NINCO Exige GT3 - Home Racing World & Slot Car Garage

Thursday November 19, 2009

The NINCO Lotus Exige GT3. For those just arriving in this hobby, this slot car has caused quite a stir. Many have looked forward to this new tooling by NINCO since it was announced. Sporting some new features this car is one of the most anticipated releases of the year for NINCO. So let us get down to business and take a closer look shall we?

This is the first model using the new NINCO "SPORT" name. Looking at the new 2009 catalog, this is simply a replacement for the standard line of models they have always made. Except that this new Sport line is to have increased scale detail and in the case of this model, an all new motor.

First, let us look at the model itself. I think NINCO did a fair job at re-creating this model in 1/32nd scale. I say fair as looking at prototype photos does show us some issues. Namely the wheels and the relation to the body. The rear wheels seem a tad too larger and stick out from under the rear fenders further than it appears they should.

It is not a large model either. It is about 5 inches long and 2.32 inches wide. Here is the car next to a popular NINCO model for comparison.

Because of this, it seems the model is setting a little too high. Not a lot mind you, but the prototype photos I have seen do show it to be on the high side. So do this really bother you? Only you can make the call.

Honestly, most average folks browsing through the hobby stores would not even know what this model is, let alone know it is off a little. Yes, I can hear all of you motor heads cringe at that statement, but like it or not it is true. Not everyone follows this series of racing over here. I took this car with me to my school. Students ages range from 18 to 35. Out of 28, not one even knew that it was a Lotus. Still, that is part of the fun of this hobby. It actually helps educate us on a wide variety of MotorSports and that is a good thing.

There are some items most veteran enthusiasts will see right away. First is the improved interior. This is basically a 3/4 tray interior that has a higher level of detail than NINCO models of the past. I liked the flames on the driver's helmet, nice touch.

Many slot racers will appreciate this improvement. I know that I do, although the old half-tray approach worked well enough for me and allowed more room inside the chassis for tuning. Still, it is good to see NINCO care enough to make the effort.

Although it may seem like a small item, I assure you it is not. The side mirrors are a flexible rubber that will withstand much harder racing than the hard plastic versions we are used to seeing. Nothing can break your heart faster than seeing your new hot rod lose a mirror. It just takes away from the overall looks of it. Kudos to NINCO for this change. The antenna on the other hand, although has some flex, will not last forever.

Tampo stamped markings and clear coat is very well done. I found no traces of fading or dirt so overall I have to give it a thumbs up in the finish department. Little extras like the screen mesh does add a great level of scale appeal and most of you should appreciate it.

Wheels and tires are well done mechanically. I see actual markings on the tires which is not very common for NINCO. The rubber seems like a medium to soft compound to me and should hook up well on most plastic track surfaces. The markings on the wheels and visible brake rotor detail add even more scale appeal.

TIRE TIP: Although a new model, there are aftermarket tires that fit. K&D makes the tire for the NINCO1 line part# KD13247NIN that fits perfectly.

Looking underneath we see the new NC-9 "SPARKER" motor sitting in the angle-winder position. It is rated at 20,000 RPMS at 14.8 volts with 125 mA and 145 g.cm. We also see the new bar magnet in place. This should please most racers out there who enjoy box stock magnet racing.

Box Stock Track Testing
MidMo International Speedway
4 x 16 - 3 Lane MDF Routed Wood - Flat Latex Surface
Copper Tape Conductivity - Aftermarket Power @ 12 Volts PARMA 25 OHM Control

Time for some racing! My first few laps with this car was enjoyable. In fact, the gear mesh and overall ride was a lot smoother than I expected. There was a very slight hop, but not as much as I have seen in the past. Overall, this was a great running car in box stock form on a wood track. Although the tires did not grip that well, that is no slight on them. Wood tracks usually need a different tire compound. The tires did grip well on our NINCO plastic track "skid pad" test area which is all that matters. So if you are just starting out or happily race on plastic with the magnet in place, you should be pleased.

I have to also say I liked this new motor. It has good braking and decent acceleration. Rated at 20,000 at 14.8 volts it has more than enough speed for our small to medium sized layouts. In fact, it is very similar to the standard NC-5 Speeder motor, only in a shorter can version. (Speeder is also 20,000 @ 14.8 V) A little less torque and frankly I liked the responsiveness of it better than I do the Speeder.

At this writing the model retails for $64.98. This is not the price you might find at your better NINCO dealers, so it pays to shop around. The prices of NINCO are what they are and either you feel they are worth the extra investment or you do not.

So, out of the box this model functions as intended. In fact, this little car surprised me. I was expecting a model with too much motor but NINCO actually delivered a fine runner for our driving style.

Looking Closer

3 screws mount the body to the chassis and once removed we get to see things a little better. This new motor is likely designed to fit such a model in this configuration. It has the now standard quick-disconnect leads as well.

The angle-winder gears are standard with a 12 tooth pinion driving the 32 tooth spur gear. The spur gear is thinner than those I have seen before. This new profile fits the car well and seems just as smooth as previous gears.

There is one thing that has not changed with this model. Front axle free-play. There is some both vertically and horizontally. Nothing that cannot be fixed rather easily though. We have been doing this for years on NINCO models and we shall do it here.

First I decided to shim each side of the axle with nylon washers. You pretty much do this by sight. If it fits, it fits. Just use any washer or shim that will get the job done. When I was done, I added a light drop of glue on the axle on the side I removed the wheel to make sure it stayed put.

Next up was the vertical free-play. I used styrene tubing once again for this and it works very well. I used Testors glue to mount the tubing. again, you can use virtually any material to get this done. Once completed, you will have less roll effect in the corners which is a good thing.

Check All 4 Wheels For This

Finally the wheels and tires. First, remove the tires and check for flash molding. As usual, there is a small amount of the wheel ribs. This causes the tire to sit unevenly on the wheel. You can clean this up in a variety of ways, but I just used my Exacto hobby knife and scraped it off. Next I sanded the rear tires. This removed any crown to the inner rib and made sure our tires would sit as flush as possible.

Then it was time for after-market tires. I used K&D tires as mentioned earlier. You most likely have your own favorite compound/brand, so check to see if they have these available. Once I installed them it was time to head back to the track and see what we have.

We now have a smoother ride overall with plenty of grip. Like I stated before, I really like the action of this motor. It is just less "punchy" than the NC-5 and for our smaller track that is the best action a motor can have. Lap times were good at the 4.2 second range which is better than I thought. Eliminating the body roll with the front axle shimmed help reduce tipping and we could drive it harder in and out of the corners.

All in all I like this model. It has some good improvements over previous NINCO efforts that most of you will appreciate. I enjoy seeing something different too and this Lotus fulfills that wish as well. Hopefully this review helps you decide for yourself if this slot car needs to be in your stable.

- 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!