NINCO Citroen C4 WRC - Home Racing World & Slot Car Garage

Sometimes a simple livery can make a car a little more desirable. Such is the case for me with this latest Citroen C4 from NINCO. Of course a coat of paint does not always make a great slot car, but it helps to catch the eye of enthusiasts who might otherwise pass it by.

Looking at this car makes me look back some of the older cars in the fleet. NINCO has made some improvements in the fit and finish department over the years and this car certainly showcases these efforts.

The paint and tampo stamped markings are about as good as you are going to see in ready to run mainstream slot cars. Hopefully the photos here help you make your own decision. One thing that you need to be aware of are the side mirrors. These will not take too much hard contact before they finally break. Perhaps it is time for NINCO to make them from softer rubber like we are seeing on other models?

I can be honest and tell you that I do not like the Red Bull product. It must be a taste that is acquired. However they certainly make an attractive car. And I will give them credit for supporting auto racing as a whole. I have seen versions of the Red Bull on many different classes of cars over the past few years.

The interior here is pretty much NINCO standard with decent detail levels. Full roll bars along with visible fire bottle and our navigator and driver are all here. For me NINCO does a well enough job. Others of course might want to see more. As always we leave it up to you to decide.

Wheels and tires seem to be right in line with prior NINCO models. The tire compound seems the same and the tires themselves are the ribbed versions with the NINCO stamp on the sides. Since we reviewed the new Chevrolet Ninco 1 series, I wonder why this model could not have come with proper tire lettering? Yes, it is a small thing but if the so-called "beginner" series can have tire lettering then why not on a standard model?

In any case they were round and true except for a few noticeable bumps here and there under the tire. This is usual on all models where flash molding is left on the wheel. Nothing hard to fix so let us give this car it's first test run.

ROAD TEST

Plastic Magnet Track - 12 Volts - PARMA 25 OHM Control

This little model ran pretty good out of the box. Being 4 wheel drive the Speeder motor still gives it all the power it needs. I posted lap times of 4.4 seconds which is not bad for a box stock NINCO. Braking is very crisp and acceleration is fair. Again, the 4 wheel drive system takes a little edge off it, but those who enjoy the 4 wheel action should be pleased. With the magnet being located mid-chassis also allows for some great sliding which for me is important in a car such as this.

I also liked the way the model sounded. It seemed very quiet compared to older NINCO models in the same class. If you just starting our hobby, many NINCO models come out of the box with a noticeable "growl" to them. Nothing really bad, just the models need time for the gears to break-in. This car sounded like it already had a few hours on it. Sometimes though you just get lucky and get a car that is just lined out a little better than the others. In any event, this car gets high marks from me out of the box.

LOOKING CLOSER

Turning the model over we see the standard NC-5 Speeder motor is utilized for power. This should be more than enough for most enthusiasts out there. We also see the button magnet mounted right in front of this motor that gave us that great sliding we had in our road test.

Only 2 screws mount the body to the chassis and were easily removed. The front screw is hidden by the guide, so just move the guide over to gain access to it.

Inside we see the rest of the chassis components. Interesting is the combination of the shocks with the "soft" compound red shocks up front while the "hard" compound shocks are mounted in the rear. For me these shocks really do not accomplish much as there is so little travel to them. Still, it has a slight amount which some enthusiasts really like to see. The 4 wheel drive system is a single pulley configuration with a standard belt to provide power. I have had several of these systems over the years and they appear to be durable enough for most home racing applications.

Looking even closer I find a change. This model has an all new steel, black anodized pinion. It does feel smoother than previous brass pinions and pretty much explains why this car just sounded better out of the box. It is still a 9 tooth which drives a 27 tooth crown gear so it will match previous models. Nice call NINCO, I like seeing this move. The pinion change here makes the car even better and will only become smoother over time.

NON-MAGNET OPERATION
Routed MDF Wood Track - Copper Tape - 12 Volt Aftermarket Power
PARMA 25 OHM Controllers

Even if you do not have a wood track, try removing the magnet with this model. See how much fun it truly can be with increased sliding in the corners. It also is more of a challenge and helps hone your driving skills. This is the kind of action and performance I truly enjoy and this little car delivers.

The tires and wheels will need some attention of course with some sanding to true things up. Once cleaned and sanded though they really hook up rather well on our surface. For our track the NC-5 Speeder motor is a little more horsepower than we need but I cannot fault NINCO for that. An older NC-2 or even the new NC-8 would be ideal for smaller home tracks in my opinion but you can tune it to suit your needs easy enough.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a nice model to compliment the current NINCO Rally line up. If you are a fan of this series and already have some prior models from NINCO and enjoy them, this car should be on your hit list. If you are just starting our hobby I think it would be a great first addition.

- 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 MRC For Providing Us With This Sample!