There is nothing in the world of sports car racing as ubiquitous as the Porsche 911. On any given weekend, turn on a race and the classic German stalwart is probably engaged in a battle for the top spot whether it’s ALMS, Rolex Grand AM, Speed GT Cup or an SCCA runoff.

So, if you are AUTO art, you recognize the danger with modeling such an image is that they can become monochromatic, anonymous variations of the same thing. Many 911’s have liveries with chaotically placed decals or have all the romance of a design cranked out from MS Word. The best possible combination? An on-track asphalt-eating bully that’s also visually engaging.

Ah, but where to find such a beast?

Turn off the highway on Arnold Avenue in Sonoma California ND you’ll be brought face to face immediately with Infineon Raceway, the home of the sports car racing force of nature known as Flying Lizard. Their 2006 ALMS entry co-driven Wolf Henzler and Johannes Van Overbeek is the AUTO art subject under the microscope here.

Flying Lizard uses artist Troy Lee (http://www.troyleedesigns.com/) to give its models a touch of the fantastic. Their 2007 Toy Lee Le Mans car is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the most visually engaging race cars I’ve ever seen. The standard runner from 2006 isn’t anyone’s plain jane. Silver and red form a perfect paint combination with the a Lizard image that on the face of it is a simple line drawing, yet conveys an aura of violent, dark cunning.

The decals, complement rather than clash with this silver/red foundation. Often these small decals are intentionally jarring in order to “stand out” but here the black, white and red with an occasional blue splash (the American flag, the ALMS series badge) seem positively organic. The only missing features in the livery are an IMSA sticker that should be on the hood and Michelin Man logos which appear on the front and/or rear bumper in most race photos. Given that sports car liveries can jump around from race to race, this is par for the course. [Got an afternoon to kill? go the Flying Lizard website, review the 2006 season in the Photostore, and watch how the portalplayer decal morphs from place to place.].

Once we’re past panting over paint, the rest of the car offers tasty detailing. Opening front bonnet, doors and rear hatch. The one gigantic miss being the black rims. Not only would the silver create harmony of the rest of the livery, I can’t find reference photos that suggest the car ever had black rims. The one photo that (I think) shows some black spokes still has silver rims which lead me to believe it’s a trick of the light. Mystifying.

Engine detail is good though like most modern racing engines it is as modest in showing its guts. The interior is another story, all brilliantly wired with an authentic cockpit feel. The sueded Recaro pilot seat features soft harness. Turning the model upside down the roll cage even has extra “padding” around the driver. There’s a little extra glue sheen at the base of the uprights of the rear spoiler that is just not characteristic of AUTO art but that could always be a one off issue with my sample. As you’d expect, steering is functional, lighting is replicated beautifully and the oil and fuel systems under the front bonnet are first rate. The front splitter is accurately modeled, but I’m disappointed the attempt was not made to create the illusion of carbon fiber, something we know AUTO is well capable of doing.

I must admit, with this image, I find the over all shape of the PMA version more enticing. However, the livery here makes all the difference – a stand out from previous 911 RSR versions - and ones to come. A color scheme that’s an American original, it looks great on the shelf and holds it’s own in a cabinet of legendary Porsche models. What else could a boy want?

-Rusty Hurley