.

About the model

Model: Hotchkiss Anjou
Year: 1950
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.52 of its Nos Chères Voitures d'Antan press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France

Ixo’s rendition of the Hotchkiss Anjou fells once again in the “slightly above average” bracket with which the Chinese brand is accustomed. Its model is correct, but doesn’t offer anything to be truly ecstatic about. I think that it could possibly have done without an antenna or a mirror, this kind of accessories still being rarities in 1950 (I suppose that Ixo based its model on a 1:1 collector’s car retrofitted with everything imaginable, and therefore not really representative of the way the car looked when new). My rating is 13/20, as for its lack of genuine qualities this die-cast has few flaws either.

Hyundai Accent WRC

JDMike suggested more rally cars: here is one!

A little history

South Korean giant Hyundai replaced its popular Accent with the Verna in 1999. Nonetheless the Accent nameplate still generated enough goodwill in many foreign countries for being carried over on these markets. A plain-looking saloon or hatchback powered by modest 1.5- or 1.6-litre fours, the Verna/Accent had nothing exciting about it either on the outside or on the inside. Still, that was the car Hyundai chose to bear its colours on the rally racing world stage.

Indeed, by the late Nineties the Accent was a huge success for Hyundai. Furthermore the company had just taken over another of the Korean “big three”, Kia. It didn’t lack ambition, but still suffered from a disreputable image outside of its native country. Various ways were used to remedy this problem, entering the WRC being only one of them.

The Accent WRC was first introduced to the press in September 1999. Based on the hatchback coupe version of the car, it was fitted with an aluminium-built 1998 cc inline four, mounted transversally, and able to deliver 300 hp thanks to a Garrett turbocharger. Transmission was, of course, to all four wheels through a six-speed gearbox. With 1230 kg, the car was as light as the rules would allow. Initial pilots of the Hyundai World Rally Team were announced as Alister McRae and veteran Kenneth Eriksson.

Hyundai skipped the early part of the 2000 season and made its debut in Sweden. From the very beginning the Accent WRC proved to be one step behind its direct competitors in terms of pure performance, while reliability also gave trouble to the team. Therefore the whole history of the car, spanning four seasons, would revolve around improving these two aspects. As progress in one of these two fields is generally acquired at the expense of the other, inevitably the Accent still hadn’t been able to cope on its rivals by the end of 2003. Furthermore if two evolutions of the original car (WRC2 and WRC3) had been introduced for the 2001 and 2002 seasons respectively, severe budget cuts translated into a lack of development for 2003, during which Hyundai’s cars seemed terribly out of pace. At the end of its fourth year in WRC, the South Korean company announced a two-year break in its rally racing program – could someone tell these guys they have forgotten to return?

About the models

Just two Accents on my shelves, but from both ends of the car’s unremarkable career.

Model: Hyundai Accent WRC
Year: 2000
Event: 2000 Swedish Rally, driven by Kenneth Eriksson, navigator Staffan Parmander (finished 13th overall)
Maker: Vitesse
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Skid, ref. SKM121
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

One of two Accents on their very first outing is reproduced by Skid as this average model. The busy decoration has been well placed – except for the left door's race number on my model – and the wheels are nicely reproduced. The front lights look great, so why their rear counterparts should be so ugly, being plain red with a grey area (badly) painted onto them? My rating is 11/20.





Model: Hyundai Accent WRC3
Year: 2003
Event: 2003 Rallye Monte-Carlo, driven by Freddy Loix, navigator Sven Smeets (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.10 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

Not much better here, but a die-cast correct enough. Ixo did just the opposite from Skid, botching the front grille but making a rare effort, considering it is a press series release, in fitting its model with twin-colour rear lights (the Chinese company probably realized that plain red lights on a plain red rear panel simply couldn't work). I'll give it a 12/20.

Toyota Corolla (1995-2002)

Some of you may have noticed that we have a fourth follower among us since a few days. Welcome JDMike, and enjoy your stay. As it was the case with the last person to join us before yourself, here is a “special” post to greet you. I didn’t present so many rally cars until now, so here is the opportunity!

A little history

Toyota boasted for a time having, with the Corolla, the most successful nameplate of the world’s automobile market. Nevertheless, when the seventh generation of its popular car was due for a replacement, all that came out was a slightly updated model. Known internally as the “E110” and unveiled in May 1995, it shared most mechanical parts with its predecessor, and even extended this closeness to some body elements. A temporary recession had actually driven Toyota into cutting the development budget of its car down.

