Saturday November 22, 2008

This review is one you will not see very often here at Home Racing World. As a rule I have stayed away from reviewing the more expensive models found in our hobby. I did this as these models are very limited and not many home racers that I know even have one. This release however caught my eye and when I noticed the lower price I thought it was time to find out just what these slot cars are all about.

Le Mans Miniatures from France has been producing kits for several years in our hobby. The body and parts of the chassis are made from resin while the motor pods and wheels are usually injected molded. So what is the appeal of these models? For many it is simply the detail level. For others it is the models they choose to do that our mainstream manufactures do not.

When I first laid eyes on this model I was simply blown away by the looks of it. The details here were impressive as well as the fine paint work that is truly the star of the show. I will try and let these photos do the talking but I cannot really capture how well this model is done. Having it in your hands so you study it is the only true way to appreciate the craftsmanship.

They have certainly done a fine job capturing it in our scale. All markings are about as good as you will ever see in our hobby and has a nice clear coat sealing them all in place. The cockpit here is the best I have ever seen in scale. It simply has almost ever switch and knob highlighted with paint with a steering wheel and dash also detailed out. The decal and paint on the driver is just as impressive. To put it in simple terms: WOW.

It also has one item that surprised me and I think some racers can appreciate it. You see these seemingly fragile mirrors? Well think again. These are solid steel posts that are very strong and will not break. You will crack the resin body long before you snap these steel posts. Is this a good thing? Not really. Although I like the idea of using better materials for things such as these mirrors, I am not sure this is the right way to go. Perhaps on a injected plastic model it would be an ok idea, but resin is not as durable. If you do lose one, a spare post is included in the box.

Moving to the wheels and tires everything appeared to be in line with the body. Wheels seemed very accurate with visible brake rotor and caliper detail. It is interesting too that the these stay static while the wheel turns. Very nicely done.

Sadly, it is here where all the good we have seen so far ends. When inspecting these wheels and tires I noticed the rear tires were quite hard. I also detected that they do not fit the wheel that well and you can actually turn the tires on the wheel rather easily. I thought this very odd for a model such as this but I could always glue these tires and felt it was not that big of an issue.

Turning the model over we see the major part of the chassis is also molded in resin. The motor pod which has a FF style mini-motor is injected molded plastic as we are used to seeing. There are 6 screws holding it in place it appears we should be able to get a great float set up from it.

Initial Wood Track Testing
3 Lane MDF Routed Wood - Flat Latex Surface
Copper Tape Conductivity - Aftermarket Power @ 12 Volts PARMA 25 OHM Control

There is not much for me to report here as the model simply will not run, or rather it does not run very well. The very hard tires and incorrect fit of them make it very slippery and has a very bad hop. It also has a very loud gear mesh to it and looking at it through the opening in the chassis it appears it is a hypoid type set up.

Of course I am a little disappointed. I did not expect this model to run like some of our advanced "PRO" series of models, but I did expect to at least function as intended. However, it appears that using that term "as intended" might just be accurate on how this model runs.

Looking Closer

There are a total of 9 screws to remove the body from the chassis. Once inside we see things up close with our slim-line motor in the inline position. It has a 9 tooth pinion that turns the 27 tooth crown gear. I noticed the gear was rubbing the crown and I backed it off. This did help with the gear mesh a little but I think some Slot-it hypoid gears are what will be needed. However, now that I adjusted this gear I will see what good break-in can do for it.

The guide up front is held in place by a screw and had minimal slop to it. The bald itself could be a little deeper but the braid seemed decent quality.

The Real Deal

I decided to contact LMM through their website but honestly did not expect a response. However I did get one and it was very interesting, at least what I could decipher from it. It was a translated message that basically explained that this is a scale model that is motorized. It introduces the possibility of racing the car, but that certain components will need to be changed in order for it to perform. Wheels and tires are models of the original but were not intended for maximum grip. (If I am wrong, so be it, but this is how I read it).

Interesting indeed. So with this information what do we do now? Well I can tell you I will change out the needed components and get this beautiful car to run.

To be fair to my readers, I knew all of this going in. Several friends and readers told me exactly what the model would be like when it got here. They also told me that after getting the needed parts that they were very pleased.

In The End...

Some of you would most likely be very upset if you purchased this car only to find out it needs more work. I cannot say as I can blame you. However, given what LMM actually intended to make they did a nice job, physically speaking. Most pure collectors should not care either way as most of their collections never see the track. For those that do, there is work to be done.

But what do you have when you are finished? In my opinion you have a very unique and beautiful slot car that you don't see everyday. Well, at least not with the gangs I race with.

Do I regret getting the car? No, of course not. I am glad I did and in the process hopefully this helps some of you planning on purchasing one. Now you know going in that there is still things to accomplish. Although the investment dollar wise is steep for most home racers, I still think it is worth it for a select few of you. When I see racers investing the amounts they do in after-market parts on common models, maybe spending more for a truly unique model would be worth it.

In the end though, only you can answer that question.

- 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!

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