Types Of Carrera Slot Cars

 The hobby of slot car racing can be traced all the way back to model trains when the first commercial slot car was made by Lionel and featured in their 1912 catalogue.  If you are new to the hobby, one of the best companies to invest your money in is Carrera Slot Cars.  This article will give an overview of Carrera slot cars and the hobby of slot car racing.

 In 1920 Joseph Neuhierl began making tin toys in the Franconian town of Furth, German.  These tin toys would mark the start of the Carrera Slot Car.  In 1963 Joseph’s son, Hermann Neuhierl launched the “Carrera Universal,” system, the first electronic 1:32 scale racetrack.  The name Carrera was inspired by the Porsche Carrera which in turn took it’s name from the Carrera Pan Americana road race.  In 1967 the company introduced the “Carrera 124” a larger scale of car and racetrack.  In the 1970’s Carrera offered 1:24, 1:32 and 1:60 scales for slot cars, and the slot-free "Servo" systems which allowed cars to switch lanes, guided by the guard rails on the outside.  The company stalled a bit in the mid 1980’s due to the tragic death of Herman Neuhierl.  However, in 1999, the Stadlbauer Group from Salzburg (which had been responsible for distributing Carrera in Austria since the early 1970s) took over the family company.  After some reconstruction, the company relaunched the “Carrera 124,” line as a premium product range Carrera Exclusiv.  In 2001, for the beginner and the young, an action track was developed  called Carrera GO!!!, ready to withstand the toughest demands for quality in a 1:43 scale. The traditional 1:32 vehicle scale, Carrera Evolution, was also further improved and enhanced. Carrera Evolution, was integrated with new Digital 132 technology. The function of Digital 132 technology is to allow a maximum of six vehicles to overtake each other at high speeds on both analogue and digital racetracks.

So if you are here looking for a good starter slot car for your kids, look no further then the Carrera Go!!! Line. It is a starter system for kids 6 years old and up. The track and cars are 1/43 scale slot cars. This scale is closest to the O train scale, which is right at 1/48. It is the most common scale for children because they are big, easily handled and the most durable.

All of the sets in this Carrera line include “Turbo Speed,” controllers for added racing boost. There are numerous action features and an extensive variety of accessories. All of the cars are fitted with double contact brushes and the cars are high-quality and detailed. Car brands available in this line are the following: AMG-Mercedes, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW Sauber, Batman, Catforce, Chevy, Disney/Pixar, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, KTM, Mario Kart, McLaren-Mercedes, Mini, NASCAR Chevy, Nissan, Peugeot, Porsche, Red Bull, Renault, Speed Racer, Spider-Man, Spongebob, and Subaru. There are several types of themes too including, Formula 1, GT Car, and Rallye just to name a few. Also there are about eleven sets available that include cars and tracks. Remember these tracks are rather large due to the size of the cars, because of this they are not long tracks.

 The Carrera Digital 143 line is the next step up.  It’s a good starter model for older kids, kids or have already started out on the Carrera Go!!! Or even teenagers or adults who just want to get into the hobby.  This line is also considered apart of the Carrera starter system. With this system, up to three cars can race on the track at the same time and you have the ability to change lanes and overtake other cars. This line is also compatible with the Carrera Go!!! Action features and accessories.   The cars available with this line are all individually codable, digitally controlled. Car brands available are CarForce, Chevy, Dodge, Ferrari, Mario Kart, Mercedes, NASCAR Chevy, Nissan, Porsche and Subaru. Several themes are available such as Fantasy, Formula 1 and GT car, and there are three sets available that include cars and track.

This line is 1/24 scale slot cars. This scale is almost exclusively used for racing. Due to their large size, about eight inches long, they are easy to modify and handle. However the track size is large enough, that it makes it tough to set up in a home hobby room or basement. A 1/24 track can tack up a 20 foot by 30 foot space, due to this, most serious racing is done at commercial or club tracks.

The Carrera Evolution line uses an analogue racetrack system, however the cars are mostly ready for digital upgrade if you choose to do so. This racetrack system has a unique system combining tracks to race both 1/24 and 1/32 cars and the track can be expanded to race four, six and eight lanes.

The cars in this line have realistic acceleration and braking action, and they are very detailed with front and rear lighting. They are also partly equipped with a patented Variable Management System, and a few of the models can be considered collectible with only 1,999 of them distributed worldwide. Car models available for the line are, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, BMW Sauber, Bentley, Chevy, De Tomaso, Disney/Pixar, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, KMT, Maserati, McLaren, McLaren-Mercedes, Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, Morgan, NASCAR Chevy, Nissan, Opal, Panoz, Peugeot, Plymouth, Pontiac, Porsche, Red Bull, and Renault. Again, several racing themes are available and there are about nine sets available that include cars and tracks.

 Again, this line uses 1/24 scale slot cars.  This line boasts digital racing for up to four car.  With this track system you can overtake cars and change lanes at  full speed with the push of a button.  It offers realistic sliding and drifting action with tuning possibilities. Most of the cars have front and rear lights and are compatible with the analog system. The track system can be expanded from four to six to eight.  The cars also have a polarity switch to change directions and there are collectible cars available as limited additions with only 999 distributed worldwide.

Cars models available in this line are Aston Martin, Audi, Auto Union, Bill Thomas Cheetah, Chevy, Ferrari, Ford, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.  There are not as many themes available in this line but they do include Formula 1, and GT Cars.  There are three sets available which include cars and tracks. 

 That last line available is the Digital 132. This line uses 1/32 scale slot cars.  These cars are about six inches in length and are also very common in car racing.  Due to their size they are slightly more manageable for a hobby room or basement.  A small forty foot track will take up about eight feet by 16 feet floor space.  This scale also happens to be very popular in Europe.

The Carrera Digital 132 line offers digital racing for up to six cars and like the Carrera Digital 124, has full speed overtaking at the push of a button.  With this line you can operate a pace car or Autonomous Car.  The tracks system can be used with 1/24 cars and tracks along with the 1/32 cars and tracks.  The cars are digitally controlled and individually codable, have front light and rear lights, have realistic acceleration and braking action and can be used with Carrera Evolution.

As you can see, Carrera slot cars have something for everyone.  Whether you are just looking for a great starter set for your child, are just getting into the hobby yourself or would like to upgrade some of your cars and track systems.  If you are new to the hobby your best would be to find a local slot car racing club near you.  You will be surprised to find that many people race slot cars in competitions all over the world.  There are also several big forums online, for you to get involved in too.