Just a quick shot of my new arrivals:

Carrera Audi A4 DTM (Playstation), Carrera BMW Z4, and Fly BMW GTU-R, all in Red Bull paint.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-649S.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-650S.jpg


The Fly car was a kit and required some assembly and tuning. Right now I have the front end set really high but after some track time it will be lower. Both BWM's are Duller Motorsports cars. I have to say that my first impressions of the car isn't that great, I'll have to see how it works on the track.

The two carrera cars are wonderful, the Z4 is actually the Sugar Free Red Bull colors. Both cars ride on very sticky slicks where as the SCX car has grooved tires. I'll be doing an Audi-off this coming week between the two A4's.

Something about that red bull paint gets me drooling everytime.

OK, I got some time to do a walk around of both of the Audi cars. The bodies are different in that the Carrera car is an older style. I think the nose is that of the 2002 car, where the SCX car is the current body style nose. Same with the tail light section of the back end. All of the side aero panels are virtually identical. The newer SCX car has a three element rear wing, the Playstation car only a two element wing. While aero plays a small part in how these cars work it was worth noting to me.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-657S.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-658S.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-656S.jpg

Wheels and tires are identical pretty much, both run on slick tires (I had thought the SCX tires had tread to them), and after some truing both were very sticky on my track. I don't know what the gearing is but with a 12v power pack both reached top end at the end of my 18' test track main straight. Through the 26" speed trap near the end though the SCX car was a shade faster at 0.43 seconds to the Carrera's 0.48 seconds.

That's where the real competetion ended though. The test track was a 54' running lap with an 18' main straight and some twisty sections, including a triple esses section that was a killer for most of the other cars I tested. The SCX car ran a respectible 9.66 seconds per lap average for the 25 lap crash free test session. I then ran the Carrera car on 3 warm up laps and set the timer. Because the Carrera car has TWO traction magnets, either of which was just as powerful as the single SCX magnet the car was running sub-seven second laps and averaged 8.08 seconds forn the 25 laps with one very minor "off". This time was run with the lights off, but a similar 25 minute session with them on saw only a slight .25 second increase in the average lap time for the 25 laps. Clearly, the magnum effect of the two magnets cannot really compare the the single magnet in the SCX car. Asthetically, the cars are similar enough to put all the preference on performance, and the Carrera car cannot be touched out of the box.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-659S.jpg

The CSRA measures total car weight, meaning physical weight plus magnetic downforce. The SCX car generates 5.8 oz. total car weight, the Carrera car a whopping 7.93 ounces, of which 5 oz. alone is magnetic. Both cars weigh just under 3 oz. in non-magnetic condition.

Good write up on those cars. I run a DTM class on my track, so thanks for the effort you put into it. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Cheers!
Tom

Tom, we're going to do World Sports Car Championship rules for the most part, although right now we have no Asian cars listed. Some of the original Red Bull cars I listed aren't going to be available....thank God for Mr. Patto and his decals.

Very nice looking rides Pete! And a great preliminary write up on the performance and speed times of the cars out of the box! I suppose you guys only run with magnets in, correct? I was going to ask what the performance of the cars were when the magnets were removed and how balanced they were with no magnets.

Good luck with your next race with the new cars! Sounds like you have a variety to pick from which is always good once you get to the track.

PD2:thumbsup:

Couple things. The cars look good, and I looked at the site. Nice. But instead of going with the cars that come in the scheme just get the decals and make the cars you want. The Carrera Audi TT comes to mind, but skip the Ninco Lancer and just make the Skoda. And I wouldn't worry about a team mate anymore, just race for yourself and if one comes along, great. It's nice having extra cars but make them get their own.

Ninco makes the Audi TT Red Bull car, and it's on the next to order list. Availability will decide what rally car I get when I'm ready.

Yesterday I got a neo bar magnet for the FLY BMW GTU-R and installed it this evening. After soldiering the wires for the motor and adjusting the front end ride height I ran some laps on the test track. As previously discussed regarding weights it's worth mentioning that the Fly BMW is the lightest of all the cars I have so far. Total car weight is 5.4 ounces, but 3.4 of that is magnetic. Chassis weight is nearly an ounce less than the other two cars, and a lighter chassis makes for less spin inertia in the corners. What drives this beauty is huge horsepower in the form of a 26,000 rpm motor. Wheel spin was a problem from the beginning but after wearing the tires in for 10 laps I set the 25 lap timer and set the beast loose.

I really needed more practice before starting this test, the horsepower got the best of me quite a few times and I would hang the tail out when I jumped on it way too soon. But I was running mid 7 second laps with the Bimmer near the end, and clicking through the trap at .38 seconds. There are no lights on this car, and it is incredibly light weight even with magnetic attraction. Without the magnets I fear it would be totally undrivable with that much torque.

