Porsche And Hot Wheels Revive The 944 As Custom Off-Roader

Porsche fans have been spoiled with amazing show cars and limited-edition collectibles to celebrate the brand's 75th anniversary this year. But they won't be the only ones enjoying the milestone as the Hot Wheels community has been gifted with a 1:64 scale die-cast of the Porsche 944 nicknamed "Dirtmeister." Think of it as an '80s take on the 911 Dakar.

Introduced in 1982, the Porsche 944 was a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD) sports car that succeeded the 924, one of the best Porsche rally cars ever. In partnership with Mobil 1, Porsche is bringing the model back at the Rennsport Reunion 7 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in two forms: a custom off-road car and as a Hot Wheels.

Designed by Kudensport, the one-of-a-kind 1987 944 boasts a shooting brake body style. To make the Dirtmeister off-road-ready, the vehicle is installed with a custom roll cage, Recaro racing seats, coilover shocks with Eibach Springs, Garmin Baja Tread XL, off-road Pirelli tires, a PCI race radio system, and Triple R LED lights.

As for the 1:64 scale die-cast, it will become the first Porsche inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends. The Dirtmeister is also the latest creation from the Porsche and Hot Wheels partnership that started in 1970 with the Redline Porsche 917. Since then, there have been 54 unique 1:64 scale Porsche models produced.

Young-at-heart enthusiasts should also be delighted that life-size Lightning McQueen and Sally Carrera are attending the four-day event at Laguna Seca.

"We couldn't be more excited to add the Dirtmeister 944 to the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends, and we had a ton of fun designing this purpose-built 944," said Ted Wu, Vice President and Global Head of Vehicle Design at Mattel.

"Creating a 944 in this unique fashion for off-roading is something we hope our fans enjoy. We couldn't be more proud of the result, and we want to thank Hot Wheels and Mobil 1 for the creativity and enthusiasm for this wonderful project," said Ayesha Coker, Vice President of Marketing for Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

If you will miss the Hot Wheels Mobil 1 Porsche Dirtmeister 944 this weekend, the vehicle will be displayed at the Hot Wheels Legends Tour event at the company's headquarters in California on October 7.