![]()
In this edition of Test Track we focus on a number of out the box improvements our Development team have made recently. Almost all of these changes have been widely requested and were incredibly happy we could make them a reality. These improvements should increase performance and we hope to see more Scalextric cars competing at slot racing clubs and on peoples layouts. Plus theres the usual Development Updates and a tiny bit more on ARC AIR.![]()
Welcome to this month's Test Track blog, bringing you the latest behind-the-scenes news from Scalextric. We hope that those of you who took the plunge with ARC AIR are up and running, enjoying all the new features with the powerbase. For anyone whos still unsure wed definitely recommend reading the last edition of Test Track (if you havent already!) before making up your mind. Plus theres a bit more ARC AIR info for you today!
In this instalment of Test Track we wanted to focus on some of the improvements our Development team have been making to Scalextric cars right out the box (or should I say display case?). While weve covered PCR and the options that offers, our Developers have been hard at work looking at how we can get the most out of the Scalextric cars themselves without making any modifications (or very small ones).
Youll see below that theres been a lot of changes, a number of which will look fairly minor, but when you add them all up, the results are pretty impressive. These improvements should appeal to collectors who race at their local club (allowing their favourite car to compete), but also to those racers who may not even leave the house to race. Faster times and better handling is something we can all enjoy, no matter who the competition is!
The Development team had been investigating and looking into the possibility of making performance changes to Scalextric cars for some time. Looking at the feedback wed received from well
just about everywhere, showed that many collectors wanted Scalextric to have more of an edge on the track. While PCR offers a huge leap forward in this regard, the Developers felt like they could do more with what slot racers receive in the display case. As a large number of slot racers and slot racing clubs are limited in the changes they can make to their cars, this would help Scalextric make more of an impact on the podium for these collectors.
More detailed feedback was sought from a number of different sources to get specific details on what racers would change to get a better slot racing car. The collectors and experts who offered their feedback were fantastic in guiding our Developers, confirming a number of their suspicions, but also raising new ideas. While not everything suggested was possible, there were a large number of changes that almost everyone agreed upon and so our Development team set about making the changes a reality.
You may be tempted to think that a number of these changes are incredibly simple, surely the Development team just changed a number on the CAD? Unfortunately it definitely wasnt that simple as our Development team had a number of practical and commercial challenges to overcome to make these changes happen.
Were all incredibly excited about these changes and hope slot racers will soon be reporting Scalextric cars topping the leaderboards.
There's always room for improvement
Guide BladeOne of the more major changes weve made is that the guide blade has been increased in depth by approximately 1.2mm. This gives the new guide blade a total depth of 7mm which increases the cars ability to stay in the slot, resulting in better handling.
![]()
The old, shorter guide blade on the left with the longer, improved guide on the right
Do keep in mind though that the deeper guide blade could impact racers who use older, Classic track. While we always try to keep new advancements compatible with historical Scalextric, there does come a time where a new innovation will conflict with a significantly older product. Of course this is regrettable but oftentimes tough decisions need to be made for the greater good and with the new guide blade, you can always modify the guide itself or remove it for an older version.
Inline MotorsWhile already present on a select few Scalextric cars, all new cars will have an inline motor fitted as standard. This configuration not only gives better weight distribution for the car but also means that both back wheels receive the power from the motor, with the gear on the rear axle.
![]()
The Inline Motor is on the left, showing the gear powering the whole rear axle
Wheels and TyresThe tyres fitted to the car, out the box, will now have more grip than before. The Development team have had the tool polished to give a matt finish, meaning the tyres come out offering more grip.
However, if you still need even more grip from a different set of tyres, we have now changed all Scalextric wheel sizes to adhere to one of the Slot.it tyre sizes. Changing your tyres has never been easier as you can be sure one of Slot.its top performance tyres will fit your car.
![]()
The old wheel above with the new, Slot.it compatible wheel below
Body FittingsTo allow slot racers to easily remove or change the magnet weve also reduced the number of screws that keep the body attached to the underpan. In the past theres been two screws at the back, which has now been reduced to just one.
![]()
The single screw can be seen on the left (top) with the old arrangement on the right
Not only does this help with the magnet and ease of access for drivers, it also allows racers to easily loosen their body, which is a small change a lot of racers make to reduce lap times. Loosening this screw ever so slightly allows the body to move a small amount, increasing stability and allowing faster speeds through the corners.
Theres also been a change made to the screw post itself, with the collar being removed, allowing the body roll to be even more effective.
Bumpers and SpoilersPreviously Scalextric cars had the bumpers attached to the underpan, but this has now been changed so the bumper is part of the body instead. Moving the bumper is another change that assists with body roll, further increasing stability and potential speed in the corners.
Furthermore, these bumpers and any spoilers are no longer glued in place. Now manufactured as a friction fit, both the bumpers and spoilers will help with body roll and mean they can be easily removed.
UnderpanWhile weve already discussed the removal of the bumpers from the underpan, there has been another change here too. Before these changes the underpan used to have a step to bring the magnet down to the correct height, with the rest of the underpan at a higher level. Weve now brought down the whole underpan to the magnet level, which helps with the air flow around the car and with it, speed.
Car BodyTheres even more changes to body too as weve also reduced the thickness of the plastic itself. This, of course, decreases the weight of the car which has a direct impact on its speed.
Plus weve now moved to half tub interiors, which is another big reduction on the weight of the car. While weve kept the bulk of the detail in the interior (often considered a huge advantage of Scalextric), the less visible lower section of the interior, where the drivers legs are, has been removed.
![]()
The old full interior on the left with the new, lighter "half tub" interior on the right
For some the reduction in the interior may be seen as something negative. However, as you can see, the key part of the interior is still visible and the half tub only really becomes clear on close inspection. We feel this is a small sacrifice for a big increase in performance but of course we understand this probably comes down to personal preference.
Lastly, the plastic along the bottom edge of the interior has been reduced by about 0.2mm (from 1mm to 0.8mm). This is a further reduction on weight, which were confident will all lead to a significant performance increase.
ARC AIR Launch EventAs I mentioned at the start of the blog, we did have a bit more to show you with ARC AIR. Back at the end of last year, we held a launch event for ARC AIR in London and invited a number of our friends, from various newspapers, publications and websites, to come round and race. Everybody at the event had tremendous fun using ARC AIR and we have a number of pictures from the event to share.
Development UpdatesWe have another healthy dose of updates for you to feast your eyes on too. Theres the MINI F56 (C3742) from the popular MINI Challenge series, plus the Porsche 911 (C3732) and McLaren 12C GT3 (C3716) in the fantastic Gulf livery, with new special packaging! As always, be sure to let us know what you think of these samples as were always keen to hear any and all feedback.
![]()
Decoration Sample of the C3742 BMW MINI Cooper F56
![]()
Decoration Sample of the C3732 Porsche 911
![]()
Decoration Sample of the C3716 McLaren 12C GT3 Scalextric Club Exclusive
Text and images as supplied by Hornby.Discussion about this can be found here
