New Ninco releases-May 2009

AutoArt April releases

New Racer Ferrari 330P3

RCR G1 - 330P3 - Monza 1000kms 1966 - Surtees / Parkes

This model with stock code G1, will be produced in just 150 numbered pieces
certified with a photoetched tag on baseplate.

Slot MiniAuto Issue #55

SLOT MINIAUTO 55 – MAY

The new Lancia Delta S4 of Scx is the cover protagonist of SlotMiniAuto in May. On the inside you can find the track tests of the new Racer Alfa Romeo 33 / 3, the Jim Hall Chevrolet Camaro Chaparral by Scalextric, the Aston Martin DB3S Coupé of MMK and a test for the Ninco Lightning Acura LMP. Also, for Le Mans race fans, the Porsche 914-6 participating in early 1970 editions.
You can also read the presentation of the new SCX Nascar Pro, new japanese GSlot models, Honda and Toyota, the Mazda 787B of French Le Mans Miniatures, and the Vaillante VS61 of Proto Slot Kit, based on Jean Graton’s Michel Vaillant stories.
(More information on www.revistasprofesionales.com)



SLOT MINIAUTO 55 - MAYO

El nuevo Lancia Delta S4 de Scalextric es el protagonista destacado de la portada de SlotMiniAuto del mes de mayo. En el interior se pueden encontrar las pruebas en pista de los nuevos Alfa Romeo 33/3 de Racer, el Chevrolet Camaro de Jim Hall reproducido por Superslot, el Aston Martin DB3S Coupé de MMK y una toma de contacto del Acura LMP Lightning de Ninco. También, para los amantes de Le Mans, los Porsche 914-6 que participaron en las ediciones del 70 y 71.
Además se puede leer la presentación de los nuevos Nascar Pro de SCX, los nuevos modelos de GSlot, el Mazda 787B de Le Mans Miniatures, y del Vaillante VS61 de Proto Slot Kit.
(Más información en www.revistasprofesionales.com)

New SCX Lancia Delta

Useful law firm site

You don't expect a law firm site to show how auto accidents can be avoided - I mean more accidents mean more business for them I guess. However, found out that the Majlessi Law Firm - Legal Metro site has a extensive collection of videos of various car accident crash tests and shows how to avoid them.

Art Majlessi is a well known personal injury lawyer based in Los Angeles with over over 10 years practice and he heads the Majlessi Law Firm. According to their web site, the firm has helped thousands of their clients recover millions of dollars in injury cases. I was quite impressed after watching the video testimonials of some of their past clients.

You can also read up on the latest law updates including some of the latest law cases on their blog. One article which is a must read is "Nine Things You Must Do When You Are Involved in an Auto Accident".

This is one of the most informative sites I have come across recently and they have so many resources including articles on the site which anyone can access totally free of charge. Even though I hope that none of my readers (or myself for that matter) would never be involved in a major accident (touch wood), I feel that we should definitely be aware of the various types of accidents and common injury risk factors including including whiplash.

Do go over and check out the site.

New Sideways DP's

SW03 - Riley MkXX Michael Shank Racing
Milville 2008 winner - O.Negri / M.Patterson

SW04 - Riley MkXX Michael Shank Racing
Utah Motorsports Park 2008 winner - I.James / J. Pew / R. Matos

Both cars are due for release in about 3 weeks.

Cool MINI Cabrio ad.

Check out this crazy Mini Cabrio ad:



The second clip shows how it was made

New slot shirt from Geek Chic

Check out this link to see another slot car shirt from Geek Chic's collection on RedBubble.com: http://www.redbubble.com/people/geekchic/t-shirts/2955744-1-slots-ii

Version two of GeekChic’s most popular design.

This time on the track is a legendary ‘Le Mans’ Porsche 917s and an equally legendary Ford GT40. In their correct racing colours too. The shirt is $24.99.

SCX Abarth 1000 newsletter

SCX Ferrari 599 newsletter

New SCX Talbot Sunbeam

Photos to show today of the new SCX Talbot Sunbeam rally car.

SCX motor issue resolution

Copied from this message from the SCX General manager:

"Hello,

My name is Sergio Pastor, the Managing Director of Tecnitoys (SCX).

