Wednesday May 25, 2005

Start Small!
The NINCO GTI Cup Starter Set

There seems to be endless options to choose from when you want to get started in our hobby. Everyone has their own opinion on what track is the best to start with and why. Regardless of all these choices, the good news for those looking to start racing is there is NO wrong way. Just about every major slot car company in our hobby produces sets designed for the beginner, so we thought putting the spotlight on a few them might help those of you getting ready to join in the fun.

We will be looking at 4 beginner sets by 4 different manufactures and our first set is made by NINCO. Although we have already looked at the NINCO GT MAX set, I decided to focus on those sets designed for new enthusiasts on a tighter budget with this set having a suggested retail of $139.98. We also wanted to show you how easy and simple it is to add an expansion set in the event you decide to take your new hobby to the next level.

The GTI Cup Set is the very basic set you can get by NINCO. It gives you everything you need to get started in our hobby and it won't hurt your budget or space restrictions either. Some might say that buying a larger set is better on your budget, and in the long run this just might be true. But the reality of our hobby is much different as some people invest a great deal of money to get started and for some reason or another, they simply do not stay with it. So why not just start out small and see if it is a hobby you want to continue? This is why we are featuring this starter set as a lower cost alternative.

Inside this set you get 3 standard and one power base straight plus 8 standard curves to make a simple oval. You also get 1 transformer rated at 14.8 volts - 700mA and 2 high quality 55 Plus controllers. As we covered in our GT MAX review, these controllers are most likely some of the best set controllers offered today.

Assembly of this track is about as easy as it gets with instructions that are very easy to follow. It only took us about 10 minutes to have this oval up and ready for action. Our review of the GT MAX set shows just how easy the track snaps together.

The set also comes with guardrails, NINCO barrier banners and even 8 of the banking supports in case you want to add a little lift in the corners. The layout will take up a 34 inch by 66 inch area when completed. The box itself is small enough to store easily in a closet in the event you have to take the layout down frequently and for those with tight space restrictions, this is a major factor.

However, it is the cars in this set that surprised me. No, they are not the most detailed models you can find in our hobby, but they have their strong points. First, the do have a nice interior that even has the co-driver present. This adds a higher level of scale detail that some enthusiasts can appreciate. Durability for the beginner and younger drivers is very important when choosing a first set and these cars can take a real beating. Only the rear wing on these VW's will fall victim to the abuse learning to drive can dish out so I have to give NINCO high marks for choosing them.

Another reason I like them is that they now have the NC-5 20,000 rpm Speeder motor. Why is this important? Well, most all of the latest Rally and even other releases by NINCO have this same motor. Which means if you decide to keep going in our hobby, finding models that are a close match to these are even easier.

It might appear that a small oval like this will not be that much fun. However, if you have never raced this scale of slot cars before, it is enough to give you a great first experience with it. If after racing on this small layout you find that you want more, there is an extension kit that can add a little more running room to your current configuration.

ADDING ON

We chose the smallest extension kit available. This kit comes with 2 full straights, 4 standard curves and 6 more guardrails. I might be a little picky on the box art as it shows the track with optional turn borders but they are not included in the kit. I think NINCO should change this as it might cause some confusion for some newcomers. Regardless, this extension set has a retail price of $36.98 and does allow you to make more of a challenging layout out of your GTI oval.

We assembled the track just how it shows you on the box and created a layout that just barely fits on a standard 4 foot by 8 foot table.

This layout adds a little more to your racing and is actually quite fun to do battle on. Again, it is not a large layout but hopefully this shows you that you do not need a large amount of space to get started and have fun in this hobby.

GTI Cup Set - $139.98
Extension Kit - $36.98
TOTAL - $176.96

If you are looking to get started in our hobby and you purchase this set, you should have hours of fun. So in this regard NINCO gives you a successful option to choose from. The best part about these smaller low-cost sets is that if you decide you do not like it, you have not invested a great deal of money. Track preference is all about individual tastes, so what one person says is the best, may not be for you. Trying a small set like this is the perfect option to allow you to find out for yourself.

- Harry

Thanks Go To MRC For Providing Us With This Set!