1/32nd Scale – Scalextric BMW 125 Series 1 BTCC – West Surrey Racing No.7 – Part# C3735T
With the vast selection we have in our hobby, some releases just do not catch my eye until well after their debut. Such is the case with this series from Scalextric. The 1:1 series did not have much appeal for me and other releases just had my attention. But as usual, some reports from other enthusiasts had me curious and into the shopping cart it went.
If you are a newcomer to our hobby, the brand Scalextric will soon be a very familiar one. They produce quite a few models for our hobby, although some of them might not strike you as appealing. This is likely one of them. This series is virtually unknown here on our side of the big pond but don’t dismiss it quite yet. With your new hobby comes a great deal of discovery. Some of the most fun I have had on the track has been with cars you never heard of.
It’s that fun factor I was seeking with this release. Models that are simply fun to drive and offered a little something different. I had heard good feedback from other veteran enthusiasts I know and trust that focused on these traits, so I took the chance.
The other reason I finally chose one is that these models are to feature the new changes Hornby/Scalextric announced on their “Test Track” blog. From new chassis to the artwork, some of these announced changes had many of us watching from the sidelines.
Well off the bench and into the game. First impressions are favorable. My knowledge of these cars is restricted to the research on the web. The photos I have seen of the prototype seem to indicate Scalextric did a fair job of capturing it in scale.
Artwork on the car seems applied well enough to please most. I can’t verify if this is the newer decals or Tampo, and that is a good thing. Either way they appear well done. Nothing is ever perfect in our hobby and it is up to your own eyes to make the call. So it seems well enough for my eyes, but what about you?
It is the changes inside that had my interest. First up: The wheel sizes.
The wheels are now the same size as common Slot.it brand wheels. (PA43 – 16.5 x 8.2) The important reason for this is it allows you to choose from the many blends of aftermarket tires already made for this wheel size.
For the racer, this makes a lot of sense and I have heard most welcome the change. I know that I do. It just makes stocking tires that much easier for me. Now the tires I order for my other Slot.it models will slip onto my newer Scalextric. I’m all for saving the space around the shop, albeit one tire size at a time.
You need to lubricate this model. The front axle and rear bushings seem void of any lubricant. The dry front axle alone accounted for some of the noise you hear during operation. Once lubed, things quieted down considerably.
Looking underneath we see the next major change: Inline configuration. This is either good or bad depending on your taste. Since I enjoy a good inline model, I welcome it. One of the big selling points is that the car is “PCR (Pro Chassis Ready)”. meaning you can bolt on a new chassis and outfit fit it with top of the line race gear if you are inclined.
The chassis you get is fine enough for my home racing. Gearing is standard 9/27 and the mesh seems smooth enough. Easy to tune and I like easy.
Some will scoff at this and tout sidewinder being preferred. But hardcore racers who basically rebuild these cars with top end components might not care. If I had to rebuild a car for competition’s sake, why stop with just running gear? If there are race ready chassis available, then why not go full bore?
New style half tray interiors are also used. This somewhat amuses me as this is the style we had many years ago and now we are seeing it return. For the racer it is a welcome change. Less weight overall. I personally applaud the return as some of the full interior efforts by Scalextric have done more harm than good. No chance of interior floors rubbing or bending the chassis here.
These changes combined are what I had my interest to start. Now that I have one in my hand, I actually like what I see and can’t wait to give it a test run.
Overall I am pleased. I do like seeing the return of the inline and the lighter interior.
The absence of the deeper guide blade is baffling. The recent classic BTCC series has them, so there is no reason I can think of to omit it here other than oversight.
The Quick Slicks CB33F id the closest tire in silicone to the original size. You can hopefully see they fit very well. Only a quick sanding of the wheels to remove flash and smooth the rib surface was needed.
I prefer PG urethanes and the 19105LM fit perfectly.
With just a little wheel sanding and a tire swap, this little car is the fun I was hoping for. The added lights make it even better as I enjoy night ride once in awhile.
I have not expressed a great deal of praise toward this brand in the past few years other than some few select cars. It’s nice to finally see some true improvement and value coming back. We all have our opinions of course, but I can’t help but feel these changes are for the better.
Scalextric seems to be headed back in the right direction for some of us home racers and I just hope they stay on course. I just added one of the classic BTCC models to my collection because this one produced the fun factor I had hoped.
-Harry
This Review Sponsored by POWER HOBBY
