MATT TAYLOR takes a look this ideal start into the world of GT slot racing.
With Christmas rapidly approaching, my thoughts have turned to what fun I can have with the family on Christmas Day - avoiding Monopoly at all costs! I have always been a slot car enthusiast so thought it would be a good thing to show the family how much fun it can be. Not wanting to fill the living room up too much, I thought a standard starter set would be perfect. There is plenty of fun out of the box to be had, with the added benefit of being able to pack the set away when dinner is ready.
This led me to look through the sets currently available, and I came across the GT Race Starter Set from SCX. This is a standard analogue set which includes two GT cars, throttles, and, of course, track.
The contents still in their box. The images highlights just how much you get crammed into this set.
With this set, you receive a surprising amount of track, including twelve curves and seven straights (including the powerbase). Barriers are also included to stop the cars flying off and going for a drive under the sofa. These barriers are a lot easier to install compared to the clip systems on a lot of other track systems. This means they are quicker to put together, so races can start even sooner. This is definitely a plus for younger children wanting to help setup a track.
The barriers are quick to install and very useful for stopping crashes...
The track builds up into a skewed figure of eight and bridge supports are included to allow the track to pass over itself. The supports are very robust compared to card versions found in other sets and because they are plastic they can be set-up and packed down without deteriorating. The track itself clips together easily and locks in place using four connections.
The four connection points of the track can be seen here. They keep the track securely together.
The cars in the set are a Mercedes AMG GT3 and an Audi R8 LMS GT3. Both cars are highly detailed with fantastic build quality and can withstand more than a Christmas weekend battering, even from the most reckless of drivers.
The two cars found in this set are a Mercedes and an Audi.
Although they are 'analogue' out of the box, both cars are also SCX Advance Ready. This means that if you wish to upgrade to the SCX Advance Digital System the cars are fully compatible and able to be converted with ease by buying the SCX Advance Upgrade Kit. This kit gives you a replacement powerbase and throttle, as well as the components needed to upgrade your cars, all in one pack. If you're not sure what SCX digital is, or what it can do for you, stay tuned, as we will be bringing you an article on just this in the very near future.
The underside of the car shows how robust they are, with everything encased.
Regardless of where you are heading with the hobby, another car is always a possibility somewhere on the horizon. This set is a 1:32 Scale and is analogue out of the box. This gives you the option of a multitude of cars to race, as all the other analogue cars in this scale will run on the track, regardless of manufacturer.
If you are the competitive type, why not add the SCX Race Manager to the set? This is a lap counter with a digital display which can give your set an extra layer of fun. Extra track is of course available including two different radius curves, one inner and one outer, and different length straights too.
Overall, this is good set for not only playing with on Christmas Day with the family, but it has the ability to be expanded and become a hobby for the whole year. Of course, this doesn't mean that seasoned slot car racers can’t enjoy the set too, as this is perfect for those times when you just want a quick race!
Other SCX sets are produced, and can be expanded in the same way.