Wednesday January 24, 2007

All New Carrera Porsche Arrives!

I must admit that I am not much of a Porsche fan in the more modern era, but once in awhile a model is released that I simply cannot resist. The first photos of this model and its running mates had me very excited to say the least and it was only a matter of time until I acquired at least one. Arriving safe and sound a few days ago I could not wait to open her up and hit the road.

Upon opening the box it was here that things screeched to a halt. This model is simply one of the nicest looking Porsches in my collection, at least of this style. Perhaps it is because I am biased? Just about any model adorned with the famous Martini paint will instantly catch my eye. Biased? Perhaps...but Carrera has simply done a great job in the overall finish with crisp and opaque markings throughout the model.

Comparing the model to prototype photos told me that they have done a great job in the overall shape and look of this classic. Everything is not perfect of course, but certainly close enough for me. Of course, only you can decide if they have done well enough in the scale department. The interior is well done with enough visible detail to give it a more finished look.

Small details sometime make a difference, even if you do not notice them right away. The antenna on the top is not very flexible and will break on harder rolls, however Carrera has included spares in the back of the case. I think that is a nice touch, and I appreciate that effort. I still think they might want to look at a flexible rubber design but I should not have the car on its roof anyway right?

Wheels and tires were round and true although the rears appear to have a low center. The detail of them is more than enough for my taste and I think Carrera did a fine job in the tire compound department. I have pretty much stopped using any aftermarket tires as I find today's tires to be more than enough for our home racing. Some track surfaces do require silicones so check with your favorite tire maker to see if they have the ones you will need.

Taking a peek underneath showed familiar ground. The dual magnet system is here along with the double braid on the guide and polarity switch for changing directions. I have liked this system since they changed to it several years ago because of the options it gives me in tuning the magnetic downforce.

Initial Testing
4 x 16 - 4 Lane Artin Road Course
PARMA Control
Pyramid After-Market Adjustable Supply Set At 12 Volts

Note: This model is lighted both front and rear.

It was finally time to hit the road for our out of the box test. I was fortunate during testing because I had visitors on hand for a weekend slot racing event. The reactions from them told me everything I needed to know even before I had a chance to drive it! My friends Tom and Jim made comments such as "Wow...smooth!...this car runs great" and they were right. It was a great running model that functioned as intended straight out of the box. Our lap times averaged at 4.1 seconds, which is very respectable on our layout. The overall control was impressive and reminded me of the latest Corvette C6. Braking was very good as well and we could really dive into the turns deeper than expected.

The added lights just make it even more fun for me. I enjoy night racing a great deal and having the model equipped fully lighted is a big plus in my book. In fact, I think all car makers should make this standard on models that had lights on the 1:1 prototype. Carrera and Scalextric along with Auto Art, SCX and a few others have pretty much adopted it and I think it is for the better. Of course, for those that don't care for this added scale appeal it is not much of an issue.

There are 4 screws that connect the body to the chassis and they were easily removed. Inside we see the electronics for the polarity switch and for the lighting system. The standard Carrera motor is in the inline position and is equipped with a 9 tooth pinion that turns a 27 tooth crown gear. As usual for Carrera, the gear mesh was super-smooth out of the box and will only get better with break-in.

Take a close look at your wiring in the front and rear to see if the wires are rubbing the axle. This might not seem like a big deal, but over time it could lead to problems.

I just double-checked mine and had to slightly adjust the rear wires as they were rubbing. I also re-routed the lead wires to the guide. They were originally underneath the front axle and were rubbing, I simply disconnected them and ran them over the top to clear the axle.

Advanced Testing
4 x 16 - 4 Lane Artin Road Course & 5 x 16 Routed Wood Oval
PARMA Control
Pyramid After-Market Adjustable Supply Set At 12 Volts

Before I began testing it was clear the tires needed sanding. From running on the Artin track you could easily see where the tires had a low center and not much of the tire was making contact with the track. I took the model over to my sanding area and gave them a few minutes of sanding to get them as true as possible before taking on the wood layout.

My first laps on the wood told me all I needed to know. It was very smooth and ran without any issues I could see or hear. The tires hooked up quite well on our flat latex surface, in fact I was surprised at the level of grip they have. I will keep the model in stock form for now as I see no reason to invest in any tires or wheels at this stage.

Final Thoughts

This is my first review of the new year, and if this is any indication of what Carrera is going to bring us, we are in for another great year in our hobby. It has a great price which is important to many racers on tighter budgets combined with excellent scale detail and smooth performance. It also has 2 other running mates to go with it that also look fantastic. This is one item not all car makers can claim. They somtimes release a great model, but it is either "limited edition" or you can pick only one paint scheme. In this case you can go up to 3 lanes with different, yet evenly matched cars, and still not break the bank.

Carrera has bringing home racing fans some great models lately, and this Porsche is no exception. A very well balance car that delivers a great bang for your buck. This is a model worth a second look and adding 1 or 2 to your stable could only be a good thing in my opinion. I look forward to this year as it seems even more fine models are heading our way.

- 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!

Thanks Go To Gene At SLOTCARPLACE for Providing Us With This Model!