By Michael Ashton
1/43rd scale static model cars have been around since the 1950's. However, 1/43rd scale slot car racing is a relatively new development. And its popularity among both the general toy-buying public and slot racing hobby enthusiasts is growing steadily. The reasons for this most likely lie in the inherent advantages and recent advancements of 1/43rd scale slot racing systems:
- First and foremost, is size: a 1/43rd scale track layout will require 25-30% less area than a comparable 1/32nd scale layout. So 1/43rd scale tracks don't have to be tiny and cramped. A challenging, realistic 1/43rd layout can fit nicely on a 4' x 8' table.
- Cost: 1/43rd scale cars and track generally cost less than half of their larger scale counterparts.
- Realism: 1/43rd scale car appearance is steadily improving. Although they usually lack an interior, scale accuracy and detail is surprisingly good.
- Accessories: track sections such as a jumps, loops and crossing intersections are available to make the slot racing experience more appealing to the younger enthusiast.
Of course there are also disadvantages of 1/43rd compared to the larger scales such as lesser overall realism, a narrower selection of available cars and slightly less life-like performance. However, these tend to be significant only to the more serious hobbyist. In any case, rather than a comparison to the other branches of the hobby, this review will concentrate on evaluating a 1/43rd scale racing set on its own merit, looking at quality, value and suitability for the intended (or anticipated) customer base.
The set that we will be looking at is the Carrera GO!!! Power Grip race set. I believe this to be among the most basic, entry level racing sets offering realistic race cars (Sponge Bob, Mario and Disney notwithstanding) available from Carrera. It is clearly intended for casual family racing with youngsters in the home environment. This will be a good test of Carrera's (or any manufacturer's) ability to deliver an uncomplicated slot racing platform that can hold the interest of a customer base that is often overwhelmed by the myriad of choices competing for their entertainment dollar.
So, it's Christmas or maybe birthday morning and Mom or Dad has just finished assembling the three-wheeler and the doll house. And the last of the video games has been installed. Now it's time to open the Carrera GO!!! Power Grip box and see what may be lurking inside…
My first impression is that the packaging is well designed and logically arranged. It obviously provides a secure environment for the contents. This is important, especially for the first-time user, who should be reassured at every step of the initial encounter that what lies ahead will be fun and relaxing — not stressful!
The race set contains everything that is needed to create a complete albeit very small slot racing environment:
- Two impressive looking GT cars.
- Two thumb-trigger controllers.
- A simple mechanical lap counter.
- A 14.8 volt 750 ma AC/DC transformer (plenty for the two cars).
- Functional guard rails for all curve track sections — a nice touch.
- Spare braids and guide pins.
- Enough track to create the very small modified figure eight layout pictured in the user instruction sheet shown below:
A note on the instructions: they are the graphic type, intended to be universal, with sparse textual description. However, every important aspect of assembly and operation is covered, although a few key points are relatively subtle and will be highlighted later in this review. Regardless, I would be surprised by anyone over the age of eight years being unable to get this set assembled and working with reasonable effort.
The layout as depicted on the instruction sheet will fit in a 4' 8" x 2' 4" inch area. So I decided to set up on the dining room table. This is the first time I have experienced both Carrera and the 1/43rd scale track. Carrera track is known to be rigid and tight fitting, so it is prudent to be methodical and exercise care when connecting the track sections, especially for the first time. Needless to say, this should be the case for all aspects of track assembly and set up.
The Track
The first thing to be aware of when connecting the Carrera GO!!! track sections is that the connecting tabs create a very secure and tight union. This can make disconnecting the track sections somewhat difficult and unnerving when it is time to put the race set away.
A small amount of plastic-safe grease on the sides of each tab is quite effective in minimizing this problem initially. Then after a few cycles of assembly/disassembly the track sections become easier to work with.
This type of race set will very likely be assembled and disassembled frequently. It is, therefore, essential that both activities can be handled quickly but without any damage to the connecting tabs. Note that the best way to avoid damage when disconnecting track sections is to pull two sections apart in a parallel fashion. In other words, do not twist or wiggle the two sections. Don't be afraid to pull hard — just pull them apart in a straight line. This is illustrated in the instruction sheet as shown below.
