New Superslicks Fully Loaded

[Btman]

The next generation Superslicks are starting to reach the stores and here is a brief summary of features.


Chassis: Same wheelbase as old Superslicks so old bodies will fit. However, the track is narrower especially up front. This means the front wheels are not flush with the wheel wells when using an older Superslicks body. Also the Mazda RX-8 that I bought is narrower than the older bodies by about 1/8". I am assuming that all the new bodies are narrower since the wheel track is narrower. The new bodies (at least the Mazda RX-8 that I bought) sit higher on the chassis than the old bodies. It is not as bad as Zip Zap SE's but it is still noticeable. The new chassis has the motor mounted behind the rear axle instead of in front. It seems like this has helped make gear mesh better.

Lights: The new Superslick lights are dependant on the car's direction as opposed to being always on like the 2.0 bodies. Headlights are on when going forward, taillights are on when going backwards. A 2.0 body mounted on the new chassis will have lights always on as before.


Transmitter: Similar design as before. Transmitter now uses 4 AAA batteries in handle as opposed to 3. The new chassis has an additional battery in the battery pack I believe, therefore it needs more voltage to charge. The transmitter and car now have a four position power switch. (off,A,B,C) This allows each car to work on any one of three channels. Since the chassis is available in 27 and 49 MHZ frequencies, up to six of the new Superslicks can race together. The transmitter also has a switch for race or drift mode. In race mode the car works like a regular Superslick. In drift mode, you mount the body backwards and thus the rear wheels steer instead of the front. The turbo button makes the car significantly faster. However, my basement track is so slippery that this function is of little use to me for now. I will try different tires and gear ratios to see if I can improve the handling on my track.


I am saving my judgment about these cars compared to the original chassis until I have time to experiment with different gear ratios. By the way, the new Superslicks sell for the same $19.99 that the original Superslicks sold for when first introduced.