Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP 2008 Performance Boost

Paul Onorato September 30, 2023 News

ABOUT THE REAL PORSCHE 911 GT3 CUP VIP 2008

The full size Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP 2008 was developed for the Porsche Super Cup and this is a model that faithfully recreates a customer race car. The Porsche Super Cup is a single-make racing series that competes at numerous racing circuits around the world. This particular Super Cup car, the VIP Car, was one that was run by Porsche themselves and was driven by different drivers by invitation according to the race. Porsche powered these 911 GT3s with very powerful six cylinder horizontally opposed engine that puts out 420bhp and 309ft lbs. of torque and paired to a 6-speed sequential transmission. On the exterior you will find an aggressive front air dam, an extremely sleek body followed by a large aerodynamic rear wing complete with its distinctive duck tail.

As you can fully expect, Tamiya accurately molded the polycarbonate body in exacting scale detail to look just like its full-scale counterpart. The beautiful body lines right down to the shape and size of the headlights and brake lights mimic the real deal. Even the large racing rear wing is molded from polycarbonate. Along with the body, Tamiya hooks you up with side mirrors that are separately molded out of plastic plus metal-plated light cases to allow the use of optional LED lights. To complete the look, Tamiya wisely gave this kit plastic mesh-type wheels that look just like the full size BBS ones used on the real 911 GT3 racecar. Each wheel is wrapped with high performance slick tires. Lastly, you will find loads of stickers to fully detail the body and add more realism to the wheels and tires.

Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP 2008 Performance Boost — The super recognizable and racy form of the Porsche 911 GT3 is faithfully recreated in durable and lightweight polycarbonate.

Side mirrors are molded separately in plastic to give your car an extra touch of authenticity.

Found at the rear is the distinctive and accurately captured “duck tail” along with the large racing wing molded from polycarbonate.

ABOUT THE TAMIYA TT-01 TYPE-E CHASSIS

Tucked beneath the beautiful Porsche 911 GT3 polycarbonate body is the proven Tamiya TT-01 Type-E four wheel drive touring car chassis. The “E” in its name stands for evolved as it features many improvements over its predecessor the standard TT-01 chassis. Tamiya placed the motor and battery close to the ground to give the TT-01 Type-E a lower center of gravity and optimum balance which translates into enhanced on-road handling. Adding to that is the four wheel double wishbone independent suspension that is supported by easy to build and maintain friction shocks that further enhances handling.

The main portion of the chassis is the bathtub frame supported by a fiberglass reinforced nylon top deck and gear covers that makes for a more rigid setup. A propeller shaft relays power up to the front gearbox for full-time all-wheel-drive action while reliable 5-gear differentials are used in the front and rear and spin on metal bushings. Along with all those features, you will find the TT-01 Type-E chassis to be easy to build thanks to a low parts count and an exceptional instruction manual. Then when you are ready, Tamiya offers a plethora of Hop-Up Option parts that you can use to make Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP 2008 kit even better.

SPECS

This is an example of how drivers can use the included transponder mount when setting up their car for organized racing.
Front shock tower and gear cover are separate parts; the shock tower features two different shock attachment holes to choose from.
Item #47429
Scale: 1/10
Length: 18.31 in. (465mm)
Width: 7.68 in. (195mm)
Height: 5.28 in. (134mm)
Wheelbase: 9.88 in. (251mm)
Chassis: Molded ABS plastic tub
Drivetrain: Shaft-driven 4WD
Differential: 5 gear, bevel gear diffs
Bearings: Metal and plastic bushings
Suspension (F/R): A-arms / H-arms
Shocks: Molded plastic, friction type
Motor: 540-brushed type
Speed control: Electronic
Wheels: Mesh, molded in silver
Tires: Rubber slick tires

REQUIRED TO COMPLETE

2-channel radio system
Steering servo
Battery pack
Battery charger
Polycarbonate & ABS Plastic Paint

A three-piece steering tie rod setup employs aluminum pipes for superior parts fit and smooth steering motion.

