I just received this diecast in the mail this morning, my 50th 1/43rd scale model car. The NewMan (brand of jeans in Europe) sponsored Team Joest Racing 956 driven to victory in the 1984 Le Mans is recreated nicely by HPI. The 1980s were Porsche's for the taking in Endurance/sportscar racing. The 956/962 platform was a dominant contender in the Group C category. I really like Group C, as the rules allowed for variety and creativity in the design of the cars. There was no limit to engine size/output, instead the rules regulated how much fuel could be consumed by a car in a given race. Porsche went with twin-turbo'd flat six motors, Mercedes a turbocharged V8, Mazda entered the game later with a rotary powered machine, while Jaguar elected for a 12 cylinder powerplant.
There has been a lot of hype surrounding HPI's diecasts. They are detailed, and relatively expensive. I must say, I am impressed with many aspects of the HPI diecasts. The removable rear engine cover reveals a nicely detailed motor. Exterior details are nice and crisp. I really like how HPI's diecasts make minimal use of decals, most everything is done with tampo graphics. The graphics are done very nicely, crisp and even. A downer for me however was the paint quality. Its not that the paint is bad, but given the price of these diecasts it leaves something to be desired. The paint is mostly smoothly sprayed, but there are areas where the paint is a little thin. The display case this diecast comes mounted on is nice. Like Minichamp's cases, it is simple, with simple not too flashy text on the base (I hate how some manufacturers use flashy text - looks gaudy). Of all the different brands of 956/962 diecasts I own (Minichamps, Quartzo, Spark), I think the HPI is best.
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