Thursday October 18, 2007

The latest release of the Corvette by NINCO has been anticipated by me a great deal. It was not just the car itself that had me interested as we have seen this model from NINCO before. No, it was the motor inside that surprised us all and I could not wait to test it to see if we had yet another great addition to the Classic line.

The NINCO Corvette has had more than a few variations. From hard top to full convertible, street and racing trim. The car itself has always been one that I was found of. Great balance due to the wheelbase and overall stance and easily converted to NC-1 power to race with other classics in the series. This review has more of a focus on what is inside than out. For more in-depth looks at this model, head to our NINCO review archives and take a look at more of the finer details of this classic Chevrolet.

This rendition is a ragtop in colors that you will either appreciate or you won't. Several other racers that were on hand for testing thought it looked the part well enough and I agree. It is not without some slight flaws as there is clearly some bleed through in the white side panels. Not a great a deal and for many is no issue, but I must mention it to be fair. Other than this the model has a very nicely done clear-coat that gives it a great finish.

Interior detail level is adequate as the dash panel is easily seen along with a co-driver present. Some do not care for the half-tray interior but it simply does not bother me in the least. Our driver and co-pilot are present and detailed paint-wise well enough.

Wheels and tires are standard NINCO fare and were very round and true. A little sanding here and there will just make things even better. The NINCO rubber used has shown to be better than you might think, on both plastic and wood tracks. We like the grip level of these stock tires and have kept all but one of our classics original.

The Bid Deal

But let us get right to the big change. This model has been previously outfitted with the NC-5 Speeder motor. For our racing it has simply been over powered for such a model. Having this NC-5 motor made it incompatible with other classics in the line aside from the Austin Healey and we quickly would change it to NC-1 power to allow it a place in the classic racing rotation we enjoy here.

Upon this model being announced, the new NC-8 THRUSTER motor was introduced. Rated at 16,000 RPM @14.8 volts with 87 gxcm (torque) this compared to the NC-1's (15,700 RPM @ 14.8 volt 74 gxcm).  This had many enthusiasts curious about how well it would perform and if would keep our future classics running as calmly and smoothly as we have grown accustomed to.

Track Test

Our first few laps were very positive to say the least. The car does have slightly more pronounced acceleration and braking with also an edge in top speed over the NC-1. On our small to medium sized layouts (4 x 16 plastic road course, 4 x 16 routed road course & 5 x 16 routed oval) this motor was more than enough in both speed and power. I tested several different brands of models with various motors and this new NC-8 seems to be right where NINCO wanted it to be. A little more power and speed of the NC-1, yet just shy of the NC-2. Since the NINCO website does not even list the NC-2 anymore this new motor seems to fill that void nicely enough.

On our latest routed track without the magnet this Vette posted averages of 5.5 seconds. The same car in NC-1 format was very close with 5.6 average times. I did bring it into the 5.5 range a couple times but the NC-8 does have the slight advantage. On a larger home or club tracks is where you will see the biggest difference of course. The NC-8 model clearly begins to pull away from its NC-1 adversary at about the 8 foot mark on our oval and has a 2 to 2 1/2 car length advantage going into the corner. Quite a difference even on our smaller oval.

Final Thoughts

On it's own I like this motor a great deal. It has plenty of power and speed for my style of simple home racing. I also like this motor much more in this model than I do the NC-5. I think both the Corvette and Austin Healey will be a better model with this motor included. When it comes to the NINCO motor line, the NC-1 will always be a favorite and the NC-2 a nice step up from it. This new NC-8 is also a great performer than falls right between them. I am also happy to see this as with other car makers sticking in faster and more powerful motors along with massive amounts of magnet, it is refreshing to see a motor more suited for enthusiasts who do not desire a heavy magnet rocket. I am one of those people and many other enthusiasts are the same. We enjoy our models at a more realistic speed and we enjoy the challenges that non-magnet racing. This car offers that style of racing and for that I give it a thumbs up.

- 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!