Monday October 04, 2004

Scalextric Maserati 250F

There are a few new series of models coming our way this year, and one of them was a very nice surprise for me. The classic F1/Grand Prix line from Scalextric has been a hot topic among many enthusiasts and for good reason. This type of car has an appeal to it all it's own and many vintage racers could not wait for it to be released.

Our own Rich McMahon traveled to the Goodwood Revival Meeting this year and was lucky enough to grab both the Maserati and the Vanwall. After reading his comments and speaking with him on the phone, it just made me want them even more. Shortly after this, Scalextric-USA let me know the first of the models were on their way here for us too look at. Arriving here safe and sound as usual, I ripped open the box to get our Maserati on the track!

Our model is the Sport version and comes in a very attractive box. As usual, there is a small history of the car and the driver, Juan Manuel Fangio. I have said before I like this type of information included in my models, and many other enthusiasts agree. I am certainly no expert on this series of racing and having a small background and prototype information available just makes me appreciate the model even more. The collectors "credit card" has changed a little and looks just as good as the box too. Although the collector value of these models means nothing to me, there are of course many out there who do.

Removing the model from the box, I was instantly impressed. The overall finish on this classic is very well done with a clean, even and durable clear-coat covering all of the body. Small details such as rivets, louvers and even the emblems really stand out on a model like this for me, but it was the driver figure and interior that really caught my eye.

Small details such as the placement of the driver's arms and dashboard detail gives this slot car a decent level of scale appeal and should please most fans of series.

It was the wheels and tires that I was mostly concerned about though. In the past, other slot car manufactures have attempted models such as this with the tall, skinny wheels only to have the car arrive with them terribly out of round. Well, that was then...and this is now. Scalextric has made a great effort on these and they are as round and true as you could ask for.

Underneath we find this car comes with the new guide system (2 spare guide braid discs come in the box). It also is a front motor model and equipped with the smaller button magnet located right under the driver. For the type of model this is, I felt this magnet to be more than enough. This model should drift a little through the corners, and given the distance from the rails and strength of the button magnet, it does this quite well.

Our out of the box test was even better than I thought. We were lucky to have had this model delivered right before we traveled to a race meet at the home of Mark Thomas. I presented this model to several racers and allowed them to give it it's first few laps and get their impressions. Everyone agreed that Scalextric made a great effort on this model and that it functioned nicely on the track....not too stuck down, not too loose. Although not everyone appreciates these type of models, all who drove it said they liked it and it was fun to pilot.

Now it was my turn and after only a few laps I whole-heartedly agreed. The car doesn't have that heavy magnet feel, and the break-away effect the stronger bar magnets usually have is not really as pronounced. This allowed me to really get this model drifting easily in the corners which is something I really enjoy doing.

After we played with it for quite some time, I wanted to get inside and see the rest of this machine. There are 5 screws that hold the small chassis to the body and 2 of them are smaller than the rest, so make sure you place them correctly when you re-assemble the model. The smaller screws are the ones in the center near the magnet.

Inside we see the standard Mabuchi power-plant in the front motor configuration equipped with a 9 tooth pinion. Given this is the Sport version, the rear axle that is quipped with a 27 tooth crown gear is held in place with 2 metal bushings. All 3 of the bushings were very tight and I did not notice any spinning or free-play.

Up front is the new guide system and brings up one of the biggest strong points of the model. While sitting on the track, our Maserati has almost the perfect guide and front wheel height. The front wheels touch the track VERY lightly, giving this model an excellent tri-pod effect. Not all slot cars we see have this trait, and kudos go to Scalextric on this effort.

After oiling the motor and bushings it was time to head back to the track. First I decided to sand the tires a little because I wanted to clean them up. This tire sanding made more of a difference than I thought it would. Although there isn't a great deal of tire contact to the track, slightly getting the edges of the tire a littler smoother made cornering even smoother for me. It does not take a lot to sand them and I suggest you try this if you decide to grab this model.

On our Dixon Hills Speedway we managed an average of 5.2 seconds which really is not that bad given this type of model. Braking and acceleration are crisp enough and as I stated earlier, it has very smooth control. Sweeping this model around our slightly banked turns is a lot of fun to me and driving it can become more addictive than you think. Removing the magnet of course made this model drift even more and our lap times were and average of 6.3. The model is a little light for my non-magnet racing and will need some lead added to get where most of you will enjoy it. I installed the magnet back inside because it really isn't that stuck down and most of the folks we race with keep things box stock.

Not everyone likes these type of models, but for those who do I highly suggest grabbing at least one. If you are just starting our great hobby, I think you are in for a nice surprise as this model matched with the Vanwall should give you hours of racing fun. Sometimes adding a series that is a little different from the rest really adds to the fun in your home or club racing, and in my opinion these new classics will fit right in.

- 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 Scalextric-USA for providing us with this model.