That is my excuse for choosing these models from Carrera. Even though modern F1 is not the most popular series in our home racing, the truth is we can have fun racing just about anything.
Including F1. I do not claim to be an expert on the 1:1 series and I likely never will. Yet I do not think you have to be to enjoy a good slot car. So every once in awhile I like to try a new version of them to see how they are and hopefully the deliver the fun I expect.
I chose Carrera due to the budget-friendly price along with how attractive they appeared in the photos while I shopped. Pretty simple way to do it right? Because of the low price I decided to grab two. Most times I am racing solo but there is always those times when friends arrive or my teen-age son feels like a race.
My first impressions of these models were very favorable. Some say presentation is everything and if that is true, Carrera scores high in that category. The box art is really eye catching and will make for nice viewing in the old race room.
Out of the box they look even better. The overall fit and finish is about as good as it gets in our hobby. The paint work is very well done and the gloss clear coat on them really shines.
For the scale purists I am sure you will find issues here and there. Perfect? No. Close enough for me? Yes. Close enough for the crowd I race with? Yes. I want scale accuracy as much as the next enthusiast, but nothing is ever perfect. Fact is I am not that hard to please. I do not lose sleep over slight curvature issues or if it is accurate to the thousands of an inch in scale.
Chassis were evenly matched. They have a slimline motor geared with a 8 tooth onion and 27 tooth crown gear. More than enough power for me.
The guide is mounted pretty far back, but they work ok. No, not an ideal location really but that is where they felt they needed to be. To modify these is more work than I care to do. I'll run them as is.
Dual bar magnets, mid section and rear. There is a pressure fit bracket to remove to get to to the middle magnet. There is a shim there as well to adjust it slightly.
The rear has a cover over it. You just push in the tab and it pops out.
They ran pretty well out of the box. Need tire change and some truing, but no surprises. Very smooth as usual. The guide placement makes the action a little odd, but I settled in fast enough.
Overall i'm glad I picked them up. They look very good and will be easy enough to tune up for our simple racing. For the price it's hard to pass them up.
