CoMod Carrera 124 Test Report on the Opel Commodore Steinmetz Jumbo
(27220)
The Opel Commodore was the sister model to the Opel Rekord—which sold in the millions—during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s. Although it shared the same body style, it stood out thanks to its six-cylinder engines and more luxurious features. The Opel tuner Steinmetz offered its customers a wide range of tuning options and also enjoyed success in various racing series with modified Opel vehicles.
Sometime in the early ’70s , Steinmetz apparently decided to go all out—he built the Steinmetz Jumbo based on an Opel Commodore B. The production version of this model captivates with its elegant, even almost dainty design. Not so the Jumbo: in addition to generous fender flares, it was fitted with a veritable array of massive spoilers at the front and rear—a sight that put the BMW 3, built almost at the same time, to shame.0 CSL looked almost conservative. Its spectacular visual appearance was rounded out by large-diameter side pipes and wheels that truly filled out the wheel wells.
Powered by a large-displacement V8 engine, the yellow-painted Jumbo actually competed in a few races. However, given the scarcity of contemporary information, these races were likely not particularly successful. Photos show that this one-of-a-kind car was subsequently displayed at various motorsports exhibitions and similar events. Eventually, all traces of it were lost, so the car is now considered lost.
This made the announcement by [company name]Carrera
at the 2007 Toy Fair—that they would be releasing this very Steinmetz Jumbo as a 1/32-scale slot car—all the more surprising . In the fall of 2007, the vehicle was first shipped to specialty retailers, available not only in the authentic yellow version but also in a white “Pan-Am” fantasy design. Now a third design variant is in the works: the “TABAC original” in a brown-and-white color scheme. Anyone who has ever flipped through a car magazine from the ’70s will surely remember the “TABAC original” ads from that era. The reference to the spirit of the times is obvious, and in person, the color combination is quite appealing. In the catalog, the color appears very dark brown, but the actual shade turned out to be significantly lighter.
Since the original vehicleno longer exists, any discussion of historical accuracy is essentially moot. The delicate details of the base body—especially the headlights, front grille, and taillights—are convincingly rendered. Even on the model, the monstrous spoilers have that certain something. Comparisons with the few available photos of the original vehicle show that, yes, the model has been faithfully reproduced.
Let's move on to the technical specifications and handling: the chassis features the familiar design elements: a removable engine-rear-axle unit, two removable magnets, and the ability to add digital features later. Installing the 26732 digital chip is quick and easy, and there’s plenty of space inside the car to stow the tangle of cables. The guide keel is positioned somewhat awkwardly behind the front axle—but thanks to the long wheelbase, the effects are less severe than feared. “Length matters”—that’s always been true for slot cars, and the Steinmetz Jumbo is no exception. Due to its enormous dimensions, the car isn’t particularly fond of very tight combinations of turns; in moderately fast sections, however, it’s in its element. If you remove the rear magnet, you can easily drift the Jumbo through the turns. If you push it too far, the rear end will break out without hesitation and almost completely block the entire width of the track if you’re driving in the inside lane (with 1/32-scale British-style track sections, the rear spoiler would then likely
scrape along the guardrails of the outside lane;-)
The bottom line: if you want to really enjoy driving the Jumbo, you need shoulder strips. On the other hand, “deslotting”—that is, the front axle jumping out—practically never occurs.
Conclusion: The Commodore is an excellent addition to the “fowl” lineup, which so far consists of the Ferrari 512 BB, Porsche 935-78, Porsche 935, and Porsche 911 RSR. I'm hoping for more contemporary color options (Slottus, make me some Jägermeister) or at least unfinished bodies (Sandra, do something… ;-)
CoModCarrera
124-----------------------------
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-Review by CoMod martinmm of
the Opel Commodore Steinmetz Jumbo (27220) History
The Steinmetz Commodore “Jumbo” was driven by Peter Hoffman in 10 races in 1974. Its appearance changed over the course of the races. Extensive modifications were made, particularly to the spoilers and wings. One of these development stages wasCarrera Evolution released in
2007 as
a model true to the original
. Now, a second fantasy variant with a contemporary look is being released.
Appearance
: The actual color differs slightly from the catalog photos. In reality, the color is more “chocolatey”—in the photos so far, it appears to lean more toward red. The graphics are flawless: the large white lettering of the main sponsor, TABAC, as well as the white front and rear wings,Carrera really stand out against the black
track.
Workmanship:
With the exception of minor damage to a taillight, the test vehicle shows no other defects. The body can be easily removed after unscrewing the four screws. Everything is clean and tidy. Nothing is jammed. The axles turn smoothly and very easily.
Technical
Features: Due to its design, the center keel is located behind the front axle. This is, of course, not ideal. The front section of the chassis is designed with sufficient ground clearance for rally tracks. However, the keel swivel is offset slightly downward, ensuring good penetration depth into the slot. The keel’s rotation angle is sufficient. Weighing 103 g—31 g of which is body weight—the Jumbo isn’t exactly a lightweight. This is due in no small part to the protruding spoilers.
Handling
: Test drive without a rear magnet using stock tires. Operating voltage: 12 volts.
Despite its unfavorable proportions (tall, rear-heavy), the car handles very well on a medium-sized home track. The tires provide nearly sufficient grip on a clean track. Due to the poorly positioned guide fin, cornering or drifting in tight turns (K1) feels a bit odd because the pivot point is too far back.
Test drive without a rear magnet using Ortmann tires (new compound). 12-volt operating voltage:
The increased tendency to tip over, which is expected due to the higher grip of the Ortmann tires, did not occur. It’s also worth mentioning that the new Ortmann tires have less grip than the old ones. That’s actually more enjoyable now. With a light touch of the thumb, you can take sharp turns. You can take 180° turns completely sideways. That’s a blast!
Test drive without a magnet. Operating voltage 12 volts:
Without a magnet at all, the Steinmetz becomes difficult to drive. When using the original tires, you don’t pick up speed as quickly on small tracks—braking distances are shorter and the entry speed into turns is lower. With a light touch, you can steer the car briskly. With more grip—or Ortmann tires—things get a bit tricky—the car tends to lose traction quickly if you enter a turn a little too fast.
Conclusion: When used with the center magnet, this is a car that’s a joy both visually and technically. On larger tracks where higher speeds are possible, however, optimizing the chassis will be essential. Above all, the front axle and keel alignment will need to be fine-tuned and trimmed with lead. With the Monza Decon and DeTomaso announced this year, combined with the Ferrari 512BB and the Porsche 935/78, we’ll have a diverse field of “winged” cars.
CoMod martinmm
(27220)
The Opel Commodore was the sister model to the Opel Rekord—which sold in the millions—during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s. Although it shared the same body style, it stood out thanks to its six-cylinder engines and more luxurious features. The Opel tuner Steinmetz offered its customers a wide range of tuning options and also enjoyed success in various racing series with modified Opel vehicles.
Sometime in the early ’70s , Steinmetz apparently decided to go all out—he built the Steinmetz Jumbo based on an Opel Commodore B. The production version of this model captivates with its elegant, even almost dainty design. Not so the Jumbo: in addition to generous fender flares, it was fitted with a veritable array of massive spoilers at the front and rear—a sight that put the BMW 3, built almost at the same time, to shame.0 CSL looked almost conservative. Its spectacular visual appearance was rounded out by large-diameter side pipes and wheels that truly filled out the wheel wells.
Powered by a large-displacement V8 engine, the yellow-painted Jumbo actually competed in a few races. However, given the scarcity of contemporary information, these races were likely not particularly successful. Photos show that this one-of-a-kind car was subsequently displayed at various motorsports exhibitions and similar events. Eventually, all traces of it were lost, so the car is now considered lost.
This made the announcement by [company name]
Since the original vehicleno longer exists, any discussion of historical accuracy is essentially moot. The delicate details of the base body—especially the headlights, front grille, and taillights—are convincingly rendered. Even on the model, the monstrous spoilers have that certain something. Comparisons with the few available photos of the original vehicle show that, yes, the model has been faithfully reproduced.