Another car I tested was the SCX Audi R8 in Gulf paint that was my project car last month. A 25 lap test saw the car run an average of 8.88 seconds and a trap speed of .40 seconds. This was the first time the car was run since the project was completed. I don't have weights on the car because my battery on my complicated scale died before I got those figures.

About the only FLY cars I've purchased are the racing version and I have not really had any complaints with them. I really like the Martinit badged Porsche GT1 - that car is light too and just amazingly smooth to drive. I won't just buy any FLY, but the racing series have been very nice!

I also need to get me a timer setup for my home track when I'm doing plastic track testing. Just going to have to drop the cash some day soon so I can have it on the track - been using a stop watch which is never accurate, but close enough. LOL!!

Good stuff Pete! When does the TT Red Bull show up? Was looking at one of those the other day.

Have a good one!
PD2:thumbsup:

ROFL!!! PD, as I write this I'm on the phone with Cincy Slots ordering it. The timer I have is the SCX version as is the speed trap. I like the speed trap because it will do either scale or actual MPH. Before I sold my rally timer it worked pretty well too but didn't have the speed trap option.

ROFL!!! PD, as I write this I'm on the phone with Cincy Slots ordering it. The timer I have is the SCX version as is the speed trap. I like the speed trap because it will do either scale or actual MPH. Before I sold my rally timer it worked pretty well too but didn't have the speed trap option.

LOL! Now that's funny right there! I think its a great looking car too, especially for a TT - with the racing setup it did not look half bad!

Post pics when you get it!

PD2:thumbsup:

Finding the car was coup, Cincy had just gotten one in from a collector. I believe it's been out of production for a bit, it didn't even show up on my initial list. Here's what it looks like in scale and real life.

http://a432.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/9/l_b3e5e81e4d989a1002ff275ccde0b5df.jpg

http://a581.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/92/l_39108983d55d25123624c9001bfa00cc.jpg

Really? They are that hard to come by? Wow! I think there was one of the places I was looking at that still had them in stock but for the life of me cannot think of where it was now - in the States some place.


Car does not look to bad - most, if not all the detail is there. Cool little racer!

PD2:thumbsup:

The sites I looked at that carried Ninco were often out of stock and Ninco, like Scalextric, wasn't great at replenishing their stocks. When I made up my initial list this one wasn't even one it! From here I start getting the F1 cars then the two rally cars...if they're still available after the first of the year.

I've started building the table for my track to rest on, it's 3/4" exterior ply with 1"x12" shelving around the outside to keep the cars on the table. For now we're going to run temporary courses laid out without landscaping but once the initial series is done I'll settle into a permanent course and have elevation changes and buildings. The goal now is to have it done by Memorial Day.

Now there's a project for you! That's going to be awesome! I'd love to have a permanent setup, but with a garage full and very little room indoors I have to settle for the occassional build and tear down setup for now. Been thinking about how to set something up that is concealed or maybe easy to setup but keep hidden away. Don't know yet, but we'll see.

Good luck with the track build out! Ought to be fun!

PD2:thumbsup:

Audi TT arrived today, and it was an instant hit. The car was used but in great shape, no lights but none were expected. What struck me was the overall size of the car, and compaired to the tiny Carrera BMW Z4, it's marginally smaller but much lighter.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-669S.jpg

This now puts my Red Bull collection at 5 cars. I have two Audi A4's, the TT, the Z4 and the Fly GTU-R. This also completes my collection, I've been pondering getting the F1 and rally cars but until someone decides to put those events on with some regularity I can't see spending money on getting cars for them. I have two Focus WRC cars anyway so if I don't campaign a Red Bull car, then so be it. I laso still have my converted A1GP car which I may repaint in RB colors, that should cover everything.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-668S.jpg

Since the focus of the racing in my area is WTCC I have that covered. They use car manufacturers more than body types, with Carrera being the dominate selection. But Ninco and SCX are also permitted, and I will be allowing FLY cars in my series. I now turn my attention to a prototype for Club 32's races coming up in January, which will be very busy with races almost every weekend.

Then I take it you're going to pass on the Carrera Maserati MC12. That one isn't bad but it's the short wing car, the wider wing looks better. Also refering to another string, why not use a Porsche 997 wing on the XJR if they call for a scale wing. If memory serves me the IMSA Jag's had a higher wing placement than the FIA cars.

I looked at it but figured I had a good enough selection with the WTCC cars. I also really thought it was a homely car with the narrow wing like that.