As previously mentioned, the Carrera track is very rigid. This, coupled with the tight fitting tabs can make assembly of the final track sections quite difficult because the track does not bend or flex enough to fit the track section into the final space. This can be avoided by creating subassemblies that can then be connected without the need to spread that final opening. For example, the following photo shows how the 90° curves are connected to the rest of the track as a subassembly.
The lap counter is the very simple mechanical type. The counter pointer increments each time the car's guide pin strikes a small lever located at the base of the slot. Turning the counter dial clockwise (only) to the number 50 resets the counter to 0. It should be noted that not all brands of 1/43rd scale cars will work with this lap counter. While running an SCX Compact car, which uses the keel or flag type of guide similar to 1/32nd scale cars, the counter did not increment reliably.
All track sections, including the power base and lap counter, go together the same way. Once all track connections are completed, it is time to connect the power source and controllers. First insert the DC plug from the AC/DC transformer into the center slot of the power base track as shown below. Then plug the transformer's AC power cord directly into a three-pronged grounded 110 volt AC wall outlet.
Now insert the plug from one of the controllers into the left hand controller slot in the power base as shown below. Note that the controller plugs will only fit the outside slots and that the DC power plug will only fit the center slot so that an incorrect connection cannot be made. All three plugs will only fit their respective slot in one direction, so correct polarity is assured.
The power base is shown below with all connections complete.
Finally, the guard rails must be connected. The post has a tab that is inserted under the outside lip of the curve track section and then the post is pushed up and inward until it clips to the lip.
Position the posts initially as shown in the top photo below. Then slide the posts in the directions shown by the red arrows until they contact a stop on the inside of the track lip and will not move any further as shown in the bottom photo. The posts are then in the proper location. There are four posts for each curved section.
Lastly, slide the guard rail strips through the retaining slots on the inside (track side) of the guard rail posts. There is one strip for each curved section.
As can be seen in the above photo, the guard rail strips extend about 9 mm beyond the edge of the track. I feel that this is a nice touch because the guard rails provide less of an advantage to the outside lane on the curves. This requires that the cars be driven through the turns using the throttle (i.e., less than full throttle — even with increased down force of the traction magnet).
Once all track, power and controller connections are made you will have a finished layout that should look like the following photo.
We're getting close now! But resist the urge to throw a car on the track and start running. There are just a few more details that will make the initial racing experience so much better.
The Controllers
The controllers included in the GO!!! Power Grip set are the thumb trigger or plunger type. This type of controller is used by Carrera almost exclusively.
The cars accelerate when the thumb trigger is depressed and slow down when the trigger is released. The controllers provided seem to have an acceptable throttle range and are well matched to the motors of the included cars. The thumb trigger provides between 0% and about 70% of the available power to the cars. The red Turbo button, highlighted above by the yellow arrow, provides 100% of available power immediately when depressed. This implementation of controller will be discussed in more detail later in the review.
The controllers come fitted with a spacer, shown by the red arrow in the following photo, which limits the downward travel of the thumb trigger. This works effectively as a governor and is a nice feature for very young and/or inexperienced drivers, allowing the cars to stay in the slot while experience and confidence are acquired over time. The spacers are easily removed and reinstalled.
The Cars
The Carrera GO!!! Power Grip set comes with two GT cars. A Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R and a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 AF Corse. Both cars represent actual racing cars and appear to be remarkably faithful to the originals in both detail and design. Examining the cars closely reinforces just how far the 1/43rd scale has advanced in this area.
To my surprise, apart from the glass areas and rear windshield deck, there is no paint on the Ferrari. The red body color is molded in the plastic and all graphics are decals or stickers. There does not appear to be a clear coat. The appearance is still quite good. The Viper body primary and secondary colors are painted and all graphics are Tampo printed. Fit and finish of both cars, given the small scale and the fact that they are included in a set, is superior.
Mechanical simplicity is evident in the following views of the chassis. The traction magnet, which helps keep the car in the slot on the turns, can be seen located under the motor just in front of the crown gear. Anyone with even rudimentary slot racing experience will be in familiar territory. This is reassuring, however, probably not a significant factor for the moms, dads and youngsters who will be racing these cars. It is unlikely that they will be removing the bodies to troubleshoot problems or perform upgrades of any kind.
