Scalextric Super Kart - Home Racing World & The Slot Car Garage

August 2015

Scalextric 1/32nd Scale Super Kart - #C3668

I almost passed up on this model. Over the years we have had plenty of fun with the NINCO versions but it just wasn't a series I really followed or liked enough to collect. After this new Scalextric version arrived I can safely say I am glad I decided to take a closer look.

The first thing that caught my eye was the very minimal packaging. This seems to be a cost-cutting measure and it really doesn't bother me in the least. I am not a purist collector and open displays for my cars are really not that important to me. If this packaging helps keep the price point down for those on tighter budgets, I am all for it. As someone once said: "I am not racing the box".

The model itself seems to be of a generic shape. It more closely matches the Karts I have seen on the SuperKarts USA sites as the model has no rear wing or defined body panels such as you can see on the British SuperKart site. Not that it really matters to me because I am certainly not counting rivets with a model such as this. These "Super-Resistant" models from Scalextric range from actual car brands to generic "GT", "LMP/Endurance", and the recently announced "GP" style of models. In other words, if you are looking for finely detailed and accurate models, this line is not for you.

Overall the model has generic markings with our driver being the dominant feature. I am not about to start measuring or critiquing this either. Although the box states 1/32nd scale, it is clearly not. It simply means it's designed to operate on standard 1/32nd scale track. That is fine by me and certainly many more who have enjoyed the NINCO models over the years.

Looking underneath we see the basic chassis design with 2 small button magnets right behind the motor.

Taking the Kart apart is easily done and once inside we see the smaller box type motor.

You notice there is no bushings for the rear axle. It is held in place with the tops of the body. They snap in the chassis well enough though and I had no issues.

ROAD TEST

Quick report: It's a BLAST. Even with the stock tires this little Kart is just a ball to drive. I do not have any confirmed rpm ratings on the motor, but it is a milder motor that allows for some easier driving. Not that it's too slow, quite the opposite for me. Fast enough that I have to drive it, but slow enough so the action is smooth.

What impressed me is just how well it runs without much tuning. Wheels and axles seem true enough as I had very little hop. Although aftermarket tires are not ready yet, I do know they will be made by Paul Gage very soon. As far as I am concerned, that would be all I would want to do for our wood track.

Special Testing

I knew that many enthusiasts would want a comparison of this new model with the NINCO. Since I did not have any, I decided to send the model to our good friend Shotgun Dave in California. Here is his take on this new kart.

Shotgun’s Scalextric Kart Comparison

Harry sent me the new Scalextric Kart, to compare it with a NINCO Kart. Here is what I found.

The one obvious difference is, the size. The Scalextric is a little larger than the NINCO. For those of you that like numbers, here’s the facts.

NINCO wheelbase-2.294”
NINCO track width-2.820”

Scalextric wheelbase-2.837”
Scale track width-2.595”

Here’s a little better view to see the difference in scale.

There are also a couple of other differences. The NINCO is a sidewinder and the Scalextric is inline. Not a big deal really, as they drive nearly the same. The kids and I rung them out good for about 2 hours the other night. They are very comparable speed and handling-wise.

Also, as you can see in the pictures, the guide is just about even with the axle line of the NINCO. On the Scalextric, the guide is ahead of the axle. Again, it doesn’t seem to affect handling either way. You can also see in this picture that the motors of the same, box type. If you look really close, you can also see that the Scalextric has 2 button magnets behind the motor where the NINCO has the magnets up front behind the guide. Not a problem for us wood track racers.

Another little subtlety is the tires. The NINCO has much wider rubber on it versus the Scalextric. But it didn’t seem to matter in the performance department either. The Scalextric ran right with the NINCO.

Here’s a shot of the tire difference.

Overall, I have to give Scalextric good marks on the overall appeal of the Kart. Is it a little big? Yes. Does it detract from the fun? No. In the end it’s just a great, fun little Kart. I wouldn’t hesitate to run them all together. If you really wanted to, you could get out your paint brush and detail this thing up to look really good. All the details are there, they just need some paint to stand out.

So for me, it’s “Shotgun Approved”

Conclusions

Overall it appears this little kart is a winner. It runs good and has a nice price point which those on tighter budgets will appreciate. I picked this one from Chicagoland Hobbies for just under $34.00. That is very good price for a slot car these days, especially one as fun as this.

And fun is always the bottom line. We do not always need to have the most scale accurate or fastest model out there. Sometimes a truly different machine like this ends up providing you with more laughs and great times than you ever expected. Ask any veteran enthusiast of what they thought of the NINCO versions when they first appeared...and then AFTER they raced them. You will hear mostly the same thoughts.

- Harry

Feel free to CONTACT ME about this review or the hobby in general.