Let's move on to the technical specifications and handling: the chassis features the familiar design elements: a removable engine-rear-axle unit, two removable magnets, and the ability to add digital features later. Installing the 26732 digital chip is quick and easy, and there’s plenty of space inside the car to stow the tangle of cables. The guide keel is positioned somewhat awkwardly behind the front axle—but thanks to the long wheelbase, the effects are less severe than feared. “Length matters”—that’s always been true for slot cars, and the Steinmetz Jumbo is no exception. Due to its enormous dimensions, the car isn’t particularly fond of very tight combinations of turns; in moderately fast sections, however, it’s in its element. If you remove the rear magnet, you can easily drift the Jumbo through the turns. If you push it too far, the rear end will break out without hesitation and almost completely block the entire width of the track if you’re driving in the inside lane (with 1/32-scale British-style track sections, the rear spoiler would then likely
scrape along the guardrails of the outside lane;-)
The bottom line: if you want to really enjoy driving the Jumbo, you need shoulder strips. On the other hand, “deslotting”—that is, the front axle jumping out—practically never occurs.
Conclusion: The Commodore is an excellent addition to the “fowl” lineup, which so far consists of the Ferrari 512 BB, Porsche 935-78, Porsche 935, and Porsche 911 RSR. I'm hoping for more contemporary color options (Slottus, make me some Jägermeister) or at least unfinished bodies (Sandra, do something… ;-)
CoMod
---------------------------------------
-Review by CoMod martinmm of
the Opel Commodore Steinmetz Jumbo (27220) History
The Steinmetz Commodore “Jumbo” was driven by Peter Hoffman in 10 races in 1974. Its appearance changed over the course of the races. Extensive modifications were made, particularly to the spoilers and wings. One of these development stages was
Appearance
: The actual color differs slightly from the catalog photos. In reality, the color is more “chocolatey”—in the photos so far, it appears to lean more toward red. The graphics are flawless: the large white lettering of the main sponsor, TABAC, as well as the white front and rear wings,
Workmanship:
With the exception of minor damage to a taillight, the test vehicle shows no other defects. The body can be easily removed after unscrewing the four screws. Everything is clean and tidy. Nothing is jammed. The axles turn smoothly and very easily.
Technical
Features: Due to its design, the center keel is located behind the front axle. This is, of course, not ideal. The front section of the chassis is designed with sufficient ground clearance for rally tracks. However, the keel swivel is offset slightly downward, ensuring good penetration depth into the slot. The keel’s rotation angle is sufficient. Weighing 103 g—31 g of which is body weight—the Jumbo isn’t exactly a lightweight. This is due in no small part to the protruding spoilers.
Handling
: Test drive without a rear magnet using stock tires. Operating voltage: 12 volts.
Despite its unfavorable proportions (tall, rear-heavy), the car handles very well on a medium-sized home track. The tires provide nearly sufficient grip on a clean track. Due to the poorly positioned guide fin, cornering or drifting in tight turns (K1) feels a bit odd because the pivot point is too far back.
Test drive without a rear magnet using Ortmann tires (new compound). 12-volt operating voltage:
The increased tendency to tip over, which is expected due to the higher grip of the Ortmann tires, did not occur. It’s also worth mentioning that the new Ortmann tires have less grip than the old ones. That’s actually more enjoyable now. With a light touch of the thumb, you can take sharp turns. You can take 180° turns completely sideways. That’s a blast!
Test drive without a magnet. Operating voltage 12 volts:
Without a magnet at all, the Steinmetz becomes difficult to drive. When using the original tires, you don’t pick up speed as quickly on small tracks—braking distances are shorter and the entry speed into turns is lower. With a light touch, you can steer the car briskly. With more grip—or Ortmann tires—things get a bit tricky—the car tends to lose traction quickly if you enter a turn a little too fast.
Conclusion: When used with the center magnet, this is a car that’s a joy both visually and technically. On larger tracks where higher speeds are possible, however, optimizing the chassis will be essential. Above all, the front axle and keel alignment will need to be fine-tuned and trimmed with lead. With the Monza Decon and DeTomaso announced this year, combined with the Ferrari 512BB and the Porsche 935/78, we’ll have a diverse field of “winged” cars.
CoMod martinmm
