Call it a 10:1 scale model. After a childhood and adulthood spent lusting for a Tamiya Sand Scorcher R/C car kit, we've finally found something to top our wish lists: the real thing.
The folks at Bug Box, a Volkswagen customization and restoration shop in Germany, created a life-size model of the iconic R/C car for the Nuremberg Toy Fair to celebrate the re-release of the Sand Scorcher, itself a 1:10 model of a Volkswagen Beetle-based buggy that caused countless gouges in the legs of dining room tables throughout the 1980s. It's an exact replica -- down to the "BAJA BUG" license plate and mag wheels.
For those whose parents only allowed Legos and Swedish-built train sets in the toy box, the Sand Scorcher was one of the most advanced R/C cars of all time. With components built mostly out of metal, a water-resistant compartment for electric components and a suspension based on a real Volkswagen, it was rugged enough that few mint examples exist today.
An original Sand Scorcher in the box can sell for up to $5,000, though the re-release will only set you back $505. We'd pay that much for an hour on a beach in California with the life-size version.
Tip o' the Autopia cap to Francesco at Hobby Media. Thanks for the photos! More after the jump.