This didn’t mean that the new Corolla had been badly designed – on the contrary, this was a tasteful and attractive package. The very same name encompassed quite different cars depending on what part of the planet they were delivered to. Known as a very traditional saloon in many countries, the Corolla was often sold as a 3- or 5-door hatchbacks in Europe, fitted with a different front end. About the latter, Toyota had wanted to provide customers from the Old Continent with a more original-looking car. Unfortunately its large, rounded headlights simply didn’t catch on. When four years old, the car received instead a very traditional front end.

On the mechanical side, Toyota took no chance, its Corolla being totally orthodox. A choice of inline fours drove the front wheels through a 5-speed gearbox, though some models could be ordered with an automatic transmission. Displacements for gasoline engines varied from 1.3 to 1.8 litre, and larger diesels were also available on some markets.

Unsurprisingly, a car bearing such a famous name, sold as the most popular car from the world’s leading automobile manufacturer, couldn’t be a failure. Though its career was somewhat undistinguished, this eighth-generation Corolla sold in huge numbers around the globe until November 2000, when a new Corolla replaced it. The older model was only gradually phased out.

Of special interest is the WRC version of the Corolla. Up to 1997, the chances of Toyota in rallying had rested upon the Celica. The Corolla WRC that would bear the company’s standard would be a totally new car, compact and nimble, in part thanks to its transversal engine – a first in rally racing. Actually, some feared that the very short wheelbase would make the handling problematic, but this proved unfounded. Power came from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four, rated at 299 hp. Transmission was – is it necessary to mention it? – to all four wheels. The Corolla WRC undertook its first full season in the 1998 world championship. Carlos Sainz challenged Mitsubishi’s Tommi Mäkinen until the very end of the season... or rather a few tens of kilometres short of it, its Corolla giving up within viewing distance of the 19th special stage's finishing line during the RAC, the last event of the season. The Spaniard’s hopes ended up in smoke as did its engine. Toyota would finally clinch the manufacturer’s title in 1999, but was unable to add the pilot’s crown to its success. This was nonetheless enough for the Japanese company which announced its withdrawal from the rally scene at the end of the season, though Corollas were entered by private teams for many more years.

About the models

Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: 1998
Event: 1998 Rallye Monte-Carlo, driven by Carlos Sainz, navigator Luís Moya (overall winners)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.25 of its 100 Ans de Sport Automobile press series
Acquired: second hand with stand but without box, in December 2008, in Brive, France

This model comes from one of the oldest (or rather the oldest?) model cars press collection ever released by Altaya. Collectors nowadays ask more from the distributors of these cheap models, which were extremely simplified back then. Therefore this die-cast features wholly-red lights at the back, do without a radio antenna, and sports decals of very poor quality – all copies of this model I saw on the net have the same problem, notably their red decals which cover the lower part of the doors. I'll limit my rating to 8/20.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: 1998
Event: 1998 Rallye Catalunya, driven by Carlos Sainz, navigator Luís Moya (finished 7th overall)
Maker: High Speed
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: High Speed, ref. HF9105/D
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Manila, Philippines

Three months after the Monte-Carlo, Sainz and Moya, along with the rest of the Toyota team, were competing in Spain. This time High Speed made the model. Sold much cheaper than an Altaya/Ixo and half-way between a collectible and a toy, this Corolla nonetheless looks rather nice. My main complaint would go to the rear part of this die-cast, where the whole hatchback and rear lights are made in a single piece of plastic, which seems rather hard to adjust correctly for HS' workers. My rating is 9/20.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: 1998
Event: 1998 Tour de Corse, driven by Didier Auriol, navigator Denis Giraudet (finished 6th overall)
Maker: Vitesse
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Vitesse, ref. V98200
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Correct detailing, but the assembling of the hatchback, here again a separate part, could have been better (traces of glue). As for the rest my remarks are the same as for the Skid model below. Rating: 11/20.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: 1998
Event: 1998 Acropolis Rally, driven by Angelos Zivas, navigator Stelios Fakalis (finished 12th overall)
Maker: High Speed, ref. HF9105/A
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: High Speed
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Manila, Philippines

...High Speed's good idea is, on the other hand, to have multiplied the versions based on its Corolla mould, offered in liveries rarely seen, driven by pilots seldom known. I'll give an extra point for its originality, this time bringing the mark to 10/20. It seems more than deserved as though this model is simple, the quality of its decoration is beyond reproach.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: 1998
Event: 1998 Rally Malaysia, driven by Yoshio Fujimoto, navigator Tony Sircombe (result unknown from me, please help if you can!)
Maker: Vitesse
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Skid, ref. SKF99002
Acquired: brand new, in December 2006, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

