Review by CoMod JoergW on the / Carrera DIGITAL 132 Evolution Auto Union Type C Stromlinie (Art.Nr. 30557/27355) and Mercedes-Benz W125 Stromlinie ( Art.Nr. 30558/27356)
…I’m not talking about the song of the same name, but rather the Silver Arrows in 1:32 scale. Since practically everything has already been said about the real-life models in 1:24 scale, let’s dive right into the review! When these cars were announced in late 2010, I was initially surprised. I hadn’t expected that these cars—which had already been released twice in 1:24 scale—would be given a new lease on life and thrown into the—admittedly quite sought-after—1:32 market.
Appearance:
In terms of proportions, both models are more faithful to the real-life vehicles than the 1:24 models. The 1:32 models look sleeker and longer—somehow more harmonious. Compared to other 1:32 models, however, they strike me as a tiny bit unusual. Since I couldn’t find the exact dimensions of the originals—and they were constantly being modified and adjusted anyway—I can’t verify this.
The paint job is clean and flawless. It could have looked just like this on the original. The same goes for the delicate spoked wheels with the quick-release hubs. Only on the Mercedes driver’s head does the white paint appear to be slightly opaque.
Build quality and workmanship:
Both chassis are installed without tension and are not warped. Although the chassis is narrow, its length provides enough space to balance it. The only thing worth noting are slight casting flash on the lower edge of the removable wheel covers. This is much more noticeable and visible on the Audi than on the Mercedes. It’s certainly no big deal, but it does detract from the overall quality.
The tires have good, perfectly adequate grip. Since the tires are "pulled over the rims," they have only a very thin contact patch. This could quickly become a problem when sanding. So, it’s best to be very careful when sanding. I think it’s a good idea to glue the tires in place if you want to drift the cars at high speeds. The rims are neatly centered and the axles are straight. The front axle needs a little lubrication so it will last longer.
Driving behavior:
Especially with classic cars, I find the magnetic, almost digital, driving style to be unrealistic. With magnets, the cars are practically thrown off the track—almost as if on purpose—solely due to their narrow width and the fairly large gap between the guide rail and the magnet. The alternative without magnets is significantly more challenging to drive and, in my opinion, also more fun.
Conclusion:
The vehicles are built true to the prototype without lights. While this makes digital racing more difficult, it remains possible. Since meaningful digital play is really only possible with more than two vehicles, it would be possible to either offer bare-body kits through the club or, similar to the 1:24 scale, provide different starting numbers and slight design variations for the 2012 model year.
CoMod JoergW*************
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Test report by CoModCarrera 124 on the Carrera DIGITAL 132 /Evolution Auto Union Type C Streamliner (Art.Nr. 30557/27355) and Mercedes-Benz W125 Streamliner ( Art.Nr. 30558/27356)
Technical Specifications (Auto Union):
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 100
gramsWeight (body): 28
gramsLength incl. Spoiler: 179
mmWheelbase: 92
mmTrack width (front axle): 52
mmTrack width (rear axle): 54
mmTechnical Specifications (Mercedes):
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 90
gramsWeight (body): 23
gramsLength including spoiler: 167
mmWheelbase: 88
mmTrack width (front axle): 52
mmTrack width (rear axle): 51
mmAppearance:
These are actually old favorites: they’ve been on the road in the large 1:24 scale since 1999, and as a reissue with a digital chassis since 2010. Now these streamlined classics are also cruising the track in the smaller 1:32 scale. Since no compromises were made regarding high-speed cornering performance in the body design this time around, they appear significantly more elongated and elegant compared to their larger counterparts. The removable wheel covers remain. If you remove them, you’ll see the intricately designed spoked rims.
Contrary to what was stated in the 2011 catalog, the starting numbers have changed: the Auto Union has No. 33, and the Mercedes has No. 35. I don’t think the drivers’ heads turned out very well: although they are modeled realistically, they simply seem too small to me.
Technical Details:
The chassis of both vehicles are similar but exhibit subtle differences. The first thing that catches the eye are the huge wheels: the diameter is 25 mm in the front and as much as 28 mm in the rear. To compensate, they are much narrower—5 mm in the rear and only 4 mm in the front.
The technical design remains the same as always—the E200 engine is mounted as an inline engine directly in front of the rear axle, and—true to the original—there are, of course, no lights. Due to its larger dimensions, the Auto Union is noticeably heavier than the Mercedes. To compensate, it has a slightly wider rear track, which in turn improves driving stability.
Test Drive:
In standard configuration, the result is the familiar and expected performance: the two magnetic brakes hold the vehicles firmly and securely in their lanes. With the Auto Union in this configuration, there’s still a small margin for correcting driving errors, whereas the Mercedes leaves no room for error. Due to the large diameter and circumferential length of the rear wheels, acceleration is somewhat sluggish.
That changes as soon as the rear magnets are removed. Acceleration improves noticeably, the margin for error in turns becomes significantly wider, and the overall handling becomes more harmonious. The achievable cornering speeds are still high, but driving errors no longer result in an immediate spinout.
The tire grip is also worth mentioning: despite their narrow dimensions, it’s more than adequate—even better than on some modern-style vehicles. When driving without magnets, you should at least add trim weights to the Mercedes; the Auto Union already has enough weight of its own.
Conclusion:
My expectations for the streamlined cars were rather low, so I was all the more surprised by their truly impressive performance and good-natured handling. The bodies have smooth surfaces, making them robust, and they have almost no small parts that could be damaged during intense racing. That’s why they strike me as ideal fun cars for casual driving. Organizing a racing series with only two car types would
likely be difficult. Perhaps next year we’ll see a third car type added to the lineup.
