Tuesday February 15, 2005

New Auto Art Arrives!

Lamborghini Murcielago

We have not heard much out of Auto Art in awhile and I was more than surprised with this latest release. It certainly seems that companies such as Auto Art along with Carrera and Proteus are making sure we have plenty of exotic models to add to our collections, which for some are very welcome additions. This Lamborghini comes right on the heels of the Proteus release and I had to find out how Auto Art presented this Supercar.

Right out of the box this model impressed me with the overall fit and finish. Very clean mold lines with the head and tail light fixtures smoothly in place. Auto Art seems to also capture the model in scale quite well according to prototype photos I have seen and should please most enthusiasts of these cars.

Molded in what Auto Art describes as metallic orange, this model certainly stands out on the track. I happen to like strong contrasts in my colors, but of course not all of you do, so either this color will appeal to you or it won't. I have to say that regardless of color, Auto Art can at least apply a clear-coat that is dirt and dust-free and do it without any signs of orange peel effect. I did notice some slight amount of wrinkling in the rear louvers where it seems the black paint was applied a little too thick, but this was not that easy to spot and should not offend most of you.

This model follows the Subaru and Mitsubishi Lancer in the finish department and for that I give high scores to Auto Art. Detail level here isn't going to be at those levels, but for the model produced I think they have done well. This car is lighted front and back with the tail lights only operating under power. I have become a big fan of lighted models and I was happy to find this model including them.

The first thing that might catch your eye is the wheel detail Auto Art has brought forth. Photo-etched brake rotors are in place and look just as good as the Proteus versions. If there is a down side about these wheels it is that they come fitted with tires that although have excellent tread design, seem a little harder of a compound than some may like. These tires are also going to need some truing to get the smoothest operation, front and back. You heard right...front and back. Auto Art has decided to make this model a 4 wheel drive. Of course this is keeping with the prototype and for some this means a great deal. The prototype has a six-speed transmission that uses both a viscous coupling and electronic traction-control system to distribute power from the 6.2 liter V12 engine evenly to all four wheels.

At first I thought that this was a bad thing, for as far as slot cars go some enthusiasts do not care for 4 wheel drive. But in this case I think it is more than appropriate. If Auto Art was out to re-create this model in scale, then having it equipped with a 4 wheel drive system simply is more prototypical right? Well, I am sure some of you will disagree but given the model I don't see it being much of an issue. I say this as you can always remove the front wheel drive portion if it bothers you, and removing it is much easier than trying to scratch-build a model to include it.

Underneath we see that 4 screws mount the body to the chassis and are easily removed. Remember that this model is lighted, as well as having a polarity switch for changing directions, so please take care while removing the body so you do not damage any of the wires. Inside we find the familiar Mabuchi motor sitting of course in the inline drive configuration. The motor is equipped with a drive-shaft for the front via a flexible spring that rides in a brass bushing in the chassis, which is sort of odd given that the axle bushings are Acetal plastic. The motor and drive shaft have 10 tooth pinions that drive 28 tooth crown gears which have a decent gear mesh to them and with some break-in will quiet these gears down as I have found on prior releases.

Speaking of those axle bushings, I found that they will spin under load due to the chassis mount tolerances so I highly suggest using your favorite adhesive and securing them. Also as I mentioned, the drive-shaft is "secured" by a brass bushing but the problem is that it has a good amount of free-play due to the inside diameter being too large for the shaft. This free-play in the bushing causes the same in the front axle and prevents this model from being as smooth as it could be. My solution? As I mentioned earlier...just remove it. Since performance-minded enthusiasts will most likely do this in most cases, instead of investing time or additional money in a better bushing or heavy modifications, just remove the shaft entirely and run 2WD. This is a shame really as the rest of the model is very well done, hopefully Auto Art looks to address these issues in the future for those who want the 4WD and more durability.

Performance of this model is still surprisingly smooth given these issues, and I found it to be a very fun model to drive. I like the fact it has a smaller bar magnet as it gives you more reaction time in a slide to recover. There is room inside to add additional magnets, so tuning or matching this model to the Proteus can be easily accomplished. Braking is still a little light compared to other models, but after a few laps you should find yourself settling into good control. To get this model even better, I would advise you to replace the tires and the Classic Indy Grips #IG3002 for the Fly Vette/Marcos/Venturi are a perfect fit. Once installed this really helped the car hook up well in the corners and of course aided in a smoother over-all drive.

One thing that makes this car handle better is the fact Auto Art did fix one item that plagued the first 2 releases: The Front Guide. As you can hopefully see they have made a new guide that helps keep this model in the slot much better. In my opinion it is important to mention because being a relative newcomer to the slot car scene, it proves that Auto Art did listen to the enthusiasts and attempted to improve their product. And in case you are a owner of the previous Rally cars, this guide will snap right in place. You get 2 spare guides with this model so you would not have to buy additional guides for your other models.

My final thoughts are that this model has enough good points to it that if you enjoy this type of car, it should be considered for your current collection. It comes in several colors to choose from for variety and this allows you an easy route for close racing. Being lighted is another bonus in my opinion as the fun we have with night racing has only increased over the years. Suited for both the beginner or veteran enthusiast, these models should fill the bill for your Supercar addiction.

Check the Auto Art website for more models soon to come.

- Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at harry@homeracingworld.com, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Thanks go to SLOT CAR WORLD for providing us with this model.