Tamiya 1/20 scale Porsche 935 Martini plastic model kit review

In the 1976 World Championship for Makes, the Porsche 935 won using a turbocharged opposed six-cylinder engine in Martini markings. Tamiya first released its 1/20 scale Porsche 935 plastic model kit of this car in 1977. Early releases of this kit were motorized, but that feature went away through the years. Other releases featured different liveries, but this latest re-release can only be built as the No. 1 or No. 3 cars with the high-quality Cartograf decals provided.

The instructions consist of a six-page booklet with 26 easy-to-follow assembly steps, plus a decal placement page. Exploded views feature part numbers and paint suggestions.

Assembly starts with the kit’s well-detailed, flat-six engine with a multi-piece exhaust and turbocharger system. The complete engine assembly and the independent rear suspension glue to a subframe. I left one end of each half-shaft (Part D7) unglued at the gearbox to create some play and allow the wide tires to sit flat. The front of this subframe snaps into position on the body, and the rear is secured with two screws.

The front suspension has posable steering. Be sure to follow the assembly steps and make sure the serrations on the tie rod and chassis mate up. The steering will feel stiff but moves better when the tires are mounted.

The hollow vinyl tires have a mold seam in the slick tread, which can be easily sanded off. They mount to one-piece wheels with separate aerodynamic covers. Even though it may not be accurate, you may want to leave the front covers off to show the inner honeycomb pattern. The front wheels mount with screws, and the rear wheels mount via vinyl polycaps.

The interior builds up in the platform style with decals included for the gauges. The door panels (parts C37 and C38) mount to the body, which creates a clearance issue with the side glass. I sanded the bottom of the glass to allow it to snap in place. This might have been due to builder error because everything else fits. I suggest test-fitting the completed interior before gluing the door panels because the panels need to be positioned front to rear, and there are no positive location points.

I had trouble getting the multipart driver figure to hold the steering wheel, so I made his arms movable using pins and filing his hands. There are uniform decals for two different drivers.

The car body is crisply molded. After removing mold lines and polishing, the white plastic looked pure enough that I didn’t bother painting it and only applied Tamiya Gloss Clear.

The rear bonnet is removable, allowing the engine to be shown. Some parts need to be glued to the underside of the body before mating it to the chassis. A nice feature is that the body-to-chassis join is engineered to be removable. This was probably a requirement still left from when the model was motorized and the batteries needed to be replaced.

My only deviation from the instructions was installing the headlight buckets before mounting the clear covers because I felt like this was easier. The headlight and taillight lenses are clear, but the rears need painting.

The colorful Cartograf decals are a highlight of Tamiya’s kit. There are minor differences between the No. 1 and No. 3 car, so pay attention. The three-part side decals proved challenging. I was concerned that if placed one at a time, they would not line up, so I did them all at once using a decal setting solution.

Tamiya’s 1/20 scale Porsche 935 Martini still fits together as well as it ever has, but I think it would best suit a builder with more than a little experience with decals. Even considering its age, the kit exemplifies what we’ve come to expect from Tamiya: good fits and builder friendly.