11/01/2013

FlySlot 1/32nd Scale Kremer Porsche CK5 Prototype

Caution:  Wet No Paint

By Kurt “El Secundo” Moser

In the early eighties, Porsche’s iron-clad grip in endurance racing would be challenged.  With Group 6 rules going away in favor of the new Group C rules package, effectively shelving their dominant 936 as a result, new threats from upstarts like French builder Jean Rondeau stood to put more chinks in the Porsche armor that had been nearly impenetrable in the previous decade.  Porsche’s new 956 design arrived just in time for 1982, but privateers like the Kremer brothers would have to wait until 1983 to get their greedy little mitts on the new chassis.  In the meantime, for the 1982 season, those clever Kremer brothers bodged together a stop-gap race car from off-the-shelf parts.  A few chunks from the 935, a couple of bits and bobs from the 917, a chassis based on the 936, and the Kremer Porsche CK5 was born.  So if you were wondering why the CK5 looks a bit like a 936 with a roof on it, that’s only because the CK5 is basically a 936 with a roof on it.  We’ll get a closer look at Manfred and Erwin Kremer’s creation in 1:32 scale.

It seems as if FlySlot wants to keep things simple, and in keeping it simple, they can build it for less.  And what can be more simple than a car that isn’t painted…  It’s a new technique called “make it out of black plastic, and call it carbon fiber or something similar”.  You know it’s black plastic, and I know it’s black plastic, but don’t tell FlySlot – they still think it’s Kevlar.  Since there is no threat of being distracted by a paint job, we can see the modeling quite clearly, and FlySlot has done a wonderful job modeling the car.  They’ve really captured this era of bulbous-canopied slab-sided doorstops quite well.  Not the prettiest cars ever made, but still very well done.  FlySlot also deserves some points for choosing a car that no one has done previously.  How many times have slot car enthusiasts complained about the “me too” repetitiveness of the manufacturers?

And when you do a car that no one has done before, naturally you put your best foot forward.  Naturally you give it your best paint, well, err, nope.  Naturally you give it a well detailed driver….err….wait, there is no driver, either.  So no paint, no driver, maybe we should check to make sure there’s a motor.  Ah, there it is – crisis averted.  At least the wheels do look sharp, even if the rest of the car seems to be missing a little something.  Considering that the original Fly set the new standard in detail, it’s unfortunate to see them moving backwards in the detail department.  If it’s any consolation, other FlySlot CK5s look excellent with their full paint jobs.  But this black one?  FlySlot can do much, much better than plain, black plastic.

Resisting the desire to write this car off, let’s push on and see if we can find something of redeeming value.  Could be too much to hope for, but maybe somebody left some spare change in the glove box.  Flipping the CK5 on its roof, and it’s all pretty standard fare underneath.  Three chassis screws (two up front, one in back), FlySlot’s black can motor in an inline setup, a flat, one-piece chassis, and two little surprises.  First, the chassis floats freely, with just a tiny gap between the chassis and body.  Good news for drivers and tuners.  Also, the chassis has two magnet pockets, but the bar magnet isn’t installed behind the motor.  Instead, it’s located half an inch aft of the guide, so apparently Flyslot has taken a step away from the magnet missiles.  Disappointing for some, a breath of fresh air for others.

Inside the car, it’s all plain vanilla – no real innovation, but very little that can go wrong, either.  Nothing exotic, no crazy materials, no fur-lined interiors made from the pelts of baby harbor seals – just back-to-basics here, which may be a good move for FlySlot.  And it will be a good move, if the car runs properly.  So does the ‘tale of the track’ tell a happy or sad story?

With tires as wide as a boxer’s fist, lots of rubber meets the road.  On the Carrera track with only a front-mounted magnet, this car will need all the mechanical grip it can deliver, and the tires seem to be up to the task.  Out of corners, the car launches with plenty of pop.  Into the corners, the tail will let go in a quick and controllable slide, which is easy to gather up in time for a quick corner exit.  The gear mesh isn’t perfect, so there is a bit of a racket with the CK5 at full song.  But from a driver’s perspective, the CK5 delivers a fun driving experience more like a quick and well-behaved no-mag car.  On wood tracks, the handling is tight, with plenty of grip.  On plastic, the magnet placement suddenly makes sense, and the driver in me starts to win over my inner detail freak.

But the inner detail freak fights back!  The inner detail freak notices the poor fit of the headlight lenses, giving the lenses a bright outline that’s out of place.  The effect won’t punch you in the face on the other fully-painted models, but on the plain black car, it stands out a little too much for comfort.  Fortunately, whenever you feel less cool than the other kids because of your geeky/uncool lenses, you can take a gander at those deep-dish rear wheels and feel better about yourself.  Visually, it’s a bit of a love-hate relationship, but the fully painted models do make a much better impression than the prototype model.

The tepid review is due mostly to the choice of livery, but could have been much different with an actual race livery.  FlySlot has delivered a stealthy diamond in the rough, and where the rough bits may be too rough for some tastes, the good parts are worth a second look.

- Kurt

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