SLOTING PLUS Reynard 2KQ #29 LeMans 2003 Test Car

By Rob Wessling

I always take great pleasure in seeing a new brand of slot car released in our hobby. 

After closer inspection I find that some get my attention whilst others don’t really do it for me.

The new Sloting Plus Reynard 2KQ is one of those models that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on!

From the first time I saw this model before its official release I knew that it would find a home in my collection.  The Sloting Plus Reynard combines innovative design, quality components and scale appearance in a genre of 1/32 model that I enjoy racing.

First impressions of this first release from Sloting Plus are most impressive.

The model comes in a clear crystal case, very tastefully presented.  The display card comes complete with a short introduction to the Reynard 2KQ’s designer, Adrian Reynard, a very nice touch! The car itself is nothing short of exquisite, flawless Tampo work, an eye catching livery, very nice indeed.

After taking in the paint, the next thing you will notice is the level and quality of detail on this model.  Remember this is a model designed to be raced, not a shelf queen!

Detailed ventilated disc rotors, not forgetting the calipers either (a great addition!), various latches for the bodywork, lovely little fuel fillers, various vents etc add to the realism, excellent work.

No working lights on this model for those so inclined, being one that thinks that kind of thing just adds weight, this omission really doesn’t bother me.  BUT, I did like the little tampo printing of the Michelin man tucked away behind the light covers, very swish!

The interior is neat with good detail, the dash is excellent, but what really got my attention the most was the design detail on the drivers helmet, excellent and what a pleasant change from one color presentations from some of the other manufacturers out there (they really need to be aware that helmet designs are very near and dear to many of us).

Okay with the aesthetic side of things out of the way it was time to get down to business and see what the chassis was like regarding layout.

My first impressions were that this model has been designed by a racer for racers, it’s a very neat piece of gear indeed.

The boxer style motor is rated at 21,000RPM/320gm per cm torque at 12v, I saw 11.200RPM on my pocket checker at the back wheel, which puts it comfortably above a stock Mabuchi, but as we shall see later, the torque is the “kicker” with this motor.

The motor is set up in an anglewinder configuration, firmly mounted with set-screws in a pod that is vaguely reminiscent of the T-piece type pods used in R/C on-road cars many moons ago.  Gearing is 11/32 (22.46 millimeters per rev), alloy spur, brass pinion, quality all the way here.

The solid rear axle spins freely in brass bushes, I’ve got to mention that there is no slop here, the fit is beautiful, there should be more of this!

The magnet is where it should be, behind the motor, tucked under the rear axle.  As far as magnets go, this one isn’t very strong; on my Marshall it made 130 grams of down force after the weight of the car was subtracted (84 grams).

Don’t quote me, but you should find that the wheels on this car are alloy; again, the finish is exquisite.  I gave the rear wheels a little scrape with a scalpel when I was mounting tires just to make sure, yep, alloy, nice!

The front axle is “free floating” in stock form on this model, something I really can live without.  Fortunately though the Sloting Plus designers have catered for my whim in this regard and molded some holes on top of the axle blocks to fit grub screws in.  I found the standard Slot.it. grub screws fit these holes, making the front end very easy to set-up the way I prefer (minimal movement).

The electrical side of things is neat and sparse (as it should be!), no capacitors, good quality silicone motor wire, eyelets that fit snugly into the deep guide, no hassles whatsoever!

OK, so how does the Sloting Plus Reynard run???

In a word great, BUT, you will need to do a little to it.

Out of the box the model ran well, putting in a best time of 2.5 seconds on our small (slightly dusty, we have been busy with house renovations in recent weeks) Scalextric Sport four lane layout.  This is about on par with a Scalextric Viper.

What impressed me most about the Sloting Plus Reynard was the motor, it’s a real powerhouse!

 The mild magnet doesn’t do a lot to keep the tail end pinned down and the stock tires are left wanting, particularly on our slick Sport layout. To be fair, the stock rubber is apparently for “display purposes only”, wouldn’t it have been good to have decent rubber on the car out of the box?

Fortunately a change to Slot.it. 17X10 zero grip rubber on the front rims (actual diameter 18.00mm in comparison to the stock tires 20.8mm overall diameter) and some rubber on the rear that had more grip made a world of difference. Ideally I would have chosen NSR ultra-grips for the rear, but I didn’t have any at hand so I settled for some Slot.it. “F15 Eagle” compound tires. 

With a slightly smaller diameter of 20.6mm, these tires help improve the magnetic down-force (200grams net).  I’ll try some Ultra-grips at a later date and cut them smaller again, hopefully I’ll be able to get the down force up to around 250 grams, I think that this will work well.

I also had a mess around with the tension of the rear pod and found that backing the screws ¼ turn off tight provided a nice feel to the chassis, but as with all things, personal taste will dictate what setting you will prefer.

Of course there will be the inevitable comparison between this latest offering from Sloting Plus and the Spirit Reynard 2KQ that was released some years back. To my mind the Spirit Reynard 2KQ was a “milestone” car for the Spirit brand when released, quality of finish was excellent, performance was on a par with the much vaunted Fly Lola B98/10.  The Spirit Reynard's strengths were its gutsy motor, tall gearing and a chassis that offered ideal placement of a strong bar magnet, all the pre-requisites needed by magnet devotees. 

The Sloting Plus Reynard 2KQ is further along in slot car evolution, as one would expect considering the many years between the release of both models.  Sloting Plus have provided enthusiasts with an advanced starting point for their racing platform, the efforts made in effective chassis design are duly noted, it works and doesn’t need to rely on heavy magnet down force to get the job done. 

Which Reynard is correct regarding scale dimensions?  Yes there are some anomalies between both models, I quickly measured wheelbase with my calipers during the test and found the Spirit offering had a 3mm longer wheelbase.  Its probably something I don’t want to get into, both models present well together, they look like the prototype and that’s good enough for me, I’ll leave the rest to more knowledgeable souls!

After tuning the Sloting Plus 2KQ turned in a best lap of 2.2 seconds, line-ball with my Scalextric Audi R10 that I have tuned for stock class competition.

Although posting identical times the cars are poles apart.

The Scalextric Audi has 297 grams of down force, making it more or less a “magnet barge”, whilst the Sloting Plus Reynard is beautifully balanced with very strong top-end performance.

Unfortunately our current layout doesn’t allow Sloting Plus Reynard to reach its full potential, this car would be right at home on a larger layout.

So what did I think of the Sloting Plus Reynard 2KQ?  In a word, QUALITY!

A brilliant first attempt from Sloting Plus, this model oozes quality.  Quality finish, quality parts, its all there for the enthusiast, I really love this model. If the Reynard 2KQ is anything to go by, we will be hearing a lot more from Sloting Plus in the future!!!

-Rob