Review by CoMod JoergW on the Evo/Carrera D132 Porsche 917/30 Sunoco Porsche Audi No. 6 '73 (27327/30521)
Porsche had largely left the World Prototype Championship to Ferrari and Matra-Simca in 1972 and 1973 and competed in the CanAm series in accordance with the regulations. Porsche, along with its partner Audi, had first entered the US in 1969 with the Porsche 917 PA, so they had a foot in the door and could use the new developments in the turbo-powered 917 series.
The successful Porsche 917/30s, with over 1,000 horsepower, failed to claim victory in Atlanta despite six victories in 1973. The Porsche 917/10, the previous year's CanAm winner, also won there. Mark Donohue, who also drives the Carrera model, won the CanAm. Several second and third places rounded out Porsche's triumph this year. Because people wanted to see American cars, the rules were subsequently changed in the CanAm, and Porsche was no longer allowed to compete with the winning cars.
At Talledaga, the car reached a top speed of 386 km/h, but the official record is 355.85 km/h. Shortly after setting this record, Mark Donohue crashed his Penske Formula 1 car at the Austrian Grand Prix and was killed.
Optics:
The paintwork looks very realistic and, of course, is easily recognizable thanks to the color scheme on the track. The vehicle appears very well proportioned. Upon closer inspection, small paint imperfections can be seen along one of the thin red dividing lines.
The dummy engine and suspension are detailed and actually quite protected. Only during crash races could there be some small fireworks. There are two small LEDs in the exhaust pipes, with another one positioned centrally above them. This "warning triangle" allows you to monitor the refueling process if you're standing at the track in the appropriate position.
Technology:
The front axle is split and rotates very easily in its original condition. Otherwise, the standard Evo/D132 engine is installed, which naturally raises questions about its equivalence to the McLaren M20. Unlike the McLaren, the Porsche doesn't touch the inside or outside of Turn 3. The wide tires offer decent grip and only require a brief edge break.
Processing:
No defects can be detected in the processing.
Driving behavior:
The 917/30 runs very quietly and unspectacularly. Unlike the M20, it's not quite as snappy and aggressive, but it handles quickly and confidently. Crashes are significantly less frequent with the 917/30, which allows it to compensate for the McLaren's slight speed advantage. If anything, you can dial the McLaren's speed down by 10-20%, but then it's also safer to drive. Exciting CanAm races are to be expected, although due to the production variation, the cars should be thoroughly tested and tuned to ensure a level playing field.
Conclusion:
I haven't enjoyed driving at high speed with a full load of magnets for a long time! I think a speed event as a team race with the Can-Am cars is really fun.
CoMod JoergW
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Review by CoMod martinmm on the Evo/Carrera D132 Porsche 917/30 Sunoco Porsche Audi No. 6 '73 (27327/30521)
In the winter of '72-73, Porsche developed the 917/30, which made its debut at Mosport in May 1973. Despite problems with the front shock absorbers, Mark Donohue finished 7th – and also set the fastest lap. In the second race of the season, Road Atlanta, he finished 2nd, also setting the fastest lap. It's no surprise: The 12-cylinder, 5.4-liter turbo engine produced 1,500 hp at 2 bar of boost pressure on the dyno. In the race, they made do with 1.3 bar – which was still enough for a good 1,100 hp. Mark Donohue won the following six races of the 1973 season with the Porsche 917/30. Due to his overwhelming superiority, the Can-Am championship regulations were changed, making participation with this car impossible in 1974, the last year the Can-Am was held. In 1975, Mark Donohue set a new record with the 917/30 with an average speed of 355 km/h on the oval track in Taladega. But that's coming soon from Carrera...
Appearance and workmanship
The vehicle is faithfully reproduced. The paintwork on the large blue surfaces is very clean and dust-free. Only the huge rear spoiler appears slightly bent – perhaps the two center struts are too long or are not embedded deep enough in the body due to the paint application. The wheels all run true, as far as can be seen visually. The separate front wheels are different, but both are relatively light: (The right one turns about 3-4 turns, the left one at least 10, I didn't count them. So, they're good enough.)
Technology
The vehicle is equipped with the standard E200 engine. The lighting, except for the exhaust light, which is used in the digital version to control
Of course, the vehicle does not have a brake light that serves to monitor the refueling process and at the same time replaces the brake light.
Front axle: independent suspension.
Weight: Body 30g, Chassis (without magnets) 65g
Driving test
I drove it on our 28m Carrera Club track. With magnets, the car adheres to the track as expected – even though you can even drift! The test without magnets seems more interesting and meaningful to me:
I lightly sanded the tires on a sanding board and slightly chipped off the edges. It took less than two minutes. The tires' grippy feel isn't deceptive: they have very good grip. Acceleration and braking are still OK—after all, the wheel diameter is quite large. Fast, controlled cornering is possible, and the car can also reach considerable speed on straightaways—although you need to cover a lot of straights. The low road noise is also very pleasant.
Compared to the McLaren M20:
My skepticism regarding the different engines and rear wheel diameters proved unfounded. We were able to drive many laps side by side on this long track. The McLaren has slight advantages in acceleration and braking, simply due to its lighter weight. The Porsche 917/30 reaches a slightly higher speed. This allows for fairly balanced and exciting races without any tinkering (except for removing magnets and grinding tires). I definitely see potential for optimization in the Porsche 917/30's bodywork. A few more grams could/should be saved here.
As an addition, you could bring a Lola T260, Porsche 917/10, or a Shadow DN2, appropriate for the year. If you're not too strict about it, a Ferrari 512M, 612P, or 350CanAm would also be a nice visual addition.
CoMod martinmm
Porsche had largely left the World Prototype Championship to Ferrari and Matra-Simca in 1972 and 1973 and competed in the CanAm series in accordance with the regulations. Porsche, along with its partner Audi, had first entered the US in 1969 with the Porsche 917 PA, so they had a foot in the door and could use the new developments in the turbo-powered 917 series.
The successful Porsche 917/30s, with over 1,000 horsepower, failed to claim victory in Atlanta despite six victories in 1973. The Porsche 917/10, the previous year's CanAm winner, also won there. Mark Donohue, who also drives the Carrera model, won the CanAm. Several second and third places rounded out Porsche's triumph this year. Because people wanted to see American cars, the rules were subsequently changed in the CanAm, and Porsche was no longer allowed to compete with the winning cars.
At Talledaga, the car reached a top speed of 386 km/h, but the official record is 355.85 km/h. Shortly after setting this record, Mark Donohue crashed his Penske Formula 1 car at the Austrian Grand Prix and was killed.
Optics:
The paintwork looks very realistic and, of course, is easily recognizable thanks to the color scheme on the track. The vehicle appears very well proportioned. Upon closer inspection, small paint imperfections can be seen along one of the thin red dividing lines.
The dummy engine and suspension are detailed and actually quite protected. Only during crash races could there be some small fireworks. There are two small LEDs in the exhaust pipes, with another one positioned centrally above them. This "warning triangle" allows you to monitor the refueling process if you're standing at the track in the appropriate position.
Technology:
The front axle is split and rotates very easily in its original condition. Otherwise, the standard Evo/D132 engine is installed, which naturally raises questions about its equivalence to the McLaren M20. Unlike the McLaren, the Porsche doesn't touch the inside or outside of Turn 3. The wide tires offer decent grip and only require a brief edge break.
Processing:
No defects can be detected in the processing.
Driving behavior:
The 917/30 runs very quietly and unspectacularly. Unlike the M20, it's not quite as snappy and aggressive, but it handles quickly and confidently. Crashes are significantly less frequent with the 917/30, which allows it to compensate for the McLaren's slight speed advantage. If anything, you can dial the McLaren's speed down by 10-20%, but then it's also safer to drive. Exciting CanAm races are to be expected, although due to the production variation, the cars should be thoroughly tested and tuned to ensure a level playing field.
Conclusion:
I haven't enjoyed driving at high speed with a full load of magnets for a long time! I think a speed event as a team race with the Can-Am cars is really fun.
CoMod JoergW
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Review by CoMod martinmm on the Evo/Carrera D132 Porsche 917/30 Sunoco Porsche Audi No. 6 '73 (27327/30521)
In the winter of '72-73, Porsche developed the 917/30, which made its debut at Mosport in May 1973. Despite problems with the front shock absorbers, Mark Donohue finished 7th – and also set the fastest lap. In the second race of the season, Road Atlanta, he finished 2nd, also setting the fastest lap. It's no surprise: The 12-cylinder, 5.4-liter turbo engine produced 1,500 hp at 2 bar of boost pressure on the dyno. In the race, they made do with 1.3 bar – which was still enough for a good 1,100 hp. Mark Donohue won the following six races of the 1973 season with the Porsche 917/30. Due to his overwhelming superiority, the Can-Am championship regulations were changed, making participation with this car impossible in 1974, the last year the Can-Am was held. In 1975, Mark Donohue set a new record with the 917/30 with an average speed of 355 km/h on the oval track in Taladega. But that's coming soon from Carrera...
Appearance and workmanship
The vehicle is faithfully reproduced. The paintwork on the large blue surfaces is very clean and dust-free. Only the huge rear spoiler appears slightly bent – perhaps the two center struts are too long or are not embedded deep enough in the body due to the paint application. The wheels all run true, as far as can be seen visually. The separate front wheels are different, but both are relatively light: (The right one turns about 3-4 turns, the left one at least 10, I didn't count them. So, they're good enough.)
Technology
The vehicle is equipped with the standard E200 engine. The lighting, except for the exhaust light, which is used in the digital version to control
Of course, the vehicle does not have a brake light that serves to monitor the refueling process and at the same time replaces the brake light.
Front axle: independent suspension.
Weight: Body 30g, Chassis (without magnets) 65g
Driving test
I drove it on our 28m Carrera Club track. With magnets, the car adheres to the track as expected – even though you can even drift! The test without magnets seems more interesting and meaningful to me:
I lightly sanded the tires on a sanding board and slightly chipped off the edges. It took less than two minutes. The tires' grippy feel isn't deceptive: they have very good grip. Acceleration and braking are still OK—after all, the wheel diameter is quite large. Fast, controlled cornering is possible, and the car can also reach considerable speed on straightaways—although you need to cover a lot of straights. The low road noise is also very pleasant.
Compared to the McLaren M20:
My skepticism regarding the different engines and rear wheel diameters proved unfounded. We were able to drive many laps side by side on this long track. The McLaren has slight advantages in acceleration and braking, simply due to its lighter weight. The Porsche 917/30 reaches a slightly higher speed. This allows for fairly balanced and exciting races without any tinkering (except for removing magnets and grinding tires). I definitely see potential for optimization in the Porsche 917/30's bodywork. A few more grams could/should be saved here.
As an addition, you could bring a Lola T260, Porsche 917/10, or a Shadow DN2, appropriate for the year. If you're not too strict about it, a Ferrari 512M, 612P, or 350CanAm would also be a nice visual addition.
CoMod martinmm
