Peugeot 908 Test Car

Sorry if this post is redundant, but I was wondering if SCX is going to be making the Peugeot 908 test car (flat black). I know Scalextric is releasing one, and it looks great. I'm sure it will be a great runner. BUT I would infinitely prefer the SCX version, and I'll be happy to wait rather than buy the Scalextric version. The SCX cars are much more interesting to drive.

I destroyed my car!

So I got out my new Pro Porsche, and was getting ready to get it on the track for the first time. I put it together and it's a screamer, but I seem to have too much float in the motor pod. The rear tires are clipping the fenders, making the front end jump out of the slot in the corners. I take the car apart because I know there's a cool new feature for adjusting the float with set screws. Very nice!

So I'm yapping with friends while slowly adjusting the screws for the rear pod tabs. I don't feel the pod tightening up enough, so I tighten a little more. There's no change in resistance from the screws, they turn pretty easily, so I figure there's more room to turn them and tighten up the pod.

Err, wrong.

I flip the car over and discover that the screws have pushed the tabs on the pod all the way through the bottom of the chassis -- the chassis is toast on a stick, with jam.

So the car has WAY too much float, and it's undriveable. Stupid me. I guess I can rig something up to fix the chassis, but I'd rather replace the chassis if the part is available.

So if you get this car, be conscious of that little adjustment, and you'll be fine. It's kind of a weak area on the car, and it's easy enough to stress and break the plastic there.

Small Wheels on Pro Audi?

Guys, I have a question for the SCX design team about one of my favorite cars, the Pro Audi.

In the old days (5 years ago), nobody made a car with adjustable front axle blocks. If a tuner wanted to keep the car from tripping over its own front wheels, he had to put on small front wheels and shave down the tires. In fact, this is what we do with the NINCO World Cup cars. It makes the car look kind of goofy, and to keep the car from looking completely goofy, small wheels and tires are disallowed on the rear of the car.

The Pro Audi has front axle blocks, so the tuner can simply raise the front axle, keeping the front tires from creating a problem. This can be done regardless of whether the front wheels are small or large, thanks to the adjustable front axle blocks. Using small wheels is completely redundant.

So, since we're driving scale models, why are we getting away from the scale model principle by using a technique that's completely unnecessary?

Except for that, the Pro Audi is a huge step forward for racers -- the scale body looks great, the lexan interior is a good move, the gears are well done, the smooth shank body screws are nice, and I like the mechanical brake and the sliding motor pod. This is a world class race car! The only thing holding it back is its lack of scale appearance at the front wheels.

I see this car as a direct competitor in Spain to NINCO's best race cars, and at a similar price point. NINCO's front axle setup has to use small front wheels and tires, giving SCX a distinct advantage in the scale department. Why hand that advantage away? You're paying for that advantage by including the adjustable block, then giving the advantage away by using the small wheels and tires.

Sorry guys, curiosity got the best of me, and I had to ask. Thanks for any insights you can give!