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Item No. 20030737 Available: 2015
Available starting October 29, 2015So,
the yellow-and-red Martini Porsche 917 “Kyalami 1970” in 1:32 scale is here.
Everything about the real-life model has already been said—repeatedly, in fact—so I’ll focus exclusively on the model car itself.
First impressions… Man, it’s tiny. It’s always amazing how much of a difference the 1:24 vs. 1:32 scale makes when you see two cars standing right next to each other. Overall, the new 1:32 model looks rather dainty and flatter than its counterpart from the 1:24 lineup. However, the proportions are well executed and look very natural.
At 94 g, the vehicle isn’t exactly a lightweight, but the weight distribution—68 g for the chassis and 26 g for the body—is acceptable. The wide, treaded tires provide sufficient grip and do not sit too loosely on the rims. In my opinion, when driving without magnets, the tires should be lightly sanded down. This is not necessary when using magnets.
The printing and paint finish are flawless. A small raised area is visible at the end of the rear fenders; this is due to the screws underneath that secure the body to the chassis.
Presumably because of the vehicle’s fairly flat design, the engine variant from the well-known formula cars was used. The front axle features independent suspension; the axle stubs rotate freely and smoothly.
As with the 1:24 scale model, the rear and brake lights have been omitted. The LED headlights look true to the prototype; although a faint glow is visible through the wheel wells, it is not distracting.
The performance with the magnet is good, but the car practically sticks to the track. If I were to drive the car constantly, the rear magnet would fall out. In the event of accidental demagnetization, the chassis offers very little space for trim weights.
I’m already looking forward to the other cars in the Porsche series in small scale—they’re definitely a lot of fun.
