Review by CoMod Martinmm and JoergW of the Carrera DIGITAL 124 Porsche 917K, J.W. Automotive Engineering No. 2, 1971 Daytona 24 Hours (Art.Nr. 23777)
One of the most hotly anticipatedCarrera 1:24 scale models is finally here! At the same time,
it is arguably one of the most elegantly designed race cars from a German sports car manufacturer, featuring one of the most attractive paint schemes—not just for its time.
According to the box label, it depicts the Porsche 917K (Porsche Chassis No. 917-015) driven by the duo Rodriguez/Kinunnen in the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona race. They were the ones who won that race. The livery—specifically the placement of the starting number on the rear—differs, however.
The body shape—when compared visually to corresponding photos—is excellently rendered. The proportions all appear very harmonious. The rear suspension is less delicate—but it’s perfectly suited for slot racing while still maintaining sufficient detail. The small window, which was specifically added for races with steep curves, isCarrera stylized on Carrera the model via a printed decal. However, this does not detract from the overall appearance.
On the practical side:
The wide rear wheels sit quite close to the rear end. Depending on the production-related lateral play of the rear axle, they may also rub against the body. There is no taillight—but the digital decoder does have a connection.
The chassis is enclosed—there is no separate cover for the center magnet, which makes removing it much easier. The tires are made of the softer material used for “tuning tires.”
In its original,
fully magnetized condition, the handling is identical to that of other D124 vehicles. The road noise, however, is quite loud (the gearbox play is a bit too tight). Without additional magnets, the well-tuned front-axle keel and the high-grip tires make a pleasant difference. Both axles (including the wheels) run smoothly without any issues. The grinding of the rear wheels has once again proven beneficial.
To throw the 917 off the track—even without a holding magnet—it takes some serious driving error. When tuned with the two outer center magnets, as we drive the C D124 classic cars in the club, it’s right up there with the front-runners, judging by the lap times.
Despite a few minor flaws, this is a car you need two of: one for the track and one for the display case. The variety of 917K variants is vast—so we can certainly look forward to many more beautiful and high-performance race cars.
Best regards,
Martin
***************************************
Let's start with the 1:1 scale !
The endurance races of the late 1960s were mainly
dominated by the Ford GT40
, but then a relatively small German sports car manufacturer entered the scene and brought its Porsche 917 to the racetracks. In 1969, due to various technical and aerodynamic issues, a Ford GT40 managed to secure another victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but as early as the 1000 km race at the Österreichring that same year, a Porsche 917 K made its mark and won. Even though many of the factory drivers initially struggled to get used to the Porsche 917 and preferred to use the tried-and-true Porsche 908, constant development and optimization resulted in a winning car. The Porsche 908 was used only on mountainous circuits (Spa, Nürburgring, Targa Florio), while the other race tracks were covered by the Porsche 917, with either the short-tail or long-tail version depending on the track’s characteristics.
The red-and-white Porsche 917 K (K = short-tail) of the Porsche Salzburg team secured the first major victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970. Second place went to a Porsche 917 in the long-tail version. This was followed by victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and nearly all other races that year, and Porsche secured the overall title in the World Sportscar Championship unchallenged. TheCarrera model now Carrera available as Carrera the 124 with start number 2 was originally driven by Pedro Rodriguez and Leo Kinnunen at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Weighing just 830 kg, the vehicle with chassis number 15 was still equipped with the 4.5-liter engine producing 560 hp, which was later upgraded to a 4.9-liter engine with 600 hp.
And now we come to the 1:24 scale version of theCarrera !
Appearance:
The new 124 model looks true to the original in both shape and color. Flatter, wider, lower…
or something like that. The car fits seamlessly into the existing lineup of GT40s and
Ferrari 330 P4s. The wide rear tires and the rear design with the hint of
a spare tire—which was mandatory back then, even in races—are delicately crafted and rich in detail… Rear-end collisions should be avoided at all costs; with a GT40 in the rear, it’s a wreck.
The low-sitting driver is only half-finished; there just isn’t much room there… but at least a visual adjustment has been made. I would remove the delicate, very well-reproduced windshield wiper for races.
The paintwork and decals are flawlessly executed.
Judging by the 1:1
photos, the fairly light blue matches
the early days of the John Wyer team very well; later on, the blue became significantly darker. The wheels sit well in the wheel wells.
Specs:
202 g total weight (of which 45 g is the body, 154 g is the chassis with electronics, and 3 g is screws).
The upper of the two headlights is illuminated; unfortunately, the rear is not.
The light, which appears
slightly greenish through the lenses, looks realistic. The front axle, which is generally smooth-running and straight, does not turn in some places when pushing the car along the track (yes, the rails are not 100% level). The tires have tread but offer sufficient grip and lie fairly flat. The inner sides have some very slight burrs that should be sanded down.
