Sunday September 21, 2003

Scalextric Limited Porsche

As incredible as it may seem, there are those out there who purchase certain slot cars for collecting only, never to see the rubber meet the road. Some collect them for the sole purpose of possibly re-selling them for a profit, while others simply enjoy completing a series or collecting only special or limited edition releases. Does this make any sense to you? Well it certainly does to quite a few enthusiasts in our hobby.

I am notorious for buying limited edition cars and running them. Just because it is a limited or special release will not stop me from breaking it out like a “regular” car and start the racing. Simply put I collect the cars to race. When a model that is released stands out on the track in terms of performance and looks, it quickly becomes one that I must have every release, limited edition or not!

 So is the case with the Scalextric Porsche 911 GT3R. For myself, this car mixed excellent scale detail with a level of performance that epitomized what this hobby is all about: FUN. As more releases hit the shelves,  they soon hit my own shelf as well in my basement. Sound familiar to you?

 And sure enough, as soon as we had collected them all and were happily racing them, it was announced that a pair of these cars would be released in a limited edition series. Well what was I to do? Of course I must have them right? I mean, how could I not have the ENTIRE collection? For those already enjoying our hobby, they understand my current condition. For a time, there was no known cure…but I have found there is one: Just buy the car! Then you can move on with your life, until you see another you have to have. Simply repeat the cure as stated. See? Its easy.

 The Scalextric Special Edition Porsche 911GT3R that were announced would be made specifically for the French and Swiss distributors, and painted accordingly. As usual, Scalextric has attained a great fit and finish with these models, each with a few custom touches, enough to make each of them “special”.

 The French version is striking in its own right, yet simple. The sweeping snow-capped mountains climbing up the side of the car combined with the shade of blue on top, really looks beautiful, and Scalextric should be commended on this effort. All the markings were clear, crisp and opaque with no runs or fades. The driver is of course painted to match, and looks quite well sitting in the cockpit. The rear lenses are of a 2 color design and the front headlights are molded in clear amber. This looks fantastic on this livery, at least in my humble opinion.

 The Swiss version caught my eye immediately as the bright red on white combination has always been a favorite of mine. There are quite a few more markings on this model, yet not overdone. Again, all tampo markings were error free, at least to my eyes, and added touches of markings on the windshield and rear glass really accented the appeal of this car. Wheels here are solid chrome as opposed to the French version of gold and silver, along with clear headlights and full red rear lenses.

 As of this writing, these cars are not released in high numbers. Does this make them collectible? Have I lost my mind because I have taken these cars out of their cases and ran them? Perhaps.  The old saying goes: “It’s only worth what someone is willing to pay for it” comes to mind. For myself, the value is measured on my personal satisfaction of having them, the fun they bring to us, not what someone may give for them.

I paid $39.99 for each car, the same price that the “regular” cars are. In fact, the UPS and Hewlett Packard versions of these cars carry a higher price in some places as they were available only if you purchased the entire set.  They can be purchased separately in some places, but usually at a few dollars more. Some companies charge quite a bit more for their limited or special edition cars, yet Scalextric priced these exactly as the rest. It was nice to complete my collection without paying more, and my hats off to Scalextric for doing so in this case.

What makes a car collectible? Availability? Price? Version? I can’t begin to answer. As with other hobbies, there enthusiasts who “armchair” model. I have known many a model railroader who have vast collections of locomotives and rolling stock, yet have not driven one spike into the roadbed for running them. If that’s what they enjoy, then good for them. The same can be said for our hobby. Maybe you just enjoy collecting these highly detailed automobiles based solely on what they are: A slot car. If that’s the case, then great, your having fun with this hobby, and as with racing them, fun is what it’s all about.

 Harry

Thanks goes to Slot Car World for remembering my pre-order! (Hey, I get lost sometimes with all that’s coming!)

As usual, feel free to email me at harry@homeracingworld.com or drop me a line here at the Home Racing World Message Forum about this article, or just the hobby in general. We love to see your points of view here, and look forward to seeing you join the fun.