19th-Sep-19, 04:18 PM
A brand new Micro Scalextric system was announced at the start of the year and I was lucky enough to have a play with some prototypes and pre-production samples back in February (SlotRacer Online thread here: https://slotracer.online/community/showt...php?tid=69). It's quite a radical departure from the 1950s HO standard that has served Scalextric well since 1994. A lot of thought has gone into delivering a new system that should thrill and entertain youngsters and their families long after the Christmas holidays. The quirks of the old system made it prone to ruining Christmas - I am pretty confident the new system will bring only joy and happiness...
The main features of the new system are:
There are two My First Scalextric sets with the rather nice grey track and the G1140 Looney Tunes set (RRP £44.99) is by far the best. The Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cars look utterly fabulous, drive well on the track and are very robust - the figures being made of a flexible rubber material. The new track comes in one curve radius (9-inches, 45-degrees) and the straights in 3 and 6-inch lengths. Even in this tiny 2.5 metre figure-of-eight set, that means the track pieces supplied can make four different layouts. As a kid, building the layouts was just as much fun for me as racing - I am sure I am not alone in that - so the versatility of the most basic set is a big bonus for Christmas morning.
Two individual Looney Tunes cars - Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner - are also available now (RRP £12.99 each).
The other My First Scalextric set - C1150 - is identical apart from the cars and the price (RRP £39.99). The cars are a sort of supercar-style design that first appeared in the final 'old-version' Micro sets last Christmas. Designed to fit on both the new and the old chassis, I noticed a little front wheel-rub on the body, which is not ideal but doesn't seem to affect the handling of the cars. Although the set is £5 cheaper, I would recommend paying the extra for those wonderful cars in the Looney Tunes set.
If the My First sets are the 'small' sets in the range, then the 'medium' size is shared by two Micro Scalextric sets. The best - and my favourite Scalextric set of any scale this year - is the G1142 Warner Brothers Wacky Races set (RRP £54.99). The four metres of track in this set can create ten different layouts. But the absolute stars of the show are the sensational cars - Dastardly & Muttley's 'Mean Machine' and Peter Perfect's 'Turbo Terrific'. These are from the recent reboot TV series, but they are just like those I remember from my childhood...
They look even better in the flesh, by the way. A third car - Penelope Pitstop's 'Compact Pussycat' - will be released soon (RRP £12.99). And with a bit of luck, there will be more Wacky Races cars in 2020. I have my fingers well and truly crossed.
The second 'medium' set is the G1149 Micro Scalextric Law Enforcer set (RRP £40.99). The track included is exactly the same as in the Wacky Races set with ten different layouts possible. One of the cars is the same supercar-style body as the My First set, but with a different livery called 'Maelstrom'. The other is a futuristic-style Police 4x4 vehicle ('HH Police Department'). Both body styles first appeared last Christmas in Micro sets featuring the old track and chassis system. At the same price as one 1/32 scale Scalextric car, this set is most definitely the bargain of the bunch.
The only 'big' set for 2019 is the G1143 Micro Scalextric Justice League set (RRP £59.99). There are 5.7 metres of track in this one, including two loop-the-loops and a half-pike, that offers twelve (and probably more) different layouts. It is an exciting layout to race on - especially using the two top settings (75 & 100%) of the speed-limiting hand controllers - the cars will thunder round the track for absolutely ages without getting particularly hot (thanks to the FN20 motors). Unless you are a massive Justice League, Batman or Superman fan (and a lot of people are), then the cars aren't quite on a par with the Looney Tunes and Wacky Racers ones. The cars have been designed to embody the characters of the superheroes and each one is from a different mould and the decoration of all four is eye-catching. They are also low and sleek for the track. Batman and Superman come with the set, with Wonder Woman and The Flash due soon as individual cars (RRP £12.99 each).
Those are the sets available direct from Scalextric, but expect a few different versions to appear at various big retailers (eg Lidl, Aldi, Asda, Argos etc) in the run-up to Christmas.
Overall, there's almost certainly something among the Scalextric 1/64 and 1/32 scale sets that would hit the spot for a Christmas present for a young racer or an older returning slot racer. The My First and Micro Scalextric sets will get their first Christmas test in just three months time, but I am confident they will pass with flying colours. If the new sets do outlast the holidays, more families may well stick with the smaller scale for longer, especially with the individual cars and promises of accessories, track and more cars in 2020-21. The four new 1/32 sets also offer plenty - from the awesome fun of the Police Chase set and the basic I-Pace Challenge racing set, up to the fully-featured ARC Air analogue and ARC Pro digital sets. And there is already a vast range of 1/32 scale Scalextric track, accessories and cars to help feed a new slot car hobby...
