01/30/2012

1/32nd Scale Carrera Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 & BMW M3 GT2

One of the goals of our reviews is to help you decide if the model in question is right for you. In this review we take a look at an all new model along with one that I chose based on other enthusiasts recommendations. Like you, I am curious how this new Mercedes will compare with others that are similar.

This Mercedes is getting a lot of attention in our hobby with several brands releasing them in multiple liveries. Since Carrera has a strong focus on the home racer along with having the most affordable in the line, it was only natural that I wanted to add it to the collection.

My collection of modern GT cars from Carrera is growing fast. From just a handful a few years ago to quite a field today. The more they make improvements and keep the pricing as low as it is, I can tell you that this will not be my last either.

Paint and finish on our is nearly perfect. Carrera is getting a good reputation for increasing the accuracy in this department. Researching the 1:1 car tells me Carrera did ok here. Not perfect, but close enough for the average home racer.

For those of you that scale means the most, this model is not perfect. It does seem to be a little tall overall in the center to my eyes. When you do your own research then you can decide if the Carrera version is for you.

I like the car overall though. The livery is attractive and detail level is more than enough. Speaking of detail. the work on the interior is also impressive. Many little things will stand out and draw you in closer. I removed the interior to give you a better look at what Carrera has accomplished.

I think the detail level should please the majority of you. Markings on the helmet and added touches like you see above prove you can have a very good interior in a half-tray design.

Wheels and tires are done well enough and seemed round and true. They are on the large side, but not that bad. It is true Carrera designs many of it's models to negotiate the banking systems they have on their track. I cannot condemn them for doing something that is obviously the right approach. In the end it either bothers you or it does not.

Advanced Note: This car is almost a perfect tripod. The modification we did on the recent Ferrari is not needed here. You will need to sand the wheels and tires to remove excess flash molding and get them true, but that is something we do with any slot car.

To go against our new Mercedes is a model that has been popular in the Carrera line for awhile. When Lee Wright, one of our longtime readers reviewed another version of this model it made me want it almost immediately.

Our version is the Rahal Letterman Team and it is just a great looking model. The detail level here is also very good but the paint work with all the precise markings really stands out.

And the BMW is perhaps one of my favorite GT type body styles. This car has changed over the years and versions of it have also been done by many different brands.

NOTE: These are both digital versions. I like the digital versions as they are lighted whereas the less expensive analog models are not. Since these digital cars are so easily converted to analog racing and the price is still very reasonable (especially compared to other brands) I choose them most of the time in models I feel need lights. Lighting not a big deal for you? Then good old analog is your answer.

Here is a quick video on converting digital to analog with the chipset still installed.

DIGITAL to ANALOG CONVERSION VIDEO

Turning both models over we see that they are very close in design. They are slightly different which is a good thing as each car has it's own personality so to speak.

After removing the body we see again the similarities. Each is geared with a 9 tooth pinion that drives a 27 tooth crown gear and has the same motor as far as I can tell. Good. Our models should have compatibility in my opinion and Carrera accomplishes that.

In this review there will NOT be any additional tuning. Advanced racers have been tuning Carrera for a long time. Nothing I will show is anything new that they do not already know. For newcomers I can simply refer you to prior Carrera reviews where we do show some modifications and tips that apply easily to these models.

Time to get both on the track and see what we have.

TRACK TEST
Carrera 4 Lane System - Parma Control - Aftermarket Pyramid Power

Sometimes I get the chance to visit another enthusiast and road test new models. On this occasion it was at my good friend Jon's who has a massive 4 lane Carrera track. What a perfect test area. From long straights and tighter technical areas to huge, sweeping banks...this track has it all.

My first laps told me all I needed to know. Both of these models worked perfectly like they should. The magnets work their magic quite well and you can really push these models hard. Yet, blasting down the straights you do not feel too much drag. This is all you can ask for in my opinion. The models functioned exactly like they are supposed to and are both equally fun.

My friend Tom had the reigns of the Mercedes while I had the BMW. We sliced and diced on this monster of a track and the racing was CLOSE. After 4 laps we were still less than 2 car lengths apart. Tom is a better driver so he had a slight lead on me with the Mercedes. We swapped models and he soon had the advantage with the BMW. Almost the same intervals too. To have these cars this close on this size of a track tells you a lot.

And remember this was without ANY tuning. From the box to the track. After we changed cars we did a quick sand on the tires to simply clean them up. Not even trying to perfectly sand them, just enough to give us some fresh rubber for the next round.

They are very evenly matched models that should fit right into your existing Carrera collection. If you had a Carrera track and purchased either one of them, I am very certain you will be happy with your investments.

On other brands of plastic they also work very well. I tested both on our new NINCO layout and the only thing I needed to do was trim the guide blade down. This is fine by me as at least the guide is easily enough modified to work.

Testing in stock form on our wood track revealed the usual results. You are simply going to have to tune on them to get them where you like them. Thankfully the wheel and axles here are very good. This means our tuning here will be that much easier.

With looking at the latest models from Carrera in such a short time, I cannot help but realize how lucky we truly are. We still have simple slot cars that can be tuned for variety of tracks and tastes without breaking our bank accounts. They function as they should on the track they were designed for and for the rest of us who want a little more, they offer a great low-cost starting point.

-Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com.

Thanks Go To Carrera of America For Sponsoring This Review!

Check Your Favorite Dealer For This & Other Carrera Models

Copyright © 2012 HomeRacingWorld.com  All Rights Reserved