Slot Cars Blog

Evel Knievel dies

If you were a kid in the 70's this will be a hard one...Evel Knievel died. It's not news about toy cars but it's worth noting I think. I was one of the tons of kids that had a little white Evel Knievel motorcycle that you had a zip cord to get it reved up. I must have played with that until the wheels fell off...I loved that toy and it was one of the first memories I have of TV. Seeing Evel doing his daredevil riding and stunts. Anyway, here's a tribute from the AP on the icon.

And a story from AFP.

Exoto diecast news-Gorgeous Porsche's!

News and photos today from Exoto Diecast:

1977 World Champion and Le Mans Winner

Porsche 936/77 Werks Prototype Now Available for Pre-Order!

The historical significance of Porsche in sports car racing is unquestioned. The 908 and 917 were magnificent machines, but technology was developing rapidly through the 70s and Porsche was determined to lead. Before the 956 and 962 models of the 80s came the 936!

Tireless development at Porsche had resulted in the 911-based 934 RSR and 934 Turbo models to compete in Group 4 and Group 5. For the top tier of the World Sports Car Championship, Porsche produced the 936 model. With it's turbo-charged 2.142-liter engine, the 936 combined aspects of the 908/3, 917, and the outrageous 917/30!

Exoto continues to move the art of diecast engineering forward with our upcoming Porsche 936/77 releases. The details have to be seen to be believed. From miniature hose clamps made from photo-etch metal to our lustrous 11-step paint finish, and from the spinning cooling fan to the removable wheels, our 936 replica has been designed with you, the enthusiast, in mind.

Full opening panels, spring-loaded fuel filler caps and pedals, ventilated and machined metal brake discs turn within fixed calipers, masses of wiring and hoses, a moving shift linkage between the gear shifter and transmission all contribute to making our Porsche 936/77 one of our proudest achievements.

Limited Edition of Just 99 Replicas Speed-Weathered by Hand!
1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am in Finish Line Excess!

Even the "most perfect combination of man and machine ever seen", can have a bad day! Just five laps into the 1973 season opener at the fearsome Mosport circuit near Toronto, Canada, Donohue came over a crest to find a much slower car in his path. Locked in battle with Scheckters 917/10, the big Porsche shot off the track and suffered serious damage. Donohue was, however, persuaded back into the car once basic repairs were made.

Exoto's unparalleled "Finish Line Excess" edition is a sympathetic replica of Mark Donohue's 1973 Can-Am Porsche 917/30 as it appeared at Mosport! Each of the 99 very special Limited Edition miniatures is modified by hand with the Mosport race damage, the hastily applied tape repairs, and glorious one-of-a-kind speed weathering.

Life-Like Racing HO announcement

Exciting Product News from Life-Like Racing
Milwaukee, Wis., November 30, 2007–Life-Like Racing’s 2008 starting lineup will include the most popular driver in NASCAR®, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and NASCAR’s Cars of Tomorrow (CoT).

The Dale Earnhardt Jr. license will bring complete race sets, as well as a Fast TrackerTM two-pack, featuring both primary sponsor schemes–the AMP® #88 and National Guard® #88–to the Life-Like line.
And HO slot car enthusiasts will be able to race the newly designed Ford® Fusion, Chevy® Impala SS, Toyota® Camry and the Dodge® Avenger with the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow series, coming soon from Life-Like. Delivery of these new HO Scale products is expected in August 2008. About Life-Like Racing Based in Baltimore, Md., Life-Like Racing is a division of Wm.K.Walthers, Inc. of Milwaukee.

The Life-Like Racing arm offers a wide selection of quality HO Scale slot racing sets, cars and accessories. For more information on Life-Like Racing products, visit www.walthers.com.

New SCX Escort

This car is already out in Europe but I thought I'd pass the photos along anyway...should be a popular one!

New Spirit BMW 2002 Pneuhoge

This is the latest in the 1600/2002 series from Spirit and their first roadracing model of the 2002. The previous releases being a 1600 and a 2002 rally car. It uses the same chassis as the previous releases with a Slot it like motor pod held in with 4 screws, and the fully adjustable front axle with set screws above and below. It also has a powerful long can SxXx motor with 9/27 gearing using a brass pinion and alloy hub, set screw type crown. It also has a small bar magnet just ahead of the motor.

Spirit has done a very nice job with this series of cars. According to my calculations, all of the dimensions are nearly perfect 1/32 scale, with the length and wheelbase just slightly under scale. The paint is very smooth and crisp, with nice tampo printing of numbers and decals, but no clear coat. There is a moderate level of detail with both painted and chrome plastic trim in places. The interior is a bit sparse, with visible holes for the rally navigator, but a nicely detailed dash. The wheels appear to be the correct 13” diameter with nice black mesh inserts.

Spirit has made some very competitive LMP cars and with these little BMWs, they have set a new standard for small vintage racing chassis design. I was disappointed that this car had a rear wheel pressed on crooked, which eliminated the possibility for testing. Spirit has had some issues with wheels and axles, but it is a new company and I am sure this was just an anomaly. I really like Spirit’s cars and feel they have some of the most potential for tuning of any cars made right now. Keep an eye out for the Slot Cars Blog team Spirit BMWs in the Canadian Proxy Race (CPR), as both Dave and I have prepared one of these neat little cars for battle!

New Spirit kits and December news

SCX Renault Alpine-review

The name "Classics" is thrown around a lot in the slot car world. We all know what is meant by it when the name is shown to us don't we? Generally it's a slot car that's no newer than from the early 70's (most of the time from a considerably older era) AND there's the implication that you're not going to get a "30,000 rpm Terminator" or Insert-your-own-scary-sounding-motor-name-here motor.

Well what springs to mind for me personally also is that the car will be easy to drive either on plastitrack or wood out of the box...in this case SCX has given slotters a great little car that fits the bill for a "Classic".

The SCX Renault Alpine A110 is a sexy little slot car with crystal clear blue paint and a charming personality on the track. Is it blindingly fast (keep in mind it's powered by an SCX RX-41B), well...no. Is it appropriately fast for a car of this type...YES. This car shouldn't be the fastest thing on the track because it's a model of a car with a horsepower rating only slightly higher than 100hp.

There's no motor pod, and really not much need for it maybe. The car required some truing of the wheels and the tires to smooth it out, but after that was done the car was really smooth and zipped around the 62-foot-long East New York routed wood track at just slightly faster than 10 feet per second. Times started out in the high 6's and dropped to about 6.1 fastest lap...I did say "just" slightly faster didn't I?

But to linger on the speed of this car is the miss the point entirely. If this car was flying around the track at Mach 5 you wouldn't get to enjoy the details like the chrome around the windows that's very well done and the little headlights on the car that are different colors when they're lit.

There is light bleed that lights up the front a bit too much but when you see this car coming directly at you down the track, with the driving lights shining a yellowish/amber and the headlights a bluish/white and the fire red tail lights I have to say it's pretty cool.

While this car does come with the standard adjustable magnet system that SCX puts on all their cars, this car is equally at home in a non magnetic setting. The car weighs 70 grams and the downforce (as measured with a Magnet Marshal) is 228 grams. It's enough weight that you get the sense that it's well balanced for the size and for the power of the motor.

Spirit Courage video...yes video!

This might be the first "official slot car" video I've seen on YouTube...and it's produced by the guys at Spirit!

And in case that wasn't enough, how about some technical data directly from Spirit?

Courage C65, most important technical data & innovations.
-Motor xXx
-Adjustable suspension system in 3 points (1 front, 2 sides)
-New subchassis – chassis system
-Calibrated axles
-Adjustable front axle
-New crown, injected in dark grey fiber, with a better gearing with pinion.
-Light lexan detailed cockpit
-Body weight: 14’8 grs.

BTW, I've heard from REH and Kimrey Enterprises that the Courage should be here today!

New Sloter Opel Manta 400

Photos today via Raid Slot World of the new Sloter Opel Manta 400, btw it's an anglewinder with an SCX Pro Speed motor.

SLOT MINIAUTO #38-December issue

SLOT MINIAUTO 38 – DICIEMBRE 2007

El VW Fun Cup Car de Revell es nuestro protagonista de la portada este mes de Diciembre. También destacamos la prueba en exclusiva del nuevo Peugeot 908 HDi FAD de Avant Slot. Este número incluye un bazar especial con ideas para los regalos de Navidad y gratis el Calendario Slot 2008 con espectaculares imágenes.
En el interior se puede encontrar además, la prueba del Ferrari 350P de Racer, Lotus 16 de Cartrix, VV Polo S1600 de Power Slot, un test del mando SCP01 de Slot.it
También se desvela en este número el nombre del PILOTO DEL AÑO escogido por los lectores.
Un reportaje del Foro Slot de Madrid y un extenso resumen del Campeonato de España de Slot junto a un avance de la Ninco World Cup en Stuttgart completan esta última edición del 2007 de Slot MiniAuto.

PRESS RELEASE

SLOT MINIAUTO 38 – DECEMBER 2007

The VW Fun Cup Car of Revell is our protagonist on this month of December cover. We also stress the exclusively test of the new Avant Slot’s Peugeot 908 HDi FAD. This issue includes a special bazaar with ideas for Christmas and a free 2008 Slot Calendar with spectacular images.
Inside, track test of the Ferrari 350P of Racer, Lotus 16 Cartrix, VV Polo S1600 Power Slot, and the SCP1 Slot.it electronic controller test can be found.
We also revealed in this issue de name of the PILOT OF THE YEAR chosen by the readers.
One feature of the Madrid Slot Forum and an extensive summary of the Slot Spanish Championship along with a last minute of the Ninco World Cup in Stuttgart, complete this Slot MiniAuto latest edition of 2007.

JLG Lift

Normally when I do a review it takes a minute to think of exactly how to word the opening paragraph but not this time. This is simple, you need this diecast. The JLG Model 3394RT Rough Terrain Scissor Lift, isn't something that you sort of need, it isn't something that might be worth the money...this is a MUST HAVE! This is a drop everything and break out the credit card moment if there was one.

For the last decade I have been a news photographer, I've covered most types of racing, at nearly every race I've been to there is a lift with a TV camera on top of it. This isn't something that's specific to one type of racing, one area of the country, or one track...this is just about the most commonly seen perch for a TV camera ever!

JLG has done an extraordinary job on this piece. Everyone that I've shown it to has tried to make off with it and take it for their own track or take home and play with. The paint on the scissor part of the body is perfect and the coating is thick and even. The tires on the corners are molded of nice soft material and they roll really well. The platform raises amazingly high, so much so you wonder whether the little 1/32 people are going to start screaming to let them down.

The rails on the platform are a bit thin and you do need to take care to slide the sides of the platform out. I don't think it would make a good toy for a child, but as a piece on a track it is simply the coolest model I have seen. The lift sells for $39.99 and I have to say it IS worth every penny.

Dave Kennedy
Publisher, Slot Cars Blog

Black Friday gift guide

Ok here it is the Friday after thanksgiving...Christmas is right around the bend.

The thought of Getting Christmas gifts is now looming over your head, looming my backside, hanging like the hangman’s noose. What do you get your kids that don’t like slot cars, must be there moms genes.

Your kids, you know the little people that suck up your slot car money, call you dad..You remember right??

We at Slot Cars Blog will not let you down, we have compiled a list of gifts sure to please any little one and if they don’t like them , great toys for you….

How about a robot kit, this is the vexplorer, made by Mattel. Bucket loads of fun, not to bad on the wallet, and the wife will love how much you thought about their education.

And the full review is here…

Ok he/she is not into high-tech stuff..

There is always RC cars….and we covered the gambit from low end to high end in our reviews..

Like this RPM from Mattel..