Everyone has heard of the mighty Tiger I that served Germany well in WWII. Not so well known is the Tiger (P), with the ‘P’ designating the involvement of Porsche in the project. In 1941, both Henschel and Porsche were charged with producing a new heavy tank design, with the latter’s design known as the VK4501(P). Both competing companies presented their solutions in April 1942 but Porsche’s design proved the weaker of the two. Thus, only five Tiger (P) vehicles were produced in 1942, and they were issued for training and testing purposes. Only one saw combat, and that was a Tiger (P) allocated to sPzAbt. 653 as a command tank on the Eastern Front in September 1942. 

This German heavy tank first appeared in 1/35 form from Dragon before some time ago, but now it has received a Zimmerit coating to help defeat enemy magnetic charges! None of the original Tiger (P) tank’s detail has been lost, and the kit assembles with ease and finesse. The distinctive Zimmerit texture is beautifully recreated with a professional sculptor’s touch, saving modelers the trouble of having to do it all themselves. The VK4501(P) tank was a rare specimen indeed, and finding one with ready-made Zimmerit is even more unique!