Skid didn't lack originality either when it chose to reproduce the car the Tein team entered at the '98 Petronas rally for Fujimoto and Sircombe. It represented the rear end in a similar way High Speed did with its own models, but succeeded in better adjusting the parts together – considering the difference in price, it is the least you could hope for. The absence of "real" front lights, replaced by decals, is rather surprising. On the other hand the presence of some details (antennas, flaps behind each wheel, exhaust, decorated wheels) makes this model more appealing than Altaya's. My rating is 12/20.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: 1998
Event: 1998 Rallye Český Krumlov, driven by Jaroslav Palivec, navigator Milan Dolák (overall winners)
Maker: High Speed, ref. HF9105/C
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: High Speed
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Manila, Philippines

Palivec and Dolák led from start to finish with their HRS Team Corolla during this Czech event. I'll again give a 10/20 rating to this model, for the very same reasons as those given above.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: 1999
Event: 1999 Rally Australia, driven by Carlos Sainz, navigator Luís Moya (finished 2nd overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.41 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2005, in Souillac, France

A Spanish company, Altaya doesn't show the same originality in its choices, most paying homage to national champion Carlos Sainz. This later model compares favourably to this one shown above. Rear lights were still entirely red, but some details had been added and quality was improved. My rating is 11/20.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: c.1999
Event: possibly the 2000 Arctic Rally, driven by Pasi Hagström, navigator Tero Gardemeister (retired, please help to confirm event if you can!)
Maker: High Speed
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: High Speed, ref. HF9105/B
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Manila, Philippines

A magnifier would certainly help, but until now I failed to identify beyond doubt the event entered by this car. The assembly of this High Speed model is better than the variants of the same brand presented above, while its decoration is cleanly applied, so I'll push my rating up to 11/20.





Model: Toyota Corolla WRC
Year: c.1999
Event: 2004 Monza Rally Show, driven by Valentino Rossi, navigator Carlo Cassina (eliminated in semi-finals from WRC event)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.69 of its Voitures de Rallye de Collection press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

Altaya filled the last issues of its Voitures de Rallye series with whatever it could: should the Monza Rally Show seriously be called a rally? Here is its description on the Monza track's official website:

“The classic closing event of the agonistic season at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, where rally and track race aces challenge themselves along with show business and sport celebrities.”

Altaya didn't ignore this, and cleverly removed the word “Show” from the stand of its model... About the latter, Ixo seems to have had some trouble with the decoration - a very busy one, it has to be admitted – but nothing serious. I'd be rather interested to know why the Chinese company fitted its car with an antenna – as shown by the pictures of the actual car (you can see for yourself here, here or here) it didn't have any... Too bad while so many Ixo/Altaya models lack one for cost reasons! My rating would be 11/20.

P.S. You'll tell me that this antenna detail really obsesses me... I found here a picture of the regular Ixo version of this model (ref. RAM164), and it doesn't have any antenna. Most of the time you pay extra money to have a more detailed model... while some other times you need to pay extra to have these details removed!

Garrett 4 CD

A little history

Harnessing the power of steam to alleviate men’s work isn’t a new idea, but it took centuries to make it feasible. Thanks to inventors as Savery, Newcomen or Watt, steam engines were by the late 18th century commonly used by the English industry, most notably to run pump in coal mines. Water accumulating down the tunnels and shafts could now be easily evacuated. Productivity increased. Cheaper coal was purchased by more and more factories which equipped themselves with static steam engines fulfilling various tasks. The Industrial Revolution was in motion.

Completely unknown only a few years before, a totally new market appeared in England for those machines. The Leiston firm Richard Garrett & Sons was among those which grabbed a share of it, starting in 1778 – quite modestly actually, as that year Richard Garrett settled in town and purchased a blacksmith’s forge, but the concern didn’t wait much before turning to what was then high technologies. Much later, steam tractors, steam wagons and other heavy vehicles were added to the range, and by the early 20th century two thousands workers converged every day to the then-imposing factory.

Garrett fulfilled important contracts during World War One, the new form of conflict having shown a serious need for machines able to haul heavy loads. Nevertheless, Garrett ventured into new markets, adding a range of electric commercial vehicles as early as 1916. It could have emerged a prosperous company from the war years. Unfortunately its equipment hadn’t all been sent to the British army – huge quantities of it had been provided to the soldiers of the czar. One revolution later the new power in place in Russia would know nothing about the debts contracted by the old regime – having worked for nought, Garrett was virtually broke. The old company looked for support, and in 1919 joined the Agricultural & General Engineers, a trust set up to regulate the markets of these specialized machines.

Though the hauling capacities of the steam tractors remained exceptional, lighter, cheaper and more convenient gasoline lorries were becoming commonplace. In 1928, Garrett started toying with the idea of building a diesel-engined commercial vehicle but, despite the fact that prototypes were built, no production ensued before the AGE combine collapsed in 1932, victim of the global economic crisis and of ageing technology. Garrett was saved by another specialist of steam traction, albeit on a slightly different scale, locomotive manufacturer Beyer-Peacock. Though the days of the steam tractors were over, Garrett survived until 1985, after being reorganized as the Richard Garrett Engineering Works.

Today, part of the original factory still stands in Leiston, housing a museum entirely devoted to Garrett. Its webpage is here.

About the model

Model: Garrett 4 CD Showman’s
Year: 1918
Maker: Corgi
Scale: 1/50
Distributed by: Corgi, limited edition
Acquired: brand new in a somewhat tired box, in January 2007, in Hong Kong, S.A.R.

I bought this model without knowing much about it. OK, without knowing anything, I admit that. Since then I learned that the 4 CD (for 4 NHP, CompounD engine) was a successful steam tractor of the early 20th century. But what about “Showman’s”? Wikipedia provided me here with the answer:

“A particularly distinctive form of road locomotive was the Showman's engine. These were operated by travelling showmen both to tow fairground equipment and to power it when set up; either directly or by running a generator. These could be highly decorated and formed part of the spectacle of the fair. Some were fitted with a small crane that could be used when assembling the ride.”

Corgi’s heavy die-cast is most probably based on a model still extant (if you’re curious, you can read its complete history here – very interesting indeed – and see a slightly older picture of it there), and did it rather well. All details are perfectly rendered, and the quality of the assembly is beyond any reproach. To make things even better the production run is very limited. Obviously I would have preferred a 1:43 scale model, but the choice of 1:50, the standard for lorries, is understandable. I’d give a 16/20 rating to this model.

Audi R8 and R10

A little history

Audi decided to enter sportscar racing in 1998, at a time when many automobile companies were involved in the competition. Apart from rallies, the racing experience the German company had dated back to… Auto Union, six decades back, so the development of its machine was cautiously subcontracted to specialized Italian outfit Dallara. Designed by famed engineer Tony Southgate, this R8R was a spyder competing in the LMP class. Nevertheless, uncertainty about what formula would dominate all others after the introduction of a new LMGTP class led to the study of a second design, the R8C coupe built in England by NRT. Both models enjoyed very advanced aerodynamics, which resulted in very high top speeds (Audi claimed 350 kph) thanks to their powerful 3.6-litre V8 engine, fed by twin turbochargers and rated at 550 hp for the R8R and 600 hp for the R8C, the former receiving smaller air restrictors in order to follow the rules of its class.

Nowadays automobile manufacturers don’t develop racing cars thoroughly as they used to; as we saw, the development of both the R8R and the R8C was entrusted to specialized companies. The same often applies to entering these cars in the races they are designed for; this was the case with Audi which let Joest Racing, one of the greatest name in endurance racing, manage its R8s on its behalf. For their first season, the Audis proved slower than their competitors, but enjoyed appreciable durability. At Sebring, an Audi spyder finished 3rd for its very first outing, while at Le Mans, avoiding much trouble during a race of attrition, a 3rd place was again achieved.

During 1999, the R8R had scored some encouraging results while the R8C hadn’t much to boast. Audi consequently decided to retire its coupe and concentrate on the development of the spyder, now simply dubbed R8. Its design was refined, and its engine was now officially rated at 610 hp. With most competitors retiring from endurance racing, Audi had an open road to glory, winning Le Mans and dominating the American Le Mans series.

Success was complete for Audi, but the German company hadn’t proved anything by being the only worthy competitor in sportscar racing. Volkswagen allowed another of its subsidiaries, prestige automobile builder Bentley, to return to Le Mans seventy-one year after its last victory in the Sarthe. To most of the public, the Bentley Speed 8 was merely an Audi re-bodied as a coupe; though this is untrue, the British car owed a lot to Audi’s experience, notably using its V8 engine. The challenge proved a weak one and the suspense non-existent. Bentley failed to win the Le Mans 24 hours both in 2001 and 2002, finally achieving its goal in 2003 (works Audi were absent for that purpose) and retiring immediately thereafter.

