Grello is here! – Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R by Trends Hobby FEATURETTE
New in the game:
Have you heard of Trends Hobby yet? Brands like Mini GT, Pop Race, Tarmac Works and others have long become well-established names in the diverse world of 1:64 scale model cars. Now, a brand-new manufacturer is entering the scene – one that can easily compete with the major players and certainly does not need to hide. We realised this at the latest when we finally got our hands on the two Porsche 911 GT3 R models driven by Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Güven. These are not just any Porsche 911 race cars, but true fan favourites from endurance racing and the DTM – the iconic Manthey EMA Porsches. Especially the name “Grello” has long been legendary on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
As the name suggests, the most famous Manthey Porsche stands out with its striking neon yellow and green livery. Trends Hobby has released both Manthey EMA Porsches from the 2024 DTM season. But first things first: are these just another set of unlicensed Asian replicas? We can reassure you – Trends Hobby has already released several officially licensed Porsche models, complete with all original sponsors featured on the cars. This was recently demonstrated with their first release, the Porsche 911 GT1 LM, which competed at Le Mans in 1998. While there was a minor mix-up with the race numbers – 25 instead of 26 – it is still an exceptionally well-executed 1:64 scale model. The front and rear body panels can be removed magnetically, a feature we have already seen from brands like Pop Race and others.
In the meantime, Trends Hobby has also released Porsche road cars such as the Cayenne and Taycan Turbo, both featuring opening parts. The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 DTM is also just around the corner – the final evolution of the Huracán before Lamborghini transitions to its successor, the Temerario GT3. However, our personal highlight – and the main focus of this article – are the two Manthey Porsches from the 2024 DTM season.
Grello goes DTM?
“Grello” is one of the most iconic cars in the German GT racing scene. The name was originally coined by the team in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), formerly known as VLN, but it was the passionate fanbase that truly turned it into a brand. Its roots clearly lie in endurance racing, yet the team brought the Porsche 911 GT3 R (2023) into the DTM, where Thomas Preining immediately secured the championship title. Initially, however, Porsche Motorsport boss Thomas Laudenbach had his doubts about bringing the “Grello” into the DTM, as there were concerns that underwhelming results could potentially damage the brand. ‘Grello’ has become a brand at the Nürburgring – and it’s fantastic to see it make the leap from endurance racing,” said Laudenbach. “It was a risk, but sometimes courage pays off.” At Manthey, however, they were ready to take on the challenge. “No matter which championship we’ve entered, we’ve almost always achieved very strong results,” the team stated confidently. “And we believed we could do the same here.”
Rightly so – Manthey EMA went on to secure not only the drivers’ title but also the team championship. While Thomas Preining chose not to run the number 1 and instead continued racing with his signature number 91 in the iconic “Grello” livery, his new Turkish teammate took over the number 90 car, featuring the “Greeno” design previously driven by Dennis Olsen. The Norwegian driver, who had an excellent relationship with Preining, was originally Manthey EMA’s preferred choice for the 2024 season. However, he unexpectedly switched to Ford, leading the team to sign Porsche factory driver Ayhancan Güven as his replacement. The 2024 season proved to be rather disappointing for Manthey EMA. Preining finished fifth overall with the Grello, while teammate Güven struggled and ended the season down in sixteenth place.
Trends Hobby Model in Detail:
Trends Hobby is still relatively new to the market. It was only since mid-last year, with the release of the Porsche 911 GT1 model, that we became aware that this brand even existed – and that it truly has a lot to offer. When it comes to value for money, Trends Hobby is almost unbeatable, with some models even showing early signs of appreciation in value, as seen with the 911 GT1 LM. The Grello Porsche in particular is likely to sell out quickly and could see a noticeable increase in value over time. AO Racing recently demonstrated just how in-demand such models can be with their Dino-inspired Rexy in green and Roxy in pink, which became highly sought-after releases from Mini GT and Hot Wheels and are now being traded at significantly higher prices.
While the same level of hype may be slightly lower for the Grello due to Manthey’s more niche recognition compared to AO Racing, the Trends Hobby 911 models clearly stand out with superior build quality and a higher level of detail – even surpassing Hot Wheels and, in some aspects, Mini GT. But see for yourself – you can find the link to both models right here:
