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Choosing the Best Analog Slot Car for You!
From those who are new to the hobby, a question we get quite often is: “Which car is the best?” This has always been hard to answer since it is somewhat subjective and more complex than it appears. Since there is no clear cut answer, we will address the major brands separately, and then take you through some of the smaller brands.
Carrera was originally a German company, though they are now based in Austria. As you would expect, they make cars with excellent build quality. Carrera cars seem to be a bit sturdier than most other manufacturers. Due to their sturdy build, Carrera cars tend to be a bit heavy compared to other brands. This slows them down somewhat but makes them near bullet proof. With a little work they can run well with other brands however.
Ninco is the smallest of the “Big 4” manufacturers. Based in Spain, they produce cars that are aimed for at the European market. These cars offer fine detail and “tunablity”. Ninco usually offers unique releases that no other manufacturer does. Also unique to Ninco is their "Classic" line of classic sports cars featuring low rpm motors, magnet-less cars for the seasoned racer.
Scalextric is the company that was responsible for the first slot car. Nowadays, they have quality models with excellent "out of the box" performance. In fact, with little tinkering, a Scalextric car is often quicker than the other “Big 4” brands. Good motors and strong magnets, makes Scalextric cars a consistent favorite amongst beginners and the casual slot car hobbyist.
SCX cars have excellent detail and produce a wide variety of cars, including their ever popular Formula 1 and NASCAR releases. SCX cars are pretty good performers, however they are designed to race on the SCX track system, which uses a 14.8 volt transformer, so they will run a bit slower than brands designed to run on a 12 volt system. SCX has very good detail, as well as a unique range of cars.
The smaller brands we carry offer quality and value for the experienced slot car enthusiast. These brands include: Avant, FlySlot, Pioneer, NSR, Slot.It, and Scaleauto.
~ FlySlot cars tend to be in the same performance range as the big manufacturers, with better ability to run magnet-less. Out of the box performance of FlySlot can range from excellent to average, so be prepared to do some tweaking. FlySlot makes unique models with consistently excellent detail.
~ Our more performance oriented small brands are: Slot.It, Scaleauto, NSR and Avant. These cars are pretty quick straight out of the box, however magnet-less racing is where they really shine. With these brands, all you have to do is pop the magnet out. You need to slow down in the corners of course, so this racing takes more skill. However, it's great fun for the more experienced racers; and watching these cars fishtail in the corners is really a blast.
With all new cars, it is a good idea to the remove the body and inspect your new car thoroughly. Be sure gears are meshing and rear axles are snapped firmly in place. Also, lightly grease the gears and oil the bushings and motor before running them. Most of these manufacturers make a full line of tuning parts, allowing you to change many aspects of your cars performance.
Ultimately, you should buy the cars you like. You can always make them run better as you gain experience in the hobby. In general, you should always race like cars of the same brand. As in real life, cars from the various forms of racing will perform differently, so don't expect a Mini Cooper to keep up with a F1 race car! Also, keep in mind that the different brands of track dictate how your car will run. For example, Ninco tracks have rails that have hold the cars down on the track better. But pair that with Scalextric cars who have some of the stronger magnets, and you need to watch your time. Shouldn't be any problem for the casual racer, but if you race one Scalextric car for long periods of time on a Ninco analog track, you could burn up the motor. Just check the car, if the motor is hot to the touch, then you need to quit racing it for awhile. Magnet cars will vary in performance from track brand to track brand.
Hope this overview has been helpful: like any hobby, you learn from experience.
Happy racing and remember...Keep it in the Slot!
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