Performance:
Wide rear tires and a low-slung silhouette, combined with the familiar components
, make for
a solid foundation for fast and safe driving. The transmission runs very smoothly and responds instantly to the throttle. Even though I’ve only driven the car on a small home track with magnetic support so far, I’m convinced that the Porsche 917 can hold its own against its peers. There’s plenty of room in the chassis for lead weight experiments, because it’s only really fun once the magnets are out and the car sprints and drifts realistically. For me, the wait was worth it.
See you later,
joergW
One of the most hotly anticipated
it is arguably one of the most elegantly designed race cars from a German sports car manufacturer, featuring one of the most attractive paint schemes—not just for its time.
According to the box label, it depicts the Porsche 917K (Porsche Chassis No. 917-015) driven by the duo Rodriguez/Kinunnen in the 1970 24 Hours of Daytona race. They were the ones who won that race. The livery—specifically the placement of the starting number on the rear—differs, however.
The body shape—when compared visually to corresponding photos—is excellently rendered. The proportions all appear very harmonious. The rear suspension is less delicate—but it’s perfectly suited for slot racing while still maintaining sufficient detail. The small window, which was specifically added for races with steep curves, is
On the practical side:
The wide rear wheels sit quite close to the rear end. Depending on the production-related lateral play of the rear axle, they may also rub against the body. There is no taillight—but the digital decoder does have a connection.
The chassis is enclosed—there is no separate cover for the center magnet, which makes removing it much easier. The tires are made of the softer material used for “tuning tires.”
In its original,
fully magnetized condition, the handling is identical to that of other D124 vehicles. The road noise, however, is quite loud (the gearbox play is a bit too tight). Without additional magnets, the well-tuned front-axle keel and the high-grip tires make a pleasant difference. Both axles (including the wheels) run smoothly without any issues. The grinding of the rear wheels has once again proven beneficial.
To throw the 917 off the track—even without a holding magnet—it takes some serious driving error. When tuned with the two outer center magnets, as we drive the C D124 classic cars in the club, it’s right up there with the front-runners, judging by the lap times.
Despite a few minor flaws, this is a car you need two of: one for the track and one for the display case. The variety of 917K variants is vast—so we can certainly look forward to many more beautiful and high-performance race cars.
Best regards,
Martin
***************************************
Let's start with the 1:1 scale !
The endurance races of the late 1960s were mainly
dominated by the Ford GT40
, but then a relatively small German sports car manufacturer entered the scene and brought its Porsche 917 to the racetracks. In 1969, due to various technical and aerodynamic issues, a Ford GT40 managed to secure another victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but as early as the 1000 km race at the Österreichring that same year, a Porsche 917 K made its mark and won. Even though many of the factory drivers initially struggled to get used to the Porsche 917 and preferred to use the tried-and-true Porsche 908, constant development and optimization resulted in a winning car. The Porsche 908 was used only on mountainous circuits (Spa, Nürburgring, Targa Florio), while the other race tracks were covered by the Porsche 917, with either the short-tail or long-tail version depending on the track’s characteristics.
The red-and-white Porsche 917 K (K = short-tail) of the Porsche Salzburg team secured the first major victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970. Second place went to a Porsche 917 in the long-tail version. This was followed by victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and nearly all other races that year, and Porsche secured the overall title in the World Sportscar Championship unchallenged. The
And now we come to the 1:24 scale version of the
Appearance:
The new 124 model looks true to the original in both shape and color. Flatter, wider, lower…
or something like that. The car fits seamlessly into the existing lineup of GT40s and
Ferrari 330 P4s. The wide rear tires and the rear design with the hint of
a spare tire—which was mandatory back then, even in races—are delicately crafted and rich in detail… Rear-end collisions should be avoided at all costs; with a GT40 in the rear, it’s a wreck.
The low-sitting driver is only half-finished; there just isn’t much room there… but at least a visual adjustment has been made. I would remove the delicate, very well-reproduced windshield wiper for races.
The paintwork and decals are flawlessly executed.
Judging by the 1:1
photos, the fairly light blue matches
the early days of the John Wyer team very well; later on, the blue became significantly darker. The wheels sit well in the wheel wells.
Specs:
202 g total weight (of which 45 g is the body, 154 g is the chassis with electronics, and 3 g is screws).
The upper of the two headlights is illuminated; unfortunately, the rear is not.
The light, which appears
slightly greenish through the lenses, looks realistic. The front axle, which is generally smooth-running and straight, does not turn in some places when pushing the car along the track (yes, the rails are not 100% level). The tires have tread but offer sufficient grip and lie fairly flat. The inner sides have some very slight burrs that should be sanded down.
Performance:
Wide rear tires and a low-slung silhouette, combined with the familiar components
, make for
a solid foundation for fast and safe driving. The transmission runs very smoothly and responds instantly to the throttle. Even though I’ve only driven the car on a small home track with magnetic support so far, I’m convinced that the Porsche 917 can hold its own against its peers. There’s plenty of room in the chassis for lead weight experiments, because it’s only really fun once the magnets are out and the car sprints and drifts realistically. For me, the wait was worth it.
See you later,
joergW
