CARRERA GO!!!
The New 1/43rd Track System
The
slot car racing hobby is growing, no doubt about that. Now Carrera is
introducing a new line of 1/43rd scale slot racing systems to add to
its already successful 1/32nd and 1/24th products. 1/43?
Yes, you heard it right, and they are brining it in a big way.
Carrera does not try and hide the fact that this line is directed for younger children, and with that said, it will do its intended job very well. As of this writing, Carrera is introducing a “James Bond 007” series in this scale complete with special cars from the films of an Aston Martin Vanquish and Jaguar XKR. Also, new for the line are the additions of 3 other sets, plus a Peugeot 206 WRC and Subaru Impreza WRC cars.
The track here is obviously smaller than 1/32nd scale, being only 41/2 inches in width. Nevertheless, the quality of it is better than you might expect. Upon assembly, the system was smooth and connections were seamless. The track fits together quickly, and Carrera has utilized a track connection system using clips on the side of the track to give it even more reliability. Included in this set and others, is the use of loops for added fun to younger driver, and a simple, yet very reliable mechanical lap counter. The painted borders on the corners are also a nice touch, adding nice visual appeal.
I was surprised how easy it really was to assemble these loops, and once connected with its side clips, is almost bulletproof to even the hardest bumps. The power here, surprisingly, is standard Carrera power found in the higher 1/32nd scale arena, which I found to be very adequate. In addition, this system is ready for independent power just like it bigger counterparts, simply adding another pack does the trick.
Control is delivered thru 2 thumb type controllers with a “Power Boost” function. Hitting this button gives the cars a burst of speed and really sends them through the loops. I found all of this to be a quality design; smooth connections for power, control, and track make it easy for parents to set-up in very little time.
The cars provided for this review were better than I expected. No, these are not highly detailed die-cast quality models, but they are not intended to be. The cars come Tampo stamped for markings and it was very well done, giving the cars a realistic appeal to the younger racer. The motors in these cars look small and weak. Looks are deceiving, as these cars, well, pardon the expression, GO!!! As stated earlier, the power is standard Carrera power, so I could not resist bring the cars up to my 1/24 Carrera track. Running them on here was fun and they are faster than some of my 1/32nd scale cars!
A good magnet has been employed in the chassis, keeping these cars on the track better than some of my 1/32nd scale cars. This is important, I believe, in keeping the younger racer (or older for that matter) interested and gives good competitive racing for both parent and child. One thing that impressed me about these cars was the double brush assembly used for electrical pick up. I found this to be very reliable, giving excellent contact throughout the course, especially in the loops.
We had a blast running these cars, spending hours putting these little cars through some tough, hard racing. Crashes seem to have no effect on them, having a few VERY hard spills against the walls and actually falling on to the concrete! Nevertheless, they should be tough to handle the paces of the younger racer. My 5 year old ran the set and ran it hard, bumping into the loops while walking around the track, sending the cars airborne a few times, dropping the controllers, (remind you of anyone?), well you get the idea.
And, all this makes me feel this line of cars and track system does what it was intended to do and does it better than I thought. So well in fact, that older enthusiasts might want to set up a layout using this system and racing it themselves, taking advantage of the smaller track and fitting more racing into a smaller space. Having the room for a large layout sometimes just is not there, having a smaller system like this could just be what some racers have been looking for.
Availability in America is still being worked out. Carrera is still working with these systems so this article is intended as a sneak preview to what is being offered. With that said stop, by www.carrera-toys.de and look at the line yourself, you can see a lot more than I could cover here. A PDF window comes up when you log on, click on it and find out for yourself all about the cars, track, and accessories.
As always, feel free to email about this article, or just the hobby in general at wiseone@yhti.net
Harry