The Fly Lancia Beta Monte Carlo

The Lancia Beta Monte Carlo from the GB Track division of Fly has been out for a while, and these cars have become very popular. They add even more racing choices for your Classic DRM battles, and now Fly has released a lighted version to run those long endures right in your own home.

The livery chosen here is quite striking. The light blue mixed with the Fruit of the Loom logos really sets this car apart from the others, and I find this to be the most attractive Lancia yet. Detailing here is at typical Fly standards, with intricate exhaust and full interior. This is one of those cars released that does not have an over-abundance of small details to break off during those times when we get a little too heavy on the throttle. The mirrors on these cars are a lot thicker and stronger than some you may have seen, such as on the Lister Storms, and after many hard laps and a few accidents here and there, they have survived.

The Tampo markings on this model were outstanding, with no runs, fades or smears. Along with that, they have executed a good job on the clear-coat, which of late has needed some attention to detail. My model had a smooth even finish, with no traces of dust or dirt particles found underneath the clear-coat.

Also found on this model is a new style of wheels, and frankly I felt they matched the livery of the car quite well. Fly did an exceptionally good job on these wheels, with all wheels being as round and true as you could hope for. Test runs did not reveal an excess of wheel hop, what little there was found, was cured quickly by traditional tire sanding.

Power here is the familiar Fly rear pod design, however the “standard” shimming and tuning of this assembly isn’t need on this model. Axle “slop” (side to side play) was at a minimum, and the tires did not rub either the inside of the body, nor the chassis.

The lighting system here is what’s new to this model, and the design is simple. The circuit board needed some extra room to fit in the front of this car, and Fly apparently solves this issue very easily by melting areas of the front of the chassis, so that it could accommodate the board. No, it isn’t “high-tech” but it works!

Unlike the Capri, this cars lights were of the same color, and as far as I could tell, perhaps this is because they are white, but they seemed brighter. Not a great deal, but noticeable. They function in the same manner as the Capri system, as the lights will stay on after running the car. This is a nice touch, and since this light system came into being from Fly, I have liked this feature. It can make it easier to find your car in the event you crash in a night race.

In addition, there is no lighting for the rear of this model. After looking at this model, tolerances are pretty tight, so having rear lighting components here would be a tight fit. Nevertheless, I am sure someone with the right motivation could accomplish it.

The fun of this hobby is of course racing these beauties. The Lancia models do need a little help here and there to get optimum performance, especially if you want them to keep pace with your Capri's.  Recently silicone tires have surfaced for these models, and they make a great deal of difference, at least on my Carrera track. I chose Indy Grips brand silicones and they fit perfectly. Adding silicones are one of the most important, along with the easiest, performance upgrades you can make in my opinion.

The second modification I choose on these models is adding weight or a magnet in the front, flush with the front body mount post. The weight in this car is obviously in the rear, and I found these cars need this modification to even things out a bit, and help keep the front end from hopping or bouncing upon acceleration. I like the results of this modification, it really smoothes this car out, and all my Lancias get this treatment before it competes.

I chose a Tweaker magnet in this car, and it works well. The distance from the rails is enough so the car is not dragging around the track, yet you can feel the difference it makes when punching it out of the corners.

Lap times of this car were consistent on the 59 ½ foot Show-Me Speedway, with times of 5.8, 5.9 and 5.8 seconds. After 50 laps of break-in, the times dropped to the 5.6, 5.7 range. This car needs to be driven, and can be challenging to race. Drifting through the corners is a breeze, with recovery being very easy. Blasting out of the corners can also produce some sliding, yet the car straightens out quickly before braking into the next turn.

The Lancia is a fine offering from Fly, and now its better with the option of lights. Some of the best racing we have had is when you shut the lights off and pilot your machine with almost more sense of feel than sight. This model supplies that extra touch, along with a solid, sturdy platform. Since its first release, I have collected these cars, and I have to recommend adding one to your current stable if you have not done so already. The Lanica’s future just got brighter, try one and see!

Harry Wise 

As always, you can email me at wiseone@yhti.net about this article, or just slot cars in general.

Better yet, stop in the Home Racing World Message Forum and get in on the discussions of this model and many others.

 The model in this review was acquired from Frank at Slot Car World. A great online store that has it all!