Sunday July 27, 2003
High Spirits!
The Spirit Lola B2K/10
Nurburgring 2001
Finally the second Spirit Lola has arrived
here, and although identical to the first release, I was very glad to see it. So
far I have enjoyed the first effort by Spirit, and our Lola has logged many
miles here on the new Artin Show Me Speedway Road Course. Now it has a perfect
running mate, which for us makes this re-livery release a little more important.
Arriving here intact, this model is obviously a little more colorful than the first Banana Joe's release. All the markings were clean and crisp, with no fades or runs. An even, dust-free clear-coat seals all these very nicely, and I have to say Spirit has shown that they can produce a car that looks just as good as the offerings from many other long-time companies. I have heard that some models are arriving with a few issues in this area, however my model seems to be free of any defects.
Before this release, we raced this car against its Scalextric MG Lola adversary. Because of slightly more magnetic down-force the Scalextric car is faster in the corners, and the longer bar magnet allows a little more recovery time in the event you get a little too heavy handed on the throttle. However, it wasn't enough of an advantage to convince me to modify the Spirit in any advanced way. There is certainly room inside to tune this car to pretty much any driving style you prefer.
Everything on this model is identical to first mechanically, and we have found that on Carrera/Artin and Scalextric Sport track systems, to run them with only 2 modifications. We took 2 of the small Radio Shack button magnets and mounted them up front as shown in the photo. This helps keep the front end pinned down a little better, and doesn't add a great deal more of drag in the straights. You could add a Tweaker here as well with a little trimming of the chassis, I only chose the Radio Shack magnets to avoid any chassis modifications. On most Fly cars, and with this one, it also helps electrical contact by grooming the ends of your braids a little. I do mine by hand, and just spread the ends a little wider.
In addition, Fly Classic INDY GRIPS #3003 fit perfectly on the rear. Adding these really smoothes this model out even more, and if your still wanting it to be a close match for the Scalextric Lola, adding these closes the gap even more. This model has proven itself to be fairly durable (we still have our mirrors), and performance is smooth.
As stated one reason this model was so important to me, was that by having it, I now have a pair of them to race. When your budget allows it, and of course if it is offered, I always suggest buying 2 of the same car. For most Home Racing uses, this immediately creates a new class to race if your running a 2 lane set-up as we are, and it saves you the frustration of trying to tune one brand of car to match another, which sometimes requires more work than some enthusiasts are willing to perform.
With
another livery coming as well, (one of my
favorites) this model should be included in your stable especially if your a fan
of the series. There are those of you out there that are certainly more advanced
than I am when it comes to tuning these models, so if you are looking to race
them against other brands, I am pretty sure you will find this model to your
liking. When I look at the modifications and tuning efforts I have to perform on
models from "veteran" companies, adding a pair of tires and a couple small
magnets really isn't that much to me.
Harry
As always feel free to contact me about this review, or just the hobby in general at wiseone@yhti.net. Or better yet, drop into our Message Board and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts.
Thanks go to Slot Car World for providing me with this sample!
