[woodcote]

   

I have a sense of déjà vu... it's only a week ago that I was looking at the new Racer Sideways McLaren 720S GT3 - and now I'm reporting the announcement of an NSR model. Of course, Carrera had a 720S GT3 in their 2019 catalogue - although it looks like Scalextric (who have a long-term licensing arrangement with McLaren) have passed on the GT3 racing version. Choice is always a good thing, but three McLarens might be enough.

NSR have published some very polished graphics of the 3D rendering, but it's the shots of the printed prototype that interest me...

       

The shape and stance of the 720S GT3 does lend itself to a low, wide and sleek slot racing GT car - you wouldn't expect NSR to make a Bentley Continental. The Carrera model - with is pretty much to scale - has a wheelbase of 84mm, a rear track of 63mm and a height of 38mm. So it won't take much of a stretch and a squash to get that width out to NSR's favoured 64mm and a couple of mms off the height...

       

A 3D-printed prototype is never the finished article - but some of those lines do look quite chunky, especially compared with the Sideways model. I hope those front wheel arches are being sorted out and I'm really not sure about the windscreen and roof line. But as I said, a prototype is only one step towards the end product. And it's the performance on the track that really matters - I expect the 720S to be right up there with the benchmark AMG GT3. There are plenty of liveries available too, starting - I suspect - with the orange presentation car...

   

NSR expect the first model to be available in February 2022 - so watch out for more news in the next few weeks.