Playmobil is right up there with LEGO, Fisher Price, and Hot Wheels as toy makers that defined my youth. I recall owning the Playmobil Campervan (as well as the Fisher Price equivalent ― I was into camping then…) and enjoying every minute with it. Sadly, the family moved when I was 11 and I lost track of it.
To be quite honest, I hadn’t thought about Playmobil toys in a long while, preferring to purchase the occasional dollar Hot Wheels or Matchbox car to add to my disturbingly large collection or, if I felt richer, opting for a Maisto or Norey scale model. Admittedly, I’m only really into cars and was compelled to get a few of the latest LEGO cars, namely the VW Type 2 bus. However, a few months ago, a red Porsche 911 Carrera caught my eye.
It wasn’t long before I was conjuring up good reasons to buy the $59,99 toy to add to my (and my girlfriend’s) display cases. An email from Playmobil fixed everything, and before I knew it, I found myself opening up clear plastic bags with parts in order to assemble the Porsche booth along with the lovely and detailed 911.
The box contains three bags, the car and the Porsche booth, as well as an instruction booklet. Total assembly time, even for a dope like me, was 20 minutes, half of which was spent sticking, unsticking, and re-sticking the stickers. It’s best to get an adult to help you with this part. Thanks for giving me a hand, babe.
You will need a Phillips screwdriver and a quarter to work on the battery pack, but that’s it as far as real tools are concerned. The remainder is snapping and clicking pieces together. On that subject, every component lines up beautifully with only sufficient resistance in order to securely lock. The sideview mirrors were the most difficult to install as they required a fairly good push to fit.
What is most amazing about the product is the overall quality of how it all comes together. The car is especially deserving of praise as it feels solid, capable of surviving some abuse at the hands of a near-40… er, I mean 5-year-old child and being “driven” hard.
The coolest aspect of the Playmobil Porsche 911 Carrera S is that you can customize it with the different wheels, front bumper, and rear spoiler. What’s more, the roof comes off for people who are dreaming of summer. If cruising at night is your thing, then the functional headlights and taillights and gauges are an extra bonus.
One last thing: The Playmobil Porsche 911 Carrera S is recommended for kids 4 years of age or older in large part because of the many small pieces such as the play tools that come with the kit. If you prefer the Targa body style of the 911, I spotted a kit at a toy store in Geneva recently. I’m not sure if it’ll come our way, but given the enthusiasm and comments on social media, I don’t think it’ll take much to get it on our side of the pond.