You can browse all the Scalextric products and investigate the ranges more thoroughly at https://www.scalextric.com/uk-en/
The main features of the new system are:
- 1/64 scale
- My First Scalextric for racers 3 years and above. Micro Scalextric for 4+
- Flat rails instead of the traditional HO vertical ones
- Robust sprung track connectors
- 9 volt power instead of 18V. Mains power for UK market, battery power for elsewhere
- New and improved power-limiting controllers
- Smoother and longer-running FN20 motor
- More robust blade plate and enclosed rear axle
- Warner Brothers-licensed sets and cars
There are two My First Scalextric sets with the rather nice grey track and the G1140 Looney Tunes set (RRP £44.99) is by far the best. The Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cars look utterly fabulous, drive well on the track and are very robust - the figures being made of a flexible rubber material. The new track comes in one curve radius (9-inches, 45-degrees) and the straights in 3 and 6-inch lengths. Even in this tiny 2.5 metre figure-of-eight set, that means the track pieces supplied can make four different layouts. As a kid, building the layouts was just as much fun for me as racing - I am sure I am not alone in that - so the versatility of the most basic set is a big bonus for Christmas morning.
Two individual Looney Tunes cars - Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner - are also available now (RRP £12.99 each).
The other My First Scalextric set - C1150 - is identical apart from the cars and the price (RRP £39.99). The cars are a sort of supercar-style design that first appeared in the final 'old-version' Micro sets last Christmas. Designed to fit on both the new and the old chassis, I noticed a little front wheel-rub on the body, which is not ideal but doesn't seem to affect the handling of the cars. Although the set is £5 cheaper, I would recommend paying the extra for those wonderful cars in the Looney Tunes set.
If the My First sets are the 'small' sets in the range, then the 'medium' size is shared by two Micro Scalextric sets. The best - and my favourite Scalextric set of any scale this year - is the G1142 Warner Brothers Wacky Races set (RRP £54.99). The four metres of track in this set can create ten different layouts. But the absolute stars of the show are the sensational cars - Dastardly & Muttley's 'Mean Machine' and Peter Perfect's 'Turbo Terrific'. These are from the recent reboot TV series, but they are just like those I remember from my childhood...
They look even better in the flesh, by the way. A third car - Penelope Pitstop's 'Compact Pussycat' - will be released soon (RRP £12.99). And with a bit of luck, there will be more Wacky Races cars in 2020. I have my fingers well and truly crossed.
The second 'medium' set is the G1149 Micro Scalextric Law Enforcer set (RRP £40.99). The track included is exactly the same as in the Wacky Races set with ten different layouts possible. One of the cars is the same supercar-style body as the My First set, but with a different livery called 'Maelstrom'. The other is a futuristic-style Police 4x4 vehicle ('HH Police Department'). Both body styles first appeared last Christmas in Micro sets featuring the old track and chassis system. At the same price as one 1/32 scale Scalextric car, this set is most definitely the bargain of the bunch.
The only 'big' set for 2019 is the G1143 Micro Scalextric Justice League set (RRP £59.99). There are 5.7 metres of track in this one, including two loop-the-loops and a half-pike, that offers twelve (and probably more) different layouts. It is an exciting layout to race on - especially using the two top settings (75 & 100%) of the speed-limiting hand controllers - the cars will thunder round the track for absolutely ages without getting particularly hot (thanks to the FN20 motors). Unless you are a massive Justice League, Batman or Superman fan (and a lot of people are), then the cars aren't quite on a par with the Looney Tunes and Wacky Racers ones. The cars have been designed to embody the characters of the superheroes and each one is from a different mould and the decoration of all four is eye-catching. They are also low and sleek for the track. Batman and Superman come with the set, with Wonder Woman and The Flash due soon as individual cars (RRP £12.99 each).
Those are the sets available direct from Scalextric, but expect a few different versions to appear at various big retailers (eg Lidl, Aldi, Asda, Argos etc) in the run-up to Christmas.
Overall, there's almost certainly something among the Scalextric 1/64 and 1/32 scale sets that would hit the spot for a Christmas present for a young racer or an older returning slot racer. The My First and Micro Scalextric sets will get their first Christmas test in just three months time, but I am confident they will pass with flying colours. If the new sets do outlast the holidays, more families may well stick with the smaller scale for longer, especially with the individual cars and promises of accessories, track and more cars in 2020-21. The four new 1/32 sets also offer plenty - from the awesome fun of the Police Chase set and the basic I-Pace Challenge racing set, up to the fully-featured ARC Air analogue and ARC Pro digital sets. And there is already a vast range of 1/32 scale Scalextric track, accessories and cars to help feed a new slot car hobby...
You can browse all the Scalextric products and investigate the ranges more thoroughly at https://www.scalextric.com/uk-en/
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