Tuesday March 16, 2004

Fly Swatter?

The New Spirit Reynard 2KQ

It has been awhile since we have heard from Spirit, but this new model might just be the thing that gets enthusiasts talking about them again. Although the Ferrari left some enthusiasts cold due to some of the scale issues it appeared to have, I found it to be a great deal of fun and I expected nothing less than the same with this release.

Upon it’s arrival I took it out of the case and began to inspect the detailing and overall shape of the model. I am no expert in this class of racing but it appears that Spirit has done a good job in capturing this Reynard in our scale. What little detail that could be included in the interior is done well and should please most in our hobby.

Tampo-stampings and overall fit and finish were as good as one could expect. It seems that the clear-coat is missing over the top of some of the markings as with another company from Spain, but I am so used to this that doing it myself doesn't bother me anymore. As with most any model released today there are going to be some issues that hard-core enthusiasts are going to see here and there, but for my “regular” eyes it fits the bill nicely.

One thing about the previous models from Spirit is that they were certainly NOT the quietest slot cars on the market. In fact, you almost think there is something wrong with the model the first time you drive one. However, do not let this deter you from them as with some decent break-in time these models really begin to smooth out. The durability of the gears has always been a strong point as far as our racing is concerned and the more we drive them, the better they become.

Such is the case with our Reynard's as we headed straight to the track for the OOB (out of box) Test. After adjusting the braid for our track we set it on the track and started the testing. Immediately you can notice that these models needed some break-in, but there was something different about them as compared to the Lola. The difference was SPEED.

Although there wasn’t any noticeable wheel hop, after the quick test I inspected the wheels and tires again to see if, or how badly they were out of round. Happily the ones on our sample were void of any serious issues but they will need a good sanding to get them nice and flush where they should be. Depending on how you run your models will dictate if silicone tires are needed. On smooth track systems and/or running non-magnet, I would advise getting a pair for maximum performance. (Fly Classic Indy Grips work very well and the original ones are easily sanded to bring down the profile of the tire and when using the magnet, just allows it to hook up even better since you have caused the magnet to be slightly closer to the rails.)

After 50 laps, this model “officially” passed the out of box test as it ran and functioned as intended. Some may not agree, but I feel this is a very important test. These slot cars DO end up in the hands of newcomers and they, as we do, expect them to RUN. As mentioned, this model seemed to have more power and top end speed than the Lola, in other words it left it in the dust.

I was curious to say the least about these models so it was now time to take a closer look under the hood to see if Spirit had changed anything dramatically in the running gear department. After removing the 4 screws that mount the chassis cleanly to the body we find the Mabuchi motor sitting in the inline drive position equipped with a 10 tooth brass pinion. This was change #1 as the prior Lola had a 9 tooth bright red plastic/nylon pinion. However one tooth on the pinion was not explaining everything about the performance as I swapped than and there was still an advantage to the Reynard. The motor is different, at least in my opinion it is. I do not have access to any fancy RPM machines to test it, nor have the folks at Spirit confirmed it...but the proof is on the track.

The rear axle is still equipped with a 27-tooth crown gear and held in place by brass bushings that were tightly secured in the chassis mounts. However, I still added a drop of clear silicone adhesive over the tops on them as a preventive maintenance measure. The chassis also has a slight change to it as extra ribs are on each side now to help stiffen it.

Another slight change is the omission of the front brass strips that are utilized on the Lola. To be honest, I never thought these added much performance enhancement to the model. In theory they could be adjusted to help minimize front body roll, but the adjustment is so slight that most average enthusiasts (guys like me) will never see it. The one thing that I do wish wasn't missing was lights. Although some can take them or leave them, models like these seem perfect candidates to be lighted and I plan to do just that in the near future.

All of this along with the strong bar magnet (identical to the Fly) just makes this model a screamer on the track. If your layout has long straights you should definitely see the power this model has. I decided to test it further against the Fly Lola to see how it compared. With both models straight out of the box except that the Fly version had a little more break-in time, the Spirit Lola had a slight advantage. Lap times were an average of 4.3 seconds in the Spirit with the Fly close behind and 4.5.

Most of you who choose to add this model to your collection should be pleased. It will take a little time for break-in to quiet it down, but the performance on the track should make up for it. Adding silicones only increases the handling of this model and I found it nice to have it such a close match with the Fly version. Fans of LMP should certainly look twice at this offering as I think it could only increase the fun factor for their series.

-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!

Many thanks go to Eagle Distributing and Gene at SlotCarPlace for providing us with these models.