The last thing that is needed to insure that the cars will run smoothly and reliably around the track is to fan out or groom the pickup braids. This is done to maximize electrical conductivity from the track rails to the braids and, therefore, to the motor. One technique for doing this is shown in the following photos:
First, hold the car in one hand with the braids facing up and clearly visible as in the photo below left. Next, grab the car firmly with both hands between the forefingers and thumbs, with the thumbs directly over one set (left and right) of braids. With both hands holding the car firmly in this position, push the braids forward in the direction of the red arrows with the thumbs repeatedly as though you were rubbing them as shown in the below right photo.
This will loosen the tight weave of the braid material and the braid will start to fan or spread out. Repeat with the second set of braids until both sets appear as shown in the photo below. There are also other ways to accomplish this. For example, gripping the braids on each side with two pairs of needle nose pliers to gently pull the braid material apart.
Once the braids are fanned properly, tilt them down from the guide at about a 30° angle so that they appear as shown in the following photo.
Now the Carrera GO!!! Power Grip set is ready for racing!
Performance
The first time I ran the cars on the track I was alone, so my attention was concentrated on the limits to which the cars can be run on such a small layout. These limits are surprisingly high — as long as the Turbo button is not pressed. Using the full throttle range without the spacers produced what I would describe as competent, controlled running of the cars. The magnet is effective at keeping the car in the slot, especially on curves, but the throttle must still be used or the car will de-slot in the inside turn lanes (without guard rail). Frankly there is not a lot of technique to be applied here, but the handling is smooth and predictable on the flat, even Carrera track surface. The layout is far too short for any reasonable use of the Turbo button, especially by children. Even my initial use of the button resulted in cars flying off the track. But even with such short straights and tight turns, this feature can be exploited. With some practice I found a method of tapping the Turbo button with the forefinger at the beginning of the straights on the outside lane(s). This would provide just enough of a power burst to thrust the car through the following turn without de-slotting. Not exactly a classic slot racing technique but it did make the running more interesting.
Next, I packed up the set and took it on the road to a Super Bowl weekend gathering of friends. None of the attendees are slot racing regulars, but some have raced on my home 1/32nd scale track and enjoyed the experience. The set turned out to be somewhat of a diversionary hit with the party goers, who were all adults. This was the first chance to put the set and cars through the paces of actual racing and I believe that it acquitted itself admirably. After just a few laps everyone was able to run the cars close to their limit consistently while staying in the slot. This produced some close racing and seemed to hold the racers' interest throughout the entire weekend that I was there — with the sole exception of the Super Bowl itself. But that's another story.
But I had yet to see how the Power Grip set would fare in the hands of a youngster. Luckily, my 11 year-old niece came to visit.
When she arrived, I said very little beyond hello and a hug. Then I pointed her toward the race track table and just observed. After a few minutes and one or two general questions, the cars were whizzing around the tiny layout with surprisingly few breaks in the action. The only instruction that I gave her was to not push the Turbo button. That happened only once and it was by accident. She and her mom then raced for about 45 minutes and it became very competitive. Toward the end, her mom was getting very aggressive, especially at the crossing intersection, to the point of being downright nasty. So, I made them both hot cocoa and sat them down in separate rooms. Just kidding — they were in the same room. But, there is no doubt that they had many fun!
Summary
After initially setting up the layout and seeing the small size I thought that it might not be sufficient for any kind of reasonable slot racing. However, after using the set in the previously described environments over a period of several weeks, any doubts that I may have had about its validity as a slot racing track were erased.
There are only two issues that I have with this Carrera GO!!! race set:
- The Turbo button. Perhaps it has a place on a larger layout with longer straight sections, I can't make that judgement yet. It would be nice if it could be disabled.
- The crossing intersection. It's undoubtedly fun for the (some) kids. However, it is a quick path to the eventual destruction of any cars that run on the track. My Niece thought that a flyover would be better for racing.
In conclusion, I give the Carrera GO!!! Power Grip 1/43 Race Set a high mark. I feel that overall quality of the cars, track and all other components is excellent. Like all slot car systems in any of the available scales it is easily expandable with track sections, cars and accessories that are readily available. And for the casual or younger racer who may be experiencing the hobby for the first time, it can hold its own. 1/43rd scale is a great way to get into this hobby and I can recommend the Carrera GO!!! Power Grip race set without reservation.
Thanks to BRS Hobbies who made this review possible by providing the Carrera GO!!! Power Grip set featured in the article.
_Michael Ashton
