10/03/2011

1/32 Renault Megane Trophy "COMINI" #A10035X3U0

The collection of SCX GT type cars in my collection has been missing this model for too long. The model itself is not new for this year, but the livery is and what an eye opener they chose to produce.

I am thinking you are going to either love this car or hate it. The feedback I have heard from my racing friends is about 50-50. One thing they all agree on is that there will be no losing sight of it during the race.

The term GT is simply what I use in our simple home racing format. But before you scoff at this I can assure you many other people I know use that same term. Because although the Eurocup Megane Series is where it calls home, it does race in a few other series as well. The bottom line here at HRW is that it will race against other GT type models so hence my terminology.

The car itself looks great if you like the colors. The fit and finish is good, although I do see some "orange peel" effect under the clear coat. It is not really that bad, but it is present and some enthusiasts do care about such things. For me it is fine and certainly should be for the average home racer. I also noticed a few areas where the lines at the color transition were a little blurry. Normally SCX has been pretty clean lately so I am thinking this might be an isolated issue.

Detail level is more than enough for my eyes. The driver and roll cage interior are quite visible and really draw you in.

Wheels and tires are standard GT type fare so after-market tires will be easily acquired. But the stock tires are just fine for most plastic track applications. I have several models that are still running stock tires on our wood track as well. When they are sanded and clean they hook up well enough. It is just on our surface the traction does not last long. In any case you will choose your favorite blend of tire for the track you race on.

Underneath we see that 3 screws are use to mount the body to the chassis. 2 up front and only 1 in the rear.

Inside we see very familiar ground with the standard pod assembly and the RX-42B. As new models are being fitted with the new RK series we will keep seeing the older versions in models such as this that are not all new tooling. This is fine by me as either way, the models are very close in performance on our smaller track.

Inside the body we see the brass strap array for the lights. I like having lights in models like this but make sure the prongs that come down are bent evenly and clean. If they are not, your lights will flicker or work erratically.

There is something I feel that needs to be highlighted here that seems simplistic, but when it comes to performance means so much. SCX uses a stub axle system up front that actually works very well.

Most of the models in the series are this way and they all are very consistently done with minimal slop (freeplay). The other item is that the car sits on almost an ideal tripod, with the front tires just barely touching the track. Sometimes we sand the fronts a little to make sure we have that "sweet spot" but this model simply doesn't need it.

And for many enthusiasts this means a great deal when it comes to handling. Many times when you have a slot car this is hopping around or de-slotting too easily, check those front wheels. chances are they are supporting too much of the car and many times they are not as round and true as they should be. Sanding them down helps of course, but if the placement of the front wheels in either stub design like this or a solid format is too far off, you are looking at some major alterations of the design.

Road Test
MidMo International Speedway
4 x 16 - 3 Lane MDF Routed Wood Road Course - Flat Latex Surface
Copper Tape Conductivity - Aftermarket Power @ 12 Volts PARMA 25 OHM Control

Before testing I lightly sanded the tires and cleaned them off with some masking tape. The first lap told me we had a very nice model here with great potential. The balance of this car is good and the speed is more than enough for most small to medium sized home layouts.

With SCX models you simply have to let time be your ally. The more this car is raced, the better it is going to perform and sound. When you think about it, that is a pretty fun and easy approach to tuning. Just race it!

As with many models before it a simple tire change smoothed it out even more. I am using many different brands of after-market tires these days, but K&D is my brand for these models. I have been using this GT tire they make for a few years and although other brands might give me a little more grip, I don't see changing brands now.

With the new tires scuffed and trued this car is very quick and responsive. Advanced tuners will throw lead here and there to suit of course, but as it is you should find a nice running model that will fit in nicely with your current series.

If you already have other GT models from SCX then this car would be a great running mate for almost any of them. If you are brand new in the hobby I think you will enjoy it as well. From the box to the track it performs and functions as intended and that is all we expect from a ready to run model.

- 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!

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