The origins of the Porsche Rally racing efforts seem like a dare based on a joke. Sure, the 911 was a great road and track car, but you couldn’t really take it off-road, could you?
Turns out you could. If Mini could successfully race their tiny little box in the Rallye Monte Carlo with minimal modification, surely Porsche was up to the challenge. Modifications in this case were a bit more drastic. Jacked up stance, skid plates, lots of extra lights, survival rack on the roof… and of course, a legendary livery. Oh yeah, they added four-wheel drive for good measure. This car has been done in several scales before, but Bburago’s 1/24 model really stands out. That’s why it’s the Model Car Hall of Fame’s 2024 1/24-1/25-Scale Model of the Year. Porsche was all in on it, with the legendary Jacky Ickx leading the effort. The car finished in 6th place overall, but the rest of the Porsche efforts fared well enough that the entire team won first place.
The detail in Bburago’s model is what you would expect from the longtime maker of high-quality scale models. This one represents a modern take on the 1981 Paris-Dakar entry, the most grueling race the car had ever attempted.
Porsche even offers a current variant of the real 911 with that familiar livery (although it says RoughRoads instead of the tobacco brand Rothmans). It goes for around $300,000, so you better be serious about owning it. What’s the point of keeping it in the garage when it’s just begging to be whipped around the desert and forest and mud pits? Still cheaper than buying the original if you can find one.
At prices like those, you’re more likely to live your dreams in small scale. For that reason, the Bburago Porsche 911 Dakar is the 2024 Model Car Hall of Fame’s 1/24-1/25-Scale Model of the Year.
The Model Car Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, on January 30, 2025. Thanks to everyone at Spielwarenmesse for having us as a part of their event.