KEY TAMIYA HOP-UP OPTION PARTS FOR THE PORSCHE 911 GT3 CUP VIP 2008

Metal Ball Bearing Kit—#54025

Tamiya spec’d metal and plastic bushings for the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP 2008 that do a decent job in keeping the drivetrain spinning and the overall cost of the kit down. Do yourself a favor and replace all the bushings with metal ball bearings. This bearing kit not only replaces all the bushings in the drivetrain but also the tiny plastic bushings found in the steering bellcranks. Metal ball bearings will help further reduce unwanted friction in the drivetrain and steering and will last longer than the bushings. If you don’t want to replace all the bearings, below is a list of what bearings are required for the TT-01 Type-E chassis along with the quantity.

850 Ball Bearings (qty.4)—#94392
1150 Ball Bearings (qty.12)—#53008
1280 Ball Bearings (qty.4)—#53066

TT-01 Ball Diff Set—#53663

Another spot where you can make the drivetrain spin more smoothly is with the differentials. Gear diffs are durable, require less maintenance, but are not as smooth as a ball differential and they exhibit play which is inherent in the design. Ball diffs use steel balls that roll on flat metal rings so there is no backlash or play and they are super smooth compared.

Aluminum Propeller Shaft—#54026

Upgrading to aluminum from a plastic component can be a big benefit especially when it comes to a propeller shaft. The TT-01 Type-E spins a plastic shaft that flexes a good amount and can twist. This aluminum shaft will fix both of those issues and comes in Tamiya’s bright blue anodized color. Included with the shaft are propeller joint cups that are also constructed of aluminum and anodized blue.

Universal Shaft Assembly—#53792

Continuing the friction fighting theme, install this Universal Shaft Assembly to replace the stock dogbones. You will find that the front wheels will spin smoothly even when steering input is given. Ad added benefit is that there is no loss of power. If you plan to add this hop-up to your TT-01 Type-E, you should also pick up the TT-01 Ball Diff Cup Joint (#53806). These cup joints are made of metal and are a smart upgrade over the plastic units.

TT-01 Metal Motor Mount—#53666

There are some hop-up option parts that you can simply add on without worrying about needing to change other parts of the car. The TT-01 Metal Motor Mount shown here is one of those items that you should certainly consider if you are adding more power to the chassis. The stock motor mount is made of plastic and does not offer the same type of rigidity that this aluminum mount can. The connection between the pinion and spur will stay constant and therefore cause less wear. There is also the benefit of keeping the motor cooler as it acts like a heat sink.

AV Pinion Gear Set 20/21T—#50356

You can get even more speed out of your TT-01 Type-E if you get pinion gears with a higher tooth count. Keep in mind that you can’t go with too high of a tooth count because it can cause the motor to run too hot. It takes some trial and error to get the setup that works for your specific hopped-up car. The pinion gear set here includes two pinions and come with the grub screw to secure the pinion onto the motor shaft.

TRF Fluorine Coated Damper—#53571

If you had to choose just one hop-up option part, we would suggest replacing the kits friction shocks with a nice set of oil-filled shocks. A great option from Tamiya are these TRF Fluorine Coated Dampers. In stock from, the TT-01 Type-E will tend to bounce over rough terrain and be difficult to control. These oil-filled units will eliminate those traits and make the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP 2008 a much better handling car.

TT-01E Carbon Damper Stay—#54059(front)/#54060(rear)

Tamiya offers front and rear Carbon Damper Stay for the TT-01 Type-E that replaces the stock plastic shock towers. In stock form, you are limited with suspension adjustments and this set gives more tuning options. The Damper Stay is cut from 3mm carbon fiber and includes all the necessary mounting hardware.

Adjustable Upper Arm Set—#53674

The TT-01 Type-E does not offer a lot of adjustability and that is by design. This makes it a great car to start off with and it handles quite well out of the box. Some times when there are too many adjustments, people will tend to over tune the car and make it nearly undrivable. Once you gain experience, then it is worthwhile to add parts that give you more tuning options. One of those are these Adjustable Upper Arms Sets that allow you to tweak front camber.

Aluminum Toe-In Aluminum Uprights—#53800

These machined aluminum uprights replace the stock components and increase the toe-in from 1-degree to 2-degrees of toe-in on the rear tires. This translates into improved rear traction and straight-line tracking not to mention being a more stout part over the stock uprights.

TT-01E Aluminum Steering Set—#54058

The TT-01E Aluminum Steering Set features precision machined aluminum steering arms that are supported by metal ball bearings. This is a great way to eliminate slop in the steering and you will find better steering response with the TT-01 Type-E.