CoModCarrera 124
…I’m not talking about the song of the same name, but rather the Silver Arrows in 1:32 scale. Since practically everything has already been said about the real-life models in 1:24 scale, let’s dive right into the review! When these cars were announced in late 2010, I was initially surprised. I hadn’t expected that these cars—which had already been released twice in 1:24 scale—would be given a new lease on life and thrown into the—admittedly quite sought-after—1:32 market.
Appearance:
In terms of proportions, both models are more faithful to the real-life vehicles than the 1:24 models. The 1:32 models look sleeker and longer—somehow more harmonious. Compared to other 1:32 models, however, they strike me as a tiny bit unusual. Since I couldn’t find the exact dimensions of the originals—and they were constantly being modified and adjusted anyway—I can’t verify this.
The paint job is clean and flawless. It could have looked just like this on the original. The same goes for the delicate spoked wheels with the quick-release hubs. Only on the Mercedes driver’s head does the white paint appear to be slightly opaque.
Build quality and workmanship:
Both chassis are installed without tension and are not warped. Although the chassis is narrow, its length provides enough space to balance it. The only thing worth noting are slight casting flash on the lower edge of the removable wheel covers. This is much more noticeable and visible on the Audi than on the Mercedes. It’s certainly no big deal, but it does detract from the overall quality.
The tires have good, perfectly adequate grip. Since the tires are "pulled over the rims," they have only a very thin contact patch. This could quickly become a problem when sanding. So, it’s best to be very careful when sanding. I think it’s a good idea to glue the tires in place if you want to drift the cars at high speeds. The rims are neatly centered and the axles are straight. The front axle needs a little lubrication so it will last longer.
Driving behavior:
Especially with classic cars, I find the magnetic, almost digital, driving style to be unrealistic. With magnets, the cars are practically thrown off the track—almost as if on purpose—solely due to their narrow width and the fairly large gap between the guide rail and the magnet. The alternative without magnets is significantly more challenging to drive and, in my opinion, also more fun.
Conclusion:
The vehicles are built true to the prototype without lights. While this makes digital racing more difficult, it remains possible. Since meaningful digital play is really only possible with more than two vehicles, it would be possible to either offer bare-body kits through the club or, similar to the 1:24 scale, provide different starting numbers and slight design variations for the 2012 model year.
CoMod JoergW*************
*****************************
Test report by CoMod
Technical Specifications (Auto Union):
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 100
gramsWeight (body): 28
gramsLength incl. Spoiler: 179
mmWheelbase: 92
mmTrack width (front axle): 52
mmTrack width (rear axle): 54
mmTechnical Specifications (Mercedes):
Weight (complete vehicle with magnets): 90
gramsWeight (body): 23
gramsLength including spoiler: 167
mmWheelbase: 88
mmTrack width (front axle): 52
mmTrack width (rear axle): 51
mmAppearance:
These are actually old favorites: they’ve been on the road in the large 1:24 scale since 1999, and as a reissue with a digital chassis since 2010. Now these streamlined classics are also cruising the track in the smaller 1:32 scale. Since no compromises were made regarding high-speed cornering performance in the body design this time around, they appear significantly more elongated and elegant compared to their larger counterparts. The removable wheel covers remain. If you remove them, you’ll see the intricately designed spoked rims.
Contrary to what was stated in the 2011 catalog, the starting numbers have changed: the Auto Union has No. 33, and the Mercedes has No. 35. I don’t think the drivers’ heads turned out very well: although they are modeled realistically, they simply seem too small to me.
Technical Details:
The chassis of both vehicles are similar but exhibit subtle differences. The first thing that catches the eye are the huge wheels: the diameter is 25 mm in the front and as much as 28 mm in the rear. To compensate, they are much narrower—5 mm in the rear and only 4 mm in the front.
The technical design remains the same as always—the E200 engine is mounted as an inline engine directly in front of the rear axle, and—true to the original—there are, of course, no lights. Due to its larger dimensions, the Auto Union is noticeably heavier than the Mercedes. To compensate, it has a slightly wider rear track, which in turn improves driving stability.
Test Drive:
In standard configuration, the result is the familiar and expected performance: the two magnetic brakes hold the vehicles firmly and securely in their lanes. With the Auto Union in this configuration, there’s still a small margin for correcting driving errors, whereas the Mercedes leaves no room for error. Due to the large diameter and circumferential length of the rear wheels, acceleration is somewhat sluggish.
That changes as soon as the rear magnets are removed. Acceleration improves noticeably, the margin for error in turns becomes significantly wider, and the overall handling becomes more harmonious. The achievable cornering speeds are still high, but driving errors no longer result in an immediate spinout.
The tire grip is also worth mentioning: despite their narrow dimensions, it’s more than adequate—even better than on some modern-style vehicles. When driving without magnets, you should at least add trim weights to the Mercedes; the Auto Union already has enough weight of its own.
Conclusion:
My expectations for the streamlined cars were rather low, so I was all the more surprised by their truly impressive performance and good-natured handling. The bodies have smooth surfaces, making them robust, and they have almost no small parts that could be damaged during intense racing. That’s why they strike me as ideal fun cars for casual driving. Organizing a racing series with only two car types would
likely be difficult. Perhaps next year we’ll see a third car type added to the lineup.
CoMod
