The first mix of 2024 has barely hit the shelves and we already have a model of the year contender! This new 911 Cabriolet is a gorgeous model, and it’s incredibly impressive that the Matchbox team is able to put together such an impressive model at a $1 price point.
One of my favorite things about Matchbox is their tendency to make multiple generations of the same model, and this 911 looks set to replace the aging 996 911 Cabriolet casting. I really like the 996 casting, but after over two decades of use and at least 23 different releases – including a retool in 2020 – it’s definitely showing its age. Diecast cars have gotten significantly better since the turn of the century, and compared to its predecessor, the new 911 sits lower, wider, and has more detail. It’s the perfect size, with great wheel fitment and a lower, more raked windshield.
This new 911’s nose sits low, giving it an aggressive sports car look. The front bumper is nicely detailed, with the thin white LED running lights and what appears to be a sensor for the adaptive cruise control in the center. I love little details like that, as they show the level of care the designer had when creating the casting. Matchbox’s tampo prowess is on display here too, as the headlights are perfectly aligned and sharply detailed – important, since there’s very little room for error on this casting.
The side profile of the 911 is nothing short of iconic, and it’s well represented here. I’ve always thought the 911 Cabriolet was a bit funny-looking with its hump on the rear decklid to make space for the engine and that hump is most definitely present here! I’m not crazy about the gold wheels, but they don’t detract much from this stunner of a model. I continue to be impressed by Matchbox’s ability to wrap their brake lights all the way around to the side of a model – an ability that pays dividends on a car with a curved lightbar like this one.
The incredible detailing on the rear of this 911 is the real star of the show. I have no idea how the Matchbox team managed to get the rear detailing on this model so dialed-in and perfect, but I’m glad they did. The vents on the rear decklid are detailed with a mesh pattern, but you can still easily make out the twin red lights that serve as the center brake light on the 911 Cabriolet. Below that, we have a massive LED lightbar that wraps all the way around the rear of the car, complete with Porsche script and the 911 Carrera logo. The rear bumper also contains printed detailing, including the red reflectors and license plate. Like many recent Matchbox castings, this 911 uses the model’s base to form the exhaust tips, giving it a built-in color break. I would have liked to see a silver base, so the exhaust tips were a more realistic color…the fact that they’re black makes me wonder if the base and interior are one piece. Since I only have one, I’m not about to take it apart to find out.
We’ve definitely seen a deterioration in Matchbox interiors in recent years, so this 911’s wonderfully detailed interior is a breath of fresh air. The steering wheel is connected to the dash rather than the floor, and both the dashboard and the seats are nicely textured and realistic. Given that we saw a similarly nice interior on the recent Mercedes-AMG SL 63, I’m guessing Matchbox is reserving their more detailed interiors for the convertibles where they will be more visible and cost-cutting the interiors on models like SUVs where they will not be as noticeable.
I’m glad Matchbox did such a good job on this new 911 Carrera Cabriolet, as it’s a very cool car that deserves a spot in every Porsche-enthusiast’s collection. We can only hope that like its predecessor, this new casting lives on for another decade or two, giving us a complete rainbow of models along the way. This model deserves it.
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