Review by CoMod Lotus on the KTM X-Bow
(analog 27248)
The love-hate relationship...
There are racetrack cars (or slot cars in modern German) that you would never buy. You see pictures of the real thing, and you just don't like the vehicle. Too weird, too ugly, too unusual. The X-Bow is one such vehicle. I just find the car ugly. You could give me the real thing as a gift; I wouldn't want it.
The original was first presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2007. Initially limited to 100 units (and already completely sold out), the X-Bow is an uncompromising vehicle. Audi four-cylinder turbo engines from 220 to 260 hp, a carbon monocoque, and a Brembo braking system. You won't find any useless child's playthings like air conditioning, a radio, etc. But the X-Bow has a very distinctive look. And that's precisely why I would never buy one. For me, a sports car also has something to do with design.
And now I'm supposed to test it as a slot car. Okay, admittedly, the body is excellent and absolutely true to the original. And the matte black and orange combination just works. The sparse printing is cleanly executed, and the body overall makes a very sturdy impression, making it suitable for children's hands. Very nice: the rims with the profiled tires.
Let's get to the technical details: The car weighs 86g, making it one of Carrera's lightest cars. The distance between the guide keel and the rear axle is, in my opinion, perfectly implemented. The guide keel is too stiff for my taste; in such cases, I remove the guide keel spring, but this, of course, prevents the keel from being reset. The double sliding contactors have proven themselves at Carrera and are easy to replace. The interchangeable rear axle unit isn't to everyone's taste, but it makes replacing the axle much easier. Loosen two screws, fold out the entire unