4 out of 5 from Ye-Gads

Specification:

No of cars in the set = 4

No of lanes = 2

Space Required = 280cm x 140cm

Track Length = 676cm

For Ages = 7+

What They Say:

Four cars racing on two lanes! Can't be done?

Yes it can. With Scalextric Digital each car is individually controlled, as usual, but the clever digital chip inside each car allows the driver to switch lanes at the press of a button on the controller to overtake a slower car in front.

The set comes with a Ferrari, Porsche Aston Martin and Maserati from the world of GT racing. This sets includes a Digital Lap Counter which will count down the laps and show the final race finishing positions of all four cars will ensure hours of competitive racing.

The Review:

So what do you get??

4 highly detailed Scalextric cars, an Aston Martin DBR9, Porsche 911 GT3-R, Maserati MC12 and a Ferrari F430. It has to be said, the level of detail on these Scalextric cars is truly awsome, even down to internal fire extinguishers and external tow hooks. This was unexpected, as my last experience of Scalextrics was as a boy in the 80s, and the quality of the cars back then left a lot to be desired.

As you would expect in a digital set, all 4 cars come fitted with a digital chip to allow for 4 car racing on 2 lanes. A point to note is that only cars fitted with the Scalextric digital chip will run on a digital track, so if you are buying other cars, ensure that they come with a digital chip already fitted or that you buy a chip at the same time as you buy the car so you can fit one yourself.

The track itself is the new sport track system, and unlike the classic track I remember, it seems to stay together a lot better. The circuit is in an extended figure of 8, with a crossover bridge, 2 digital lane change sections and a digital lap counter.

So down to the racing itself!!

I had forgotten how good it was to play with one of these sets, I don’t know what it is but they just bring out the kid in me. The cars run very smoothly and quietly around the track, they have something called magna traction, which means that they have magnets underneath them that allow them to stick to the track better allowing for higher speeds and better cornering than the cars of old.

The circuit itself was a good size, and the lane change added an extra element to the racing, however racing with 4 cars at the same time was at best frantic and at worst absolute carnage. My friends and I are obviously not professional slot car racers, but we all found that the racing was better with just 2 cars on the track at a time, using the lane change to take the inside line around corners and for blocking your opponent.

All in all I would say that the set is a good buy, and if you look at the some of its parts, it is an absolute bargain at around 300 pounds, especially if you think, that  the cars individually they cost around 40 pounds each.

I would recommend the set, but four cars on two lanes does get some getting used to.