Wednesday July 23, 2003

The Shadow Arrives!

The Vanguish MG Shadow MKII

Saint Jovite 1971 & 1971 Silver Test Car - Jackie Oliver

There are slot cars that seem to hold sentimental value for me, and the Shadow certainly is one of them. I can still remember this model in HO Scale A/FX, and the hours I spent on my living room floor driving it around. According to my terminology back then, I picked it out of the case just because it looked "cool" and the name SHADOW on it made even "cooler"! Now here it is years later and this model has finally arrived in our larger scale hobby, and it was time to get a closer look.

First and foremost, regardless of any scale accuracy issues, this car looks fantastic. According to prototype photos I have managed to find, it captures the overall essence quite well. And as some people do not care for these models from VMG because they are too large for true 1/32nd scale, I happen to like them just fine. Personal preference is the bottom line, so either it bothers you or it doesn't. The scale argument is an old one, and I pretty much ignore it because I am just not that picky about scale accuracy. If I were, then I would have to get rid of most of my favorite models and I am not about to do that any time soon.

Like with all the other VMG releases except for the recent McLaren Kit, these models were released in pairs, and I of course had to have both. I will let my photos once again try and do most of the talking for me. Overall fit and finish of both my models were excellent. VMG seems quite good at applying even, dust-free clear coats along with opaque and crisp Tampo stampings. However it seems that as with releases before it, some of these markings appear to have been applied AFTER the clear-coat. This is easily enough fixed to protect them, but I do hope VMG addresses this issue soon. The test car is obviously void of any markings, yet in its own way is attractive. My wife didn't care for it much, however my eldest son did. Again personal preference in action.

Detail level is on par with the rest of the Can-Am line released, with the usual engine and exhaust detailing. Driver detail seems very well done, although as some photos indicate, Mr. Oliver might be setting a little tall in the saddle. This is one area that is easily fixed if it bothers you that much, although again, I just seem to leave mine the way they are. One thing might be worth mentioning is that the rear wing, although having some flexibility, might break in a hard crash, along with the rear view mirrors. We have lived a long time in this hobby with smaller, fragile parts falling victim to this type of damage, so I cannot fault VMG for it too much.

Wheels and tires are once again very well done and required minimal sanding to get them round and true. The prototype had smaller wheels on the front according to the history I read, and VMG seems to capture this fact nicely, and best of all I found no front wheel rub on the body. There is however a very close tolerance between the upper part of the wheel well and the rear tire, and some rubbing might occur. A decent amount of sanding will most likely eliminate this, however I installed Indy Grips silicone tires and I found no signs of rubbing. The compound of the stock tires allows for a decent amount of grip when sanded, however the silicone tires work very well providing not only a little smoother drive with the magnet, but without the magnet as well.

The rest of the model is mechanically identical to the Lola T260 and McLaren with the differential modifications pointed out in those articles applying to the Shadow as well so I won't waste space repeating it here. When it comes to performance, these models are of course in their own league, and considering the number of releases out now, that isn't an issue for me. The wheelbases are all identical, at least to my eye, with only slight modifications to the chassis pan for body fit.

Acceleration is crisp and smooth using our PARMA 45 ohm controllers, and we easily enjoyed sliding these beauties around our layout. I have always felt that the braking was a little light, however other enthusiasts have written in stating they felt it was perfect. Lap times are close as you could ask with the Shadow almost dead even with the Lola and McLaren posting average lap times of 3.4 seconds on our DS Timer. With the Indy Grips installed, the model came down to 3.2.

In the end, I am very pleased with these models and grateful to have them. This one does mean more to me than prior releases, and I can only say that it is going to see its share of track time. Driving this model was a little more fun than usual, for as the car made its way around our track, I couldn't help but remember the past. It didn't matter to me then how accurate the car was to scale, all I knew was it was a "cool looking" car and it was fun to race it. And guess what? That is pretty much how I feel now...so much for growing up. What is that old saying? "The difference between Men and Boys is the price of their Toys"...perhaps this is more accurate than I ever thought. I have to advise you grab at least one...you might find them just as fun as we do.

Harry

For reference on the Shadows of Can-Am Try HERE

For a written history, I highly recommend HERE and HERE

For more information on previous models from VMG, just click the Reviews Below

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

Thanks go to SLOT CAR WORLD for providing us with these Review Samples!

Check their website for all the latest information often!