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Excellent review Harry!
I prefer my slot cars to be accurate scale models, but I also want them to be competent performers. Knowing that manufacturers often have to compromise true scale for performance, I'm willing to overlook some dimensional inaccuracies. That said, this model, though not a true scale model is a fair representation of a McLaren M6A in my eyes, much like the two Lolas before it. I'll be outfitting my stables with several.
I do like the performance of these Thunderslot cars and I hope the brand stays committed to Can Am type cars. Looking forward to the release of the Elva!
Thanks for posting this review.
Steve

Good looking and running car! Thanks.

So now much out of scale are we talking? What is the actual width of this model?

I actually had been on the fence for a while about this car. Watched the video and then broke down....thank so Harry! :lol:

It’ll be interesting if I can make it faster than my NSR.

I have two Monogram (don't laugh) M6A's and two HSRR McLarens. I'm not comparing them performance wise to Thunderslot or NSR cars, but since scale accuracy was brought up I'm curious if the cars are similar in size across brands? I was lining up a bunch of my Can Am cars the other day and the #4 Monogram McLaren was behind the #6 Carrera Porsche 917/30 and the size difference was significant. I think this is an accurate representation of how Can Am cars evolved, with the 917/30 being a behemoth (1000+ HP) that separated itself from prior cars in the series.

Are the McLarens close to scale, and is the Carrera Porsche 917/30 reasonably accurate?

Agreed, this is one bada$$ Slot car. About 1-2 tenths faster on our track, and that’s a lot! Broke the track record with it the first week I had it.

Steve - thanks for the reply. I bought the Monogram and HSRR McLarens to have those liveries in my Can Am series. I think I paid about $120 for all 4 of them, and they are all nice looking cars and comparable performance-wise.

I've seriously considered the Thunderslot #52 Lola T70 driven by Peter Revson, but from what folks are saying here on HRW about these cars I'd have to hang an anchor off it to have it fit in with the rest of my Can Am cars. Otherwise a Thunderslot or NSR car would be in a class by themselves, or become shelf queens, which would be a shame.

Reading about guys entering basically stock Thunderslots in Can Am proxies and being competitive with brass chassis cars reminds me of privateers who'd buy a used Shelby Mustang or Penske Camaro/Javelin to go Trans Am racing and be competitive. Kudos to Thunderslot for making a slot car an average guy can do this with.

Yep..Thanks Steve. Great feedback and report.

Just curious how many people think 20% over scale in width is significant.?

This isn’t a case of the whole model being 20% larger. Only the width was increased to fit a sidewinder and increase the track width. This is when the slope gets slippery IMO. We all know wing cars run well, stable and fast. Do other manufactures start to note Thunderslot cars are being well received, and then they decide to abandon scale for performance to compete?

To me it would make sense for a manufacturer to resize a body a little bit here and there to fit with a chassis design or running gear. Most potential buyers won't notice or care. I want my slot cars to look like the race cars they are replicas of, but I don't bother comparing scale dimensions. Overall scale matters to me, a 1:32 scale car needs to fit with others so they match on the track.

Thunderslot (and NSR) cars are more expensive than most and attract buyers who want a top level of RTR performance. That's not the same market Scalextric, Carrera, or others who have actually lowered prices over the past few years are targeting. I've paid $80 for Fly cars because they look great, $55 for Scalextric and Pioneer cars because they are dependable and race well together, and $35 for Carrera cars just to give them a try. The Slot.It cars I have were worth the $60+ they cost because they are smooth and quick out of the box. What it is about a car that makes someone want to buy it differs. With such a wide range available, most of us can find what we want.