Wednesday October 08, 2003

Holy Slot Cars Batman!

Johnny Lightning T-Jet Release 5

BATMOBILE!

With the latest 5th release of the Johnny Lightning Thunder-Jet line one model clearly stands out above the rest, at least for myself. When I first learned of this release I couldn't wait to own one and with it finally arriving I just had to quickly share it with you.

So what is the big deal about a Batmobile? If I knew...I would tell you. Perhaps its just because it has that hint of nostalgia, combining images of my youth in both the popularity of the Batman series and the car itself. So, for whatever reason I quickly called Slot Car World and had my pre-order in the day it was announced.

Overall the model seems very well done to my eyes and captures this famous hot rod nicely. I don't bother measuring my larger 1/32nd scale models to see how exact they are to scale, and I certainly won't start here. It isn't so much the models shape and detail but the paint work on both Batman and Robin is better than I expected. Sitting on the track, and while racing it, there is no mistaking it for anything else...this is a Batmobile!

Racing it? You didn't think I would buy a slot car and let it be a "shelf-queen" did you? There are plenty of die-cast versions of this model for that purpose. This model will be raced just like all the others in my collection and it runs just as nicely as all the rest of the Johnny Lightning line. Following the Tune-Up Procedures we have covered here, she was flying right along smoothly.

The beauty of the T-Jet line for myself isn't just the great selection of body styles and colors, it is the fact they all are very close matches on the track. This makes the racing that much more enjoyable, and soon my 6 year old son and I were having the time of our lives chasing each other around our modest-sized AFX track using a variety of different cars.

Which does bring up the fact this release is perfect for not only collectors, but for younger enthusiasts as well. This kind of model is destined to find its way into the stockings of some lucky young racers this Holiday Season and perhaps increases their interest in the hobby. Many of us today can trace our love of slot cars back to a certain Christmas morning...the least we can do is continue the tradition right?

Sometimes things get a little too serious in our lives, not just in everyday life but in our hobby as well. When this happens it is nice to just take a break, sit back and have some light-hearted FUN tooling around the old layout and this little machine is a prime candidate for that kind of therapy. Whether it is just for yourself or a gift to give this year, this release is can be more fun than you might expect and I can safely suggest adding one to your current collection soon.

- 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 me with this model. They have this release as well others in the Johnny Lightning line so make sure you give them a call and ask about them soon.