Just before the Nuremberg Toy Fair, I was talking with Dave Kennedy about the motors we should put in our cars, and Dave mentioned that the RX-42 motor is not fast enough - and many hobby enthusiasts want a faster motor. I told him, well if that is the case, then get 500 votes from ¨those¨ enthusiasts to put the RX-42B motor in our modern slot cars and the company will change the standard.

Dave then created this thread - which has produced a great amount of discussion and demonstrated to our management team that you all really do want a faster motor as the standard in modern SCX racing cars.

I have enjoyed monitoring this discussion over the past few months and your voices have been heard. Starting immediately, Tecnitoys will put the RX-42B motor in modern GT, NASCAR, LMP, and DTM cars. On a case by case basis we will place the appropriate motor in F-1, Rally, and Classic cars to ensure they are competitive, but reflect the era during which they raced.

Thank you very much for your active participation in this discussion and on SCXWorldWide in general. Your input helps us make decisions and we hope to continue gaining your confidence and trust.

Regards, Sergio"

The Proton Exora

Malaysian car maker, Proton has launched their MPV - the Exora. It is Malaysia’s first locally produced MPV.

It was launched on Wednesday by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The 7-seater is powered by Proton's own 1.6 Campro CPS engine linked to a 4 speed automatic transmission.

The MPV has a top speed of 165 km/h (103 mph) and is available in six colours - pyrite brown, gaia blue, genetic silver, tranquillity black, blue haze and solid white.

Prices start at RM69998 going up to RM75998 for the higher end models. Proton had accepted bookings since Feb 21 and it was reported that more than 2500 orders have been received.

2025 Sunbeam Tiger electric car concept

The 1925 Sunbeam Tiger was a supercharged V12 four-liter racing car, driven by Sir Henry Segrave at 145 mph (233 km/h) and was the smallest-engined car ever to hold the world land speed record. The Sunbeam Tiger electric sports car concept has been designed to "virtually" commemorate the 100th anniversary (1925-2025) of the Tiger's land speed record win. The Tiger concept car is powered by a Siemens 3 phase AC motor powering the rear wheels with a 26 kilowatt/hour lithium-titanate battery pack and has a curb weight of 600kg (1323lb).

The Sunbeam Tiger Concept is based on a tubular space frame chassis made from recycled aluminum, with other environmentally friendly materials used for many components, including vegetable oil resin body panels, soy foam seats covered in biofabric, natural fiber brake pads, eco-paint and cornstarch tires. The roll bars are built directly into the seat frame and the seat frame is built into the chassis for improved safety.

The car has an estimated performance of 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds, an electronically limited top speed of 160mph and a driving range of about 800 miles between charges. The car's designer, Ryan Skelley, admits that he made a mistake when calculating the distance available on one charge but the saving grace is that this is a concept for 2025 and with the current progression of battery technology, he's sure that range will be achievable.

A Tale Of Two Porsches

SCX surprised everyone back in 2007 when they first introduced the Audi R8 Pro Car. Here was a mass producer of slot cars bringing a car to market that was loaded with goodies: setscrew wheels and gearing, adjustable chassis, interchangeable motor pods, and lightweight racing body. What surprised me even more? Getting beat at my club by a race tuned SCX Audi R8. Then, last year SCX introduced the Pro Porsche 997. Is it really any better than the standard SCX Porsche 997? How does the Pro Porsche compare to Porsche 996/997 models from other slot manufacturers? Let’s find out!

Let’s start by looking at what comes in the box. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Pro (50590) comes attractively packaged in a box that could double as a pit case in a pinch. Inside the box are the Porsche’s chassis, body, motor, extra motor pod for boxer type motors, an extra guide, some extra braid and screws, and an extra mechanical brake shoe. The body is decorated in a racing livery from the Carrera Supercup. Also included is a glossy covered booklet: Driving And Maintenance Guide. Interestingly, the guide is illustrated with photos of the Pro R8. Fortunately the Porsche’s chassis has adjustments identical to that of the Audi so the instructions do apply. The guide book lays out in simple terms how to assemble and adjust the Pro car. While more experienced slot racers might take car setup for granted, someone new to the hobby will find this to be a valuable resource. The booklet goes one step further and presents a few basic racing strategies. Again, this will be useful information to someone new to the hobby. If you’ve bought a Pro Car and haven’t read the manual (tucked under the foam rubber packaging) it really is worth a look.

