Review by CoMod Mike on the Carrera DIGITAL 124 Audi R10 TDI (23716)
Test environment:
Club track (wood)
27m track length; 16/18 volt track voltage
Non-magnetic strands. Therefore, no magnetic effect.
Wooden track: High demands on concentricity and chassis geometry
Vehicle setup: ootb (with both magnets)
After ootb test additional grinding of the tires.
Optics:
The Audi team isn't exactly a diverse team. The silver-red or silver-yellow Le Mans prototypes are a familiar design on the 24-hour track and on our local racetracks. However, the matte black stripes enhance the contours of the Audi car and soften the boxy design somewhat. Carrera, of course, has to make compromises to fit the technology under the heavily constricted cross-section... but that's only noticeable in a direct comparison. Otherwise, it's a very beautifully executed model.
Some details are beautifully crafted... for example, various indicator lights on the steering wheel are color-coded. What may somewhat detract from the authenticity of the model straight out of the box is the high-legged front axle, which can easily be remedied with a highly recommended correction (see below).
Technology:
Body: 50g Total weight: 230g. The vehicle's technical design is of the usual high quality. Screws and threads allow for easy and precise disassembly of the individual components, albeit at the cost of weight. This does not, however, impair the handling.
Processing:
The rims run nicely and only the unmachined tires showed a slight wobble, which is normal for cast tires and less of a problem on the Carrera track.
There's nothing to complain about inside the car... the usual clean workmanship from the Exclusive generation. The printing is very clean, but the matte black stripes, which are sometimes difficult to access, had to be applied with a paint stencil in some areas... resulting in a slightly "blurred" edge.
Driving behavior:
I started with 16 volts in analog mode and had quite pleasant smooth running on the wooden track, with only slight bumping in the curve. Surprisingly, even with the high initial guide vane setting and axle position, the car barely moved out of the curve. Without any adjustments, I was able to achieve very consistent lap times of 8.8 seconds.
Under the "look" section, I already mentioned that the car appears a bit high-legged on the front axle! Therefore, the first thing I do on the Exclusiv and D124 cars is remove the leaf spring on the front axle. This is actually a must for a track without a crossing or steep incline. This allows the car to sink deeper into the slot with a slight adjustment of the swing arm screw, resulting in significantly more stable cornering.
Grinding the rear axle tires resulted in a significantly more comfortable ride. The lap times improved to 8.5 seconds, demonstrating that the handling was already quite good before grinding!
Switching to 18 V made the car significantly more fun on the large wooden track. Speed and acceleration were now in just the right ratio, and thanks to the tire modifications, even cornering was a pleasure, with the chassis weight supporting smoother drifting. Furthermore, the alternative gear ratios from the accessories range could be used to vary the setup depending on the track.
Conclusion
The design of the endurance prototypes proves its worth not only at Le Mans. The strength of these vehicles is also evident on the racetrack! Unfortunately, the color variety isn't as impressive as with the GT cars, which is why I would like to see more color from the manufacturers! The potential to become a club car on major tracks is certainly there, and the R10 also demonstrates its superiority on its home track...
CoMod Mike
Test environment:
Club track (wood)
27m track length; 16/18 volt track voltage
Non-magnetic strands. Therefore, no magnetic effect.
Wooden track: High demands on concentricity and chassis geometry
Vehicle setup: ootb (with both magnets)
After ootb test additional grinding of the tires.
Optics:
The Audi team isn't exactly a diverse team. The silver-red or silver-yellow Le Mans prototypes are a familiar design on the 24-hour track and on our local racetracks. However, the matte black stripes enhance the contours of the Audi car and soften the boxy design somewhat. Carrera, of course, has to make compromises to fit the technology under the heavily constricted cross-section... but that's only noticeable in a direct comparison. Otherwise, it's a very beautifully executed model.
Some details are beautifully crafted... for example, various indicator lights on the steering wheel are color-coded. What may somewhat detract from the authenticity of the model straight out of the box is the high-legged front axle, which can easily be remedied with a highly recommended correction (see below).
Technology:
Body: 50g Total weight: 230g. The vehicle's technical design is of the usual high quality. Screws and threads allow for easy and precise disassembly of the individual components, albeit at the cost of weight. This does not, however, impair the handling.
Processing:
The rims run nicely and only the unmachined tires showed a slight wobble, which is normal for cast tires and less of a problem on the Carrera track.
There's nothing to complain about inside the car... the usual clean workmanship from the Exclusive generation. The printing is very clean, but the matte black stripes, which are sometimes difficult to access, had to be applied with a paint stencil in some areas... resulting in a slightly "blurred" edge.
Driving behavior:
I started with 16 volts in analog mode and had quite pleasant smooth running on the wooden track, with only slight bumping in the curve. Surprisingly, even with the high initial guide vane setting and axle position, the car barely moved out of the curve. Without any adjustments, I was able to achieve very consistent lap times of 8.8 seconds.
Under the "look" section, I already mentioned that the car appears a bit high-legged on the front axle! Therefore, the first thing I do on the Exclusiv and D124 cars is remove the leaf spring on the front axle. This is actually a must for a track without a crossing or steep incline. This allows the car to sink deeper into the slot with a slight adjustment of the swing arm screw, resulting in significantly more stable cornering.
Grinding the rear axle tires resulted in a significantly more comfortable ride. The lap times improved to 8.5 seconds, demonstrating that the handling was already quite good before grinding!
Switching to 18 V made the car significantly more fun on the large wooden track. Speed and acceleration were now in just the right ratio, and thanks to the tire modifications, even cornering was a pleasure, with the chassis weight supporting smoother drifting. Furthermore, the alternative gear ratios from the accessories range could be used to vary the setup depending on the track.
Conclusion
The design of the endurance prototypes proves its worth not only at Le Mans. The strength of these vehicles is also evident on the racetrack! Unfortunately, the color variety isn't as impressive as with the GT cars, which is why I would like to see more color from the manufacturers! The potential to become a club car on major tracks is certainly there, and the R10 also demonstrates its superiority on its home track...
CoMod Mike
