[woodcote]

   

The Corvette C9R was one of the highlights of this year's Scalextric catalogue. Featuring both cars from the 2020 Daytona 24 hour race, it's the first Scalextric Corvette since the C6R was released in 2011. The silver car is due late summer / autumn and the yellow car at the end of the year...

   

The design, development and production of the Scalextric Corvette C9R is being followed on the Jadlam Toys & Models blog. The first two parts have looked at the design process and a review of the first shot sample from the factory in China.

These two pictures show the Corvette in the CAD program and the 3D printed prototype...

       

These show what came out of the initial mould and will be similar to the final model available later in the year...

       

Including the layout of the mechanical parts...

       

The Jadlam blog will be following progress each month up until the release of both models. Thanks to Jadlams for the use of the pictures.

[Savage GT]

A fantastic looking car, but it looks like the chassis is similar to the Mclaren, and thati s not good, a terrible chassis from Scalextric on those :(
At least when they made sidewinders as the norm, by design the motor to rear axle was usually pretty stiff, a lot of the inline ones now ridiculously flexible, which doesn't work well for non mag use once you put some grippy tyres on. I know Scalextric are designed for their track system and magnets, but its just as easy to design an inline chassis rigid where it needs to be, as it is to design a poor one.

Sorry OT rant over, I will keep an eye out see how it compares to the planned Carrera release that looks to be around the same time. 
Who knows, Maybe Sideways will do one ....

[BAracer]

Scalextric would make a mint if they offered a PCR option for all their race cars!

(or maybe they didn't, and that's why they don't any more)

[woodcote]

The Corvettes shouldn't be too far away - although not in time for Daytona...

       

The final pre-production sample was signed-off last summer - the delay seems to have been entirely down to manufacturing backlogs in China. I was lucky enough to take a close look at one of the samples for the Jadlam blog...

       

I enjoyed the night time appearance - and the detail...

       

I also gave the C8R sample a run-out on my test track - a typical living-room floor Scalextric Sport layout...

       

With the magnet fitted, the Corvette has a nice character - enjoyable to drive and not too stuck down. When pushed just beyond the limit of adhesion, the back steps out quite predictably. In terms of lap times, the C8R was bang on the Scalextric GT pace out of the box.

The Scalextric team also allowed me to test the car without magnets. As I couldn't work on the sample car, I simply replaced the rear tyres with NSR Supergrips, added 2.5g of tungsten putty just in front of the motor and loosened the body screws.

Without magnets, the Scalextric C8R was remarkable - in a very good way! The car was really planted and more predictable than with magnets - I felt I could push it into the corners and catch any oversteer. I also had my controller on a more punchy setting than I normally would for a non-mag Scalextric car. Against the clock, the performance was significantly better than any other non-mag Scalextric car I have tested on that track.

       

In a direct comparison with the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 - a pretty rapid non-mag model - the C8R came out in front over a two minute run...

• Corvette C8R - 23 laps, best lap 4.96 seconds
  
• Vantage GT3 - 22 laps, best lap 5.23 seconds
  

With magnets, they both did 26 laps - and the Vantage was fractionally quicker with a 4.15 second best lap, against 4.23 for the C8R. The non-magnet time compares to 23 laps / 4.94 seconds for an out-of-the-box NSR Porsche 997 and 25 laps / 4:44 seconds for the Slot.it Maserati MC GT3 - albeit on a tight Scalextric Sport track, not exactly club track data...

For those of us who race Scalextric GT models at home or at clubs, the C8R is going to be one to watch.

There is one important issue for Scalextric racing groups - the rear track. The C8R is a very wide car in real life - and Scalextric have the rear wheels right out to the full 66mm. That might be too wide for some club rules. The original prototype had the wheels poking out slightly, although this seems to have been rectified - but any manufacturing tolerances might mean work needs to be done to bring the wheels at least flush with the bodywork.

For racers - including those considering a donor body for a 3D or homespun chassis - here's some data...

Length: 148mm
Wheelbase: 84.5mm
Rear axle width: 66mm
Height: 35mm
Weight: 90.5g (body = 32.5g)

Thanks to Jadlams for the images. You can read more here: https://blog.jadlamracingmodels.com/tag/corvette/

[Gpa113]

These look great Andy, and after your Jadlam review they clearly go well too!

Modern Scalextric GT3 type is our main Club class.  We ask  a bit of these as they get raced on both a Routed layout,  and a repainted Scalextric Sport Track,  both 4 lanes.  Rear tyres are swapped to Wasp slot Urethanes, magnets out for the Scalextric track, ballast allowed, and you can fit the slightly deeper Scalextric guide blade if you wish. Otherwise,  as they come.  They produce great,  close, racing.   As we both keep saying,  if you race them against other similar Scalextric models they give very good, even, cost effective racing. 

We have a list of permitted models, " borrowed " originally from your WHO digital list!
A couple of cars aren't allowed, to keep things even and more interesting.   I have a new Corvette C8-R on order from Jadlams.  
Will give it a test and see what we think.  If it's going to be too quick,  it might not make the list.  But hopefully it will fit right in nicely. 

Thanks for the Daytona 24 hours link, thoroughly enjoying it 

[woodcote]

I'm enjoying watching the now-GT3 Corvettes, but probably enjoying the Porsche 911 GT3R cars even more...

   

Last year's GTD Pfaff livery is on its way, but I really like the WeatherTech and the KCMG colour schemes too. Scalextric did a KCMG Porsche in the first ARC Pro set - this one would be even better...

   

I can't wait to get back to Scalextric GT racing at WHO/digital - our June Digital Saturday looks very possible

[Mr.M]

Scalextric C8R Corvettes eagerly awaited in this neck of the woods too. 

Like GPA, we regularly get Hornby GT picked at Bolwextric as a class. Sometimes on stock tyres, and sometimes with our "Monday night" tyre rule. Which is you can borrow the tyres off any other standard slot car but you can't use aftermarket stuff. A pair off of an old 90s SCX or Ninco GT car usually do the trick.