Putting the car together is a snap. Only two screws hold the body onto the chassis. A closer look at the body screws shows that SCX has sweated the smallest details of this car. The smooth shank of the body screws allows the body to float without interference from the screw’s threads. SCX has also provided more a highly adjustable chassis for the Porsche Pro Car. The adjustments include front axle ride height, motor pod float front and rear, as well as the usual adjustments afforded by setscrew wheels and gears. SCX even includes a hex driver to help get the job done.

At the heart of this car is SCX’s potent RX4H motor. This powerplant has been tested to 26,000 RPMs! A far cry from the mild-mannered RX42B that came installed in the standard Porsche. Let’s pay the standard car some attention.

While at first glance the standard and Pro Porsches look quite similar, they are in fact two totally different cars. Where the Pro car sports a half pan interior, full front axle, and RX4H motor, the standard car has a full interior, front stub axles, and RX42B motor. I know that a lot of slot racers aren’t a big fan of stub axles since the performance advantage of independently rotating front wheels is normally lost by the play inherent with this type of design. SCX has made the effort to get it right.

There is minimal play on the front wheels of my test car, and both wheels spin freely. I suspect that the stub axle design is a result of SCX designers making room for the digital chip and lane changing mechanism. Another benefit of this design is that there’s lots of room for weight placement which is a boon to non-magnet racers. Other differences to note between the two cars are the Pro car being 2.4mm wider than the standard car, and the standard car uses 5 screws to hold the body on vs. the Pro car’s 2 screws. The Pro car is also 5g lighter than the standard car, tipping the scales at 75g vs 80g. While the standard car does not have an adjustable motor pod, it does have SCX’s excellent 4 post motor pod design which effectively decouples the drivetrain from the body/chassis. The standard car also features functioning headlights and tail lights.

As good as both of these SCX cars look, they are destined for a life on the track, not as shelf queens. The Pro car ships without a traction magnet whereas the standard car has a typical SCX adjustable bar mag. Out of the box the standard car pulled 85g yielding a 9.044s fastest lap around my 22m test track. A quick adjustment with a screwdriver boosted magnetic downforce to 293g and saw the lap time plummet to 7.278s. For the sake of comparison I tested a few other Porsche 996/997 models in my collection with magnets.

Here’s how they stacked up with traction magnets in place:
• 6.610s – Scalextric Flying Lizard Porsche 996 (comes stock with a hotter Sport Plus motor)
• 7.278s – SCX Porsche 997
• 7.503s – NINCO Porsche 997
• 8.343s – Scalextric Red Bull Porsche 996

When it came time to remove the traction magnets, I first tested each SCX car with stock tires, and then once again after fitting Slot.it S2s. The lap times for the Pro car dropped from 9.375s to 8.204s, and went from 11.657s to 8.871s for the standard car. With a bit of weight added I was able to get the Pro car down to 7.784s, and the standard car down to 8.274. I then fitted S2 tires to my comparison cars and recorded some hot laps with each of them.

Here’s how the SCX cars stack up in non-magnet trim against the competition using an S2 control tire:
• 7.278s – SCX Pro Porsche 997
• 8.274s – Standard SCX Porsche 997
• 8.548s – Scalextric Red Bull Porsche 996
• 8.959s – Scalextric Flying Lizard Porsche 996
• 9.328s – NINCO Porsche 997

Clearly SCX has raised the performance stakes with these Porsches. While hobbyists will pay a premium for the performance of the Pro car, the standard SCX Porsche is an excellent value for the money. It can be made into a competitive race with only a bit of ballast and a better set of tires. For someone looking to make the step to a better performing car, the Pro car is an excellent choice. The range of setup options will be beneficial to someone just starting to learn about slot car tuning, and will give the seasoned racer an excellent platform to build on.

Van LaPointe