Bentley’s departure again placed Audi in a very favourable position and, though only private teams were now racing the R8, its domination on both sides of the Atlantic continued. During 2005 though, the R8 showed the first signs of old age. The car again won Le Mans, but only after overcoming a strong challenge from Pescarolo, a team of rather limited means. A new model was needed.

In December 2005, Audi unveiled its new machine for 2006: the R10. While the R8 had proved the efficiency of Volkswagen’s FSI fuel injection system, the R10 would demonstrated the company’s mastery of diesel engines – yes, a diesel-powered car finally won Le Mans, three months after it dominated the Sebring 12 hours, its very first race. Nevertheless the R10 proved heavy and cumbersome on slower tracks due to a much longer wheelbase than the one of its predecessor, thus the R8 was entered instead in several events.

Finally opposition surfaced in 2007 and 2008 as Peugeot declared its challenge to Audi’s supremacy. Its 908 too was powered by a turbocharged diesel, but lacked the preparation of its rival. The main event of the season, the Le Mans 24 hours, was again won by Audi on both years. Advantage was slowly turning to coupes over open cars in endurance racing though, and Audi announced its R15 coupe would replace the R10 spyder for the 2009 season.

About the models

Ixo produces a wide range of Audi R8/R10 models both for itself and for Spanish distributor Altaya. All are excellent, reflecting all the little changes of the original cars' bodies over the years, featuring nice details and sporting good decorations. Therefore I'll collectively give a 14/20 rating to all the following models:

Model: Audi R8R
Year: 1999
Event: 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela and Didier Theys (finished 3rd overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.32 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2007, in Souillac, France

The original R8 - though it didn't win under this guise it is one of favourite R8s due to its wonderful silver/black paint. My rating, as said above, is 14/20.





Model: Audi R8
Year: 2000
Event: 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Stefan Johansson, Tom Coronel and Patrick Lemarié (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as a gift to subscribers of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: second hand with stand and box, in November 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Antibes, France

Swede Stefan Johansson didn't go far at the wheel of his older R8 during the 2001 Le Mans, though for a die-cast collector a car sporting the elegant light blue/orange Gulf livery is always a winner. My rating is 14/20.



Model: Audi R8
Year: 2001
Event: 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.1 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in December 2004, in Souillac, France

Though nowadays most racing cars are decorated with such an intricate patchwork of sponsors you cannot tell what colour they are, Audi is a notable exception, having had several very elegant liveries, including this beautiful silver and red. My rating is 14/20.







Model: Audi R8
Year: 2004
Event: 2004 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Seiji Ara, Rinaldo Capello and Tom Kristensen (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.1 of the second release of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in October 2005, in Souillac, France

The first 24 Heures du Mans collection was apparently such a success that Altaya decided to issue a second series even as the first one was still running. Though its very first model was this 2004 winning Audi, an update over the 2001 similar car of the previous series, all following die-casts were strictly identical. Unsurprisingly, no one was interested, and after about five or six models it was announed that sales would be limited to subscribers. Actually Altaya probably provided its mail customers with the models they expected, but refused any new order and let this second series slowly die for lack of interest. In case you skipped what I wrote above, I let you know that my rating is 14/20.







Model: Audi R8
Year: 2005
Event: 2005 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by J.J. Lehto, Marco Werner and Tom Kristensen (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.9 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l'Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in April 2007, in Souillac, France

Tom Kristensen won his seventh Le Mans 24 hours with this car, breaking the record set by Jacky Ickx. Wow. Possibly because I lost interest in motor racing along the way, possibly also because motorsports have changed and not for the better, or most probably for both reasons combined, I have no idea who Tom Kristensen is. Anyone, help me out of total ignorance. Now for my rating, it is again 14/20 - Ixo's idea of presenting its model covered with "race dirt" doesn't bring much more over a standard model, in my opinion.







Model: Audi R10
Year: 2006
Event: 2006 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner (finished 1st overall)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.20 of its Les Monstres Sacrés de l'Endurance press series
Acquired: brand new, in June 2007, in Souillac, France

The long wheelbase of the R10 doesn't make it the most elegant race car on the track, but Ixo's work is again impeccable. Guess what? My rating is 14/20.