NINCO 1 PLUS N-Digital Audi R8 Spider

By Michael Ashton

NINCO released the first NINCO 1 PLUS slot car — the Mercedes SLS GT3 "PostBrief" — to the U.S. market in January of 2012. This car took the NINCO 1 designation to a new level with an enhanced chassis design that includes the adjustable ProRace motor mount in angle winder configuration, previously found only in Lightning versions of the SPORT series, the NC-9 Sparker motor (rated at 20k rpm and 145 gcm torque @ 14.8 volts) instead of the usual NC-11, the red plastic angle winder gears and brass rear axle bushings.

Well, it took almost a year, but four additions to the NINCO 1 PLUS line have finally made their way to American retailers: a Renault Megane Trophy, Ford GT and two Audi R8's. The four new cars share the same chassis set-up and power train as the Mercedes with one notable exception—they do not use the adjustable motor pod. So, the big question in my mind is: will the new additions be competitive with the Mercedes given the absence of the motor pod?

In order to answer this question I decided to put the NINCO 1 PLUS N-Digital Audi R8 GT3 "Spider" through its paces. In doing so, this is not so much a thorough review of this slot car as a test to determine whether a viable NINCO 1 PLUS racing class is emerging.

After removing the car from its case, even before placing it on the track, it is obvious to me that the NINCO 1 PLUS series provides very good value. The Audi R8 Spider's decoration, finish and detail are as good as many top-of-the-line models that I have seen. And the power train represents a significant step up in potential performance when compared to the NINCO 1.

The following photos show what can now be described as the typical NINCO 1 PLUS configuration. Note that this car has a light weight "tray" interior, which is visible through the relatively dark tinted glass. It occurs to me that if the NC-9 was replaced by an NC-5/14, the effective result would be a NINCO Sport Audi R8.

The usual steps for basic N-Digital no-mag operation were performed:

• Removed the magnet.
• Installed the Ninco ProRace suspension guide and ProRace braids.
• Lubricated the guide post, front axle holders, rear axle bushings, motor bushings and gears.
• Loosened the body screws about one full turn, which always seems to work well on my home NINCO track.

* This is an N-Digital car so the decoder chip is installed at the factory.

NINCO 1 and NINCO 1 PLUS cars are normally run here, on the 62' N-Digital track, using the professional throttle profile with the N-Digital Progressive controller, without the magnet. This is how the NINCO 1 PLUS Audi R8 has been running for the past two weeks or so. From the very first lap this car felt familiar and was easy to control. Without the magnet, a controlled slide through the turns feels natural and instinctive. Acceleration and ultimate speed on the straights are more than acceptable for a slot car of this type, especially on a home track.

A lap time comparison for the two cars is shown in the following table:

In summary:

 

Although I have not had the opportunity to race the Mercedes SLS and Audi R8 head-to-head, I am very confident that the two cars are quite well matched. My conclusion regarding the absence of the motor pod in the newer NINCO 1 PLUS offerings is that it does not offer a significant advantage, at least to the home racer on a smaller more technical track. This is based on my subjective evaluation of both cars' handling characteristics and the recorded lap times. Furthermore, I think it is a safe assumption that the other new NINCO 1 PLUS entrants will also be good competition within this class.

As to the NINCO 1 PLUS line in general, the cars represent a viable option for those who are interested in the NINCO 1 cars but who may want a slightly higher level of performance at a very reasonable price point. And, as is the case with the NINCO 1's, the NINCO 1 PLUS is an ideal platform for digital slot racing.

__Michael Ashton