(Find the Sparky Dauer 962 Le Mans on Ebay)
It’s been a long while since I have covered anything from Spark. Almost five years infact. Back in March 2020 when I wrote about the Nissan Delta Wing, any Spark branded 1/64 were sold under the “Petit Spark” name. And the quality wasn’t entirely the best. I had two of these early small scale Spark cars; a Toyota TS030 and the Delta Wing, and there were flaky decals and other QC slips that really let them down. But things quickly changed. The 1/64 releases then began appearing under the “Sparky” name and quality shot up. The catalogue of available models grew, and in the midst of such scale heavyweights as Mini GT, Inno, Pop Race etc Sparky are providing a tempting alternative. One model that caught my eye was their Dauer 962 Le Mans.
By the early 90s, Porsche’s venerable 962 was entering the twilight of it’s racing career. It had been a hugely successful car taking 2 Le Mans wins, a World Sportscar Championship, 3 IMSA GT championships and a clutch of Interserie titles to name a few.
Over nearly a decade of success, Porsche had built around 100 962s (some converted from the equally legendary 956) and a large customer racing programme existed as a result, with teams like Joest and Kremer even building their own components and even entire chassis. But rule changes in sportscar racing were making it harder (and more expensive) for teams running 962s to be competitive. Some bit the bullet and pushed on, others sold off their cars, often for very cheap sums. Flicking through the classified ads pages of contemporary motorsport publications, one could often find a 962 (complete with spares) being sold for a rather attractive price. Buoyed by booming economies in the west and Japan, this was an era where small supercar manufacturers were appearing left, right and centre, so it’s perhaps no wonder that tuners and engineers began wondering if the 962’s all conquering capabilities would translate to an all conquering road car.
The first to give it a shot was Willy Koenig, creating his C62 in 1991. His Koenig Specials company took an initial batch of three 962 chassis, threw in tuned 911 engines and added entirely new body panels made from Kevlar composite along with road legal light units, improved ground clearance and a road focused suspension set-up.
Over in England, Australian racer Vern Schuppan was also in the process of creating a 962 based roadcar, a tribute to his own successes with the car at Le Mans and in Japan’s Sports Prototype Championship. His 962CR went on sale in 1992. Built around a carbon chassis built by UK aerospace firm ACT, the 962CR used genuine IMSA spec race engines producing over 600bhp. But once the chassis were passed to Schuppan, they were fitted with body panels featuring rounded, softer lines, a blended rear spoiler and round headlights; a radically different design to the “regular” 962.
Another 962 customer with visions of creating a roadcar was Jochen Dauer. The German driver had a strong relationship with Porsche and had won the 1988 Interseries Championship piloting a 962. By 1991 his race team had become focused solely on turning the Group C machine into a roadcar, christened the “962 Le Mans”. They took surplus 962 chassis (with genuine race history) and like Koenig and Schuppan, exchanged the body panels for Carbon-Kevlar items. A softer, street friendly suspension set up was fitted complete with hydraulics that allowed the ride height to be raised or lowered, a clever way around German vehicle regulations. Stowage space for a pair of custom carbon-fibre suitcases was created, and the bare race cockpit re-trimmed with substantial amounts of leather, coloured to the customer’s choice. Buyers could also pick from a large and somewhat bewildering array of options ranging from rear view cameras to expensive sound systems and even DVD players.
The engine was the same 3-litre, twin turbo Type 935 flat-six as found in the racer, albeit with a looser air restrictor. The result was 720bhp, 251 mph and 0-100kmh in 2.1 seconds meaning the 962 Le Mans was pretty much the fastest thing on the road until the Bugatti Veyron arrived.
Unlike the Koenig and Schuppan cars, Porsche had provided full backing to the Dauer 962 road car, and Porsche Motorsport engineer Norbert Singer was particularly interested. He had designed the original 956 and 962, and saw an opportunity to exploit a loophole in Le Mans rule books ready for an assault on the 1994 24 Hours.
The GT Category had returned to the La Sarthe race in 1993, and the rules stipulated that competing cars had to be based on a road legal vehicle with a minimum production quantity of… one. Cars in the GT class were also allowed to run more power and bigger fuel tanks than competitors in the top Group C category, but had more restricted aero regulations. Singer’s belief was that the advantages of the larger fuel load coupled with the already proven 962 reliability would prove a devastating combination, allowing the cars to sustain a solid pace with less visits to the pits. Turning the Dauer 962 back in to a race car was understandably straightforward, with slight alterations made to the aerodynamics that gave the car a flatter nose and longer tail. One road car was also built with the same aero changes. In the race the Dauer cars proved shatteringly fast, outstripping the nearest cars in their category by several places in qualifying. The Group C cars were even faster still, but due to their smaller fuel tanks soon began dropping back once the race was underway. The Dauer cars finished 1st and 3rd and the ACO (the governing body behind the race) swiftly changed the GT rules for 1995, ending an era of 956/962 dominance.
13 road cars were built, with 6 going to the Sultan of Brunei. Sparky’s version replicates the sole road car built with the Le Mans aero changes.
Back in my youth a Dauer was one of my desktop backgrounds, and there was a poster of the Le Mans winning car on my wall. So there was always going to be a home for the Sparky 1/64 in my hoard.
There’s some very cool details like the accurately replicated Böblingen/Baden-Württemberg license plates and the bright yellow interior, complete with sharp decals representing a pair of Willans harnesses.
The proportions are great though sadly the wheel size needs adjustment. The BBS wheels are well replicated but a touch too small, especially on the front. This in turn means the tyre profile is off, giving a slightly odd look from certain angles.
Whilst I’m nitpicking, the front light covers are poorly seated and despite being blessed with sharp enough decals, the interior needs refinement. The yellow paint on the seats and dashboard really should have been matt rather than gloss, and there’s a rather clunky looking steering wheel.
But the fact it’s in my hoard means I’m not at all put off by any of this, and nor should you be really. Despite the flaws it feels solid, and has a decent weight to it aided by a screw-on metal base. And it rolls wonderfully. I really do love it. Only a few years ago a Dauer 962 would have been unthinkable in 1/64, yet here we are. Sparky have also recently released red and black road versions (replicating cars sold to the Sultan of Brunei) and also have replicas of the Le Mans cars, so there’s a few choices available for potential buyers if yellow isn’t your thing. But this is definitely my pick.
I’m superbly grateful that this exists. The childhood poster is long gone, but this is a more than fitting replacement.
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