Sunday September 21, 2003

Value Car of the Year?

The Scalextric IRL Dallara

It seems every year in our hobby a model gets released or re-released that combines good overall quality with an equally good price. Although not everyone will agree, these recent IRL models by Scalextric certainly get my vote as one that meets this criteria.

It might seem ridiculous to some of you why I would choose models that are not truly depicting a prototype, but try and bear with me on this because there is a method behind my madness. First of all, although the liveries are fictional, I think Scalextric did a good job of being creative with them and find both models to be visually pleasing to the eye. The Tampo work on them is very well done with a clean clear-coat sealing it all in place nicely.

Now the question: Does it really matter these are fictional liveries? Well of course to some of you it certainly does, but for my money it doesn't matter that much at all. In fact, it might surprise you just how many people wouldn't know the difference, and I can safely say that my 6 year old son could care less how it is painted as he is whipping these models around the track. Does this mean these models are simply made for the younger enthusiast and not intended for the scale modeler? Perhaps...however there is more to this model if you ask me.

Let us not forget that under the paint this model is identical to the recent Pennzoil IRL release aside from a few minor details such as the steering wheel void of additional paint markings and molded windscreen, yet has all of its performance. This is why you won't see me waste the space and time repeating myself here about the inner workings of the model. So with that being said, where can this model "fit in" with the scale enthusiast? Well in my opinion, with the price of only $19.95 it is a prime candidate for allowing you to re-paint them to match your favorite IRL team. And for those of you who don't want to strip these existing models, Scalextric has announced a plain white version as well for only $17.95.

However, I will admit now that I have no such plans to re-paint any of them. Although my interest in the 1:1 series has grown dramatically this year, these models will stay the way they came. Just as the venerable Single Seater we recently reviewed has its place on our home track, so do these models. They accomplish the same mission and are even better quality, plus we don't have to spend any extra money on additional magnets.

With the holidays fast approaching us, it is nice to see some models with this type of quality at such an affordable price. These cars are certainly easy on your budget and I predict they will make perfect stocking stuffers this year for some lucky racers. I personally feel that Scalextric has produced a winner with these releases, and if you haven't tried one yet now is the perfect time.

- Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Check out the Scalextric-USA website for all the latest information regarding these models and the rest of the Scalextric line.