11/11/2013

1/24 Carrera Audi R8 LMS “Team Phoenix”
Item #23782

A hoppin' good time in 1/24 scale!

By Jeremy "bibbster" Bibbee

Carreroo, I mean Carrera, brings us another great 1/24 Audi with a livery that is as sinister as those automobile wrecking roo's from Down Under. While I won't be going into a full out technical review, I will be looking closely at this eye catching livery as well as the driving and handling characteristics of the car. For a more detailed report check out the review by our good friend 'ElSecundo' HERE,

First, a disclaimer. For those that don't know, the 1/24 line of Carrera cars are made to run on Carrera track with Carrera power rated at 18V. Don't expect these cars to run at 100% at any other voltage. If you are a speed demon, you're gonna need 18V, period. Personally, I'm not out for speed, I like a car to handle more realistically. I race on a wood track and usually at 10V, but for this review, I'll turn the power up to 15V and share with you my experience.

*NOTE* This is a digital car that was converted to analog. Please see the video at the link below for instructions on this simple conversion.

DIGITAL to ANALOG CONVERSION VIDEO

Let's see what this Audi has to offer us...

* Spare mirrors, guide blade, braids, and shim are located in the back of the case *

Sinister? The black matte finish of the car is absolutely gorgeous! I was concerned that upon handling, there would be fingerprints galore, but not so. The sponsor tampos really pop (bet you didn't notice that kangaroo crossing sign did you?) on the black background. The text is crisp and the colors show no bleed through. I looked hard to find where the black may have dulled the colors from behind, but there is no presence of this thanks to a layer of white being printed first. The logos are so crisp that they look as if they are floating above the black body.

I really like to see the tire manufacturer logos on my slot cars tires, and Carrera came through on this one with their Michelin branded tires. The printing on the tires is nice with no smudging or misalignment. How long will it be before these logos wear off? That depends on how much you ride the outside guard rail or racer in the next lane I suppose.

This being digital model, we get to enjoy both front and rear lights. The headlights are nice and bright and resemble the bright lights of the 1:1 model well. This will make for some great night racing!

The taillights will look great to the guy following you, such as David Reinecke. The red LED's do not light up the taillight lens as well as I'd like them too, but you can see them as the car goes around the track. They do not offer actual brake light functionality in analog mode, only in digital mode. If you drive like I do, you don't use the brakes much anyway.

The driver, as well as the cockpit, are well detailed. You can see the HANS device being worn by the driver along with some sponsorship logos and dash gauges. A nice touch that could easily be overlooked to save a buck.

The side mirrors are of flexible material as is the antenna, or aerial to folks outside of the USA. The wing is rigid and could possibly lend itself to breaking, but Carrera has always done a good job at building a quality car so it will most likely take a pretty good beating before it breaks.

Track Test
Veteran's Memorial Speedway (Roadcourse portion)
6x16 - 3 Lane Partical Board - Satin/Flat Latex Surface
Copper Tape - Pyramid PS26KX Aftermarket Power @15 Volts
Parma 45 Ohm Controllers

As I stated earlier, Carrera 1/24 cars are meant to run at 18V and on Carrera plastic track. The car is box stock; straight from the box to the track. My first reaction was one of surprise. Why? Well, I initially had my power supply set on 10V, but once I turned it up to 15V...I was impressed. The car on the back stretch was full out and not screaming fast, but in the twists and turns, I had to really drive the car. I was fully expecting a yawn knowing what voltage the cars are supposed to be ran at. I suspect that is because I am running on wood where magnets have no affect. Add to that my track is not a monster with 50' straights and 30 degree banking. Yes, at 15V, I can hold the trigger all the way down the backstretch, but come to the first turn and throttle control comes back into play.

The tires, while fairly slippery handled quite well. After a few dozen laps, I put the car on my sanding block and knocked off the shine. Back to the track and WOW! The car quit sliding for the most part and this persisted for a hundred more laps. I don't know if Carrera is using the same compound on their 1/24 cars as they are on their 1/32 cars, but these tires seem to have the same improved grip. Obviously, they will not compare to silicone or urethane tires, but for out of the box running, they'll still allow the car to bring smiles to those racing them.

The Audi with it's added weight due to its size, lends itself to a very pleasant and predictable drive. There is a little slide in the rear that is easily controlled and even at 15V, the car responds well. The only thing that this car needs for home racing is some attention to the front wheels/tires. There is a bit of a bounce but nothing major like we see from other manufacturers.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a video? This will give you an idea of how the car handles at 15V on a wood track with stock tires. I think you'll agree that it runs really well.

When ran in a group of like cars, well, they're more fun than a dingo trying to tame a cane toad! This is a series and size car that I could really enjoy on my home track. And with a selling price around $65, and that's for a digital car, how can you go wrong? Most digital 1/32 cars will cost you that much or more. Yep, Carrera not only brings us big fun in a big package, but big value too! If you've ever considered trying Carrera 1/24 cars, this would be a good one to start with. Grab a buddy and a couple of these and have some FUN!

Hoo Roo,
Jeremy

Contact ME here about this review or the hobby in general.

Thank you Carrera of America for Sponsoring This Review!