 |
In recent months I've been lucky enough to review cars from a host of different manufacturers - Scalextric, Fly, Carrera, TeamSlot, AutoArt and others too.
Today it's the turn of yet another maker - the British firm MRRC, and the Gp5 Toyota Celica.
The car is nicely packaged in a 'crystal' case with a smart printed card sleeve. You'll need a screwdriver to remove the car from its base though - no plastic clips here!
There's no escaping the fact that this is a brutal-looking beast, but nicely finished anyway.
The body is very good, any mould lines have been removed and the shape is very cleanly defined. There's enough detail to keep most of us happy. The wire mesh in the rear wheel arch vents are a particularly nice touch.
The paint is also a strong point, a deep glossy blue. It's flawlessly applied, giving a beautifully smooth finish. The majority of the tampo-printing is white, which gives a nice sharp contrast against the blue paint. On the whole the print-work is good, crisp and clear, although one marking at the rear breaks up a bit on the complex shape.
Overall it looks excellent, and won't look out of place next to Fly or Scalextric cars. The Toyota is available in a number of liveries, and more are in the pipeline.
The interior is a separate part, not attached to the body. Again there is a good level of detail, with the roll-cage, fire extinguisher, steering wheel and column and instrument binnacle all present. The driver is in plain white overalls, with painted seat belts, green helmet and painted face. OK, he looks plain terrified, but he's a better representation than offered by a lot of manufacturers.
The body is attached with four screws (which were very tight on my car). With these removed, it's time to have a look at the chassis.
The chassis itself is plastic, with some fairly substantial bracing ribs running along it's length.
The motor is a red can Mabuchi, (although I can't find any reference to it's spec) mounted in sidewinder orientation and driving the rear axle through 11:36 gearing. Gears and bearings are all nylon. The motor seems secure in it's mount, but the axle bearings are less so. I'd recommend gluing motor and bearings in place, just to be safe.
The magnet is a wide slim bar, mounted in front of the motor. An alternative mount for a Fly-size bar magnet (not included) is provided under the axle. I thought this was a good idea, allowing you to easily vary the grip level. The front axle is solid, and also runs in nylon bearings. The guide is quite large and has a very good arc of rotation - nearly 180°.
Last but not least are the wheels - gorgeous BBS-style multi-spokes. Chrome rims and black spokes, they look fantastic, especially the huge rears. Tyres are wide and a nice soft compound.
I ran the car straight out of the box for a few gentle laps. Plastic gearing almost guarantees quiet running, and the car doesn't disappoint. Cornering was predictable, but I was able to provoke some nice controllable slides even with the magnet in place. It's fairly rapid too, but I felt that something was holding it back and the motor seemed to get quite hot, quite quickly.
So I took it apart and had a look. I could see a line on one of the rear tyres where it had rubbed against the edge of the wheel arch.
I trued and cleaned the tyres, oiled the motor and greased the gears. I didn't fully tighten the body screws.
With the slight reduction in tyre diameter from truing them, plus the loosened body screws meant there's enough clearance so the tyre no longer touches the arch.
Back on track, and the difference is noticeable. 'Box-stock' the car was running low 8-sec laps with a best of 7.9sec. Now it's running mid 7's with a best of 7.3sec. I wish it was that easy with everything! Compared to a best of 7.8sec with a glued and trued Fly Capri, and I couldn't beat my daughter's Lancia Beta (7.6sec), and that has an extra magnet! I disassembled the car again to remove the magnet, and I could still see a slight mark on one tyre. The tyres are responsible for this, they 'grow' at speed and need to be glued to the wheels.
With this done the car is really smooth, even without the magnet. I found it really easy to drive, stable and easy to control. The car seems so solidly planted, especially at the front, that I was able to push more and more. Even when I overdid it, the guide stayed in the slot and I was rewarded with some huge, controllable power slides.
I did over 40 laps without de-slotting once! The usual slide-snatch-flip behaviour of many slotcars just doesn't seem to happen.
When I calmed down and concentrated on some neat and tidy laps I was able to match my 'box-stock' time of 7.9sec, which I think is pretty incredible.
I'm really impressed with this car, there's just so much to like.
Build quality and finish are very good, and the handling is awesome. It's the sort of car you know you can put a hot motor in without concerns over upsetting the handling.
I had to do a little work to get the best out of the car, but truing tyres and gluing in motors and axle bearings are pretty standard preparation for a lot of cars, and really worth doing as a precaution anyway.
I know these cars have quite a following among club racers, and now I understand why. If you want to kick some Capri/Lancia butt - it's a 'must-have' car.
Go on, treat yourself!
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
|
|
