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Slot Car Racing brings the thrill and excitement of motor racing to life in your living room!Are you new to the exciting world of Slot Car Racing, or rediscovering a childhood passion? Not sure where to start?Read on for everything you need to know about the two Systems we offer. Strap in and start your engines…
Where do you start?We have the biggest Range of Slot Car sets available anywhere in Europe, specialising in the two biggest Brands - Scalextric & Carrera. Whilst they both offer a similar experience, one system may be better suited to your requirements, Read on to find out whats right for you. |
Scalextric - This is the best known Slot Car Brand in the UK, with a wide range of products designed for Children and Adults.
Carrera - Most consumers in the UK are unaware of Carrera, however Carrera is the largest slot car brand in the World - with great market share throughout Europe and USA. Their product range matches that of Scalextric and in several ways offers more (for more serious racers.)
Scalextric- More Readily Available in the UK - More Affordable - Smaller Track is better for tight spaces - Track is easier to assemble |
Carrera- Better Quality - Wider Track is better for Racing and allows larger 1:24 Cars - Wider Track Slots (easier to put the car back on track) - Track is stronger and better for raised sections - Track connections are more secure - Wireless Throttles are rechargeable and have their own charging dock - Very easy to adjust car settings and start races, without the use of additional software or an APP - Track can accommodate 1:32 & 1:24 Cars to offer two entirely different racing experiences - Better functionality for serious racing (Sector times etc.) |
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Ultimately both systems work on the same basic principle and you are likely to be happy with either. However there are several scenarios where we would recommend one over the other.
Sets less than £60 for Children - We would recommend Carrera GO! This range is significantly larger than Scalextric' "Micro" range, with a good selection of Track Extensions and extra cars available to purchase.
Where Space is tight - We would recommend Scalextric. Scalextric Track is considerably smaller and is available in tighter radius turns. This means you can typically fit more track into a smaller space.
Large Sets for older Children and Adults - We would recommend Carrera. As per the table above the Carrera range is better equipped for more serious racing and offers the option of upgrading to 1:24 cars in the future.
Both Scalextric & Carrera offer sets in different sizes, please see a detailed breakdown below. However please be aware that the most common size for both brands is 1:32.
ScalextricMy First - Suitable for 3+ - 1:64 Scale Micro Scalextric - Suitable for 4+ - 1:64 Scale "Standard" Scalextric - Suitable for 5+ - 1:32 Scale |
CarreraFirst - Suitable for 3+ - 1:50 Scale Carrera GO! - Suitable for 5+ - 1:43 Scale Carrera Evolution/Digital - Suitable for 8+ - 1:32 Scale Carrera 1:24 - Suitable for 10+ - 1:24 Scale |
"My First" vs "First" - Both of these systems are very similar and cannot be extended easily. Carrera however does have the benefit of having slightly larger cars and is battery operated.
"Micro Scalextric" vs "Carrera GO!" - We would recommend Carrera GO! This range is significantly larger than Scalextric' "Micro" range, with a good set of Track Extensions and extra cars available to purchase. The cars are also bigger and more detailed.
"Standard Scalextric" vs "Standard Carrera" - We directly compare the systems above.
1:64 Scale - This is the smallest size you will find and is only available in the Scalextric "My First" and "Micro" Sets. The cars are approx 75mm long and low detailed.
1:50 Scale - This size is only found in Carrera First. The cars are approx 85mm long and are nicely detailed.
1:43 Scale - This size is only found in Carrera GO! The cars are approx 100mm long and feature a lot of detail.
1:32 Scale - This is the most common Slot car size, with cars approx 140mm long. At this scale the cars are very detailed.
1:24 Scale - This size is only found in Carrera. At this scale the cars are approx 175mm long with incredible detail. It is not possible to run this size car on Scalextric, as the Track is not big enough.
Here is an illustration to show the size difference between the scales.
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Scalextric Analogue & Carrera Evolution Analogue Scalextric & Carrera Evolution is slot car racing as you know it. A track, 2 lanes, 2 cars and one person driving each car on a single lane. Analogue uses the same track as Digital (Sport Track), but the powerbase, hand controllers and power supply will be different. It is possible to upgrade or convert your Analogue set to Digitial by purchasing a conversion kit or the parts separately.
Scalextric ARC App Racing A whole new level of slot racing fun. The ARC powerbase allows connection to the Scalextric APP race control app on your smartphone or tablet. Wireless controllers being a big bonus on some of the ARC systems. There are analogue or digital versions of the ARC system available with three powerbases to choose from: ARC one, ARC air and ARC Pro - you will find more details on the pro's and con's of this along with a comparative view of all the features on the chart below CLICK HERE Most Scalextric sets can be upgraded to an ARC system easily - the ARC powerbases come with sport track connectors.
Scalextric Digital Digital Scalextric uses the same size track and cars as analogue, but the cars are electronically chipped to enable more control of the car and specific sections of the track. An entry level Digital Set will include a 4 car powerbase, meaning that 4 cars can be used at once on the standard 2 lane track, with each of the 4 controllers independently controlling a car. 6 Car powerbases are available so 6 cars can be used at once. One of the main features of Digital is Lane Changers. These are sections of track where you can switch from one lane to the other by pressing a button on the hand controller. You press a button on the controller at a certain point on the track and a mechanical point on the track switches over and the car changes lane. The track switches straight back so any car following you continues on the normal straight path. The Digital controllers also have a brake button to slow the car quicker. The addition of the lane changers add a great dimesion to racing where you can overtake and block other cars on track. You can also use lane changers and pit lane entries to extend and widen the track into 3 or 4 lane sections. Digital uses the same track as analogue, known as "Sport" Track. Although the powerbase, hand controllers and power supplies are different. Please note that the cars also need to be chipped or have a Digital plug installed.
Carrera Digital Similar to Scalextric Digital, Carrera Digital gives you the ability to race up to 6 cars at the same time whilst being able to change lane and overtake your opponents.
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As the nations leading Scalextric Retailer we have a considerable range of Sets. We stock the full range of Scalextric & Carrera Boxed Sets, but also offer our own SL & CL Sets. Our sets typically offer much better value for money and a much more exciting track layout! Take a look at the Pro's and Con's Below.
Standard Boxed SetsBranded boxed sets from Scalextric or Carrera that you would find in any toy store.
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Jadlam "SL" & "CL" SetsExciting sets with advanced track layouts - designed by us, compromising of all brand new Scalextric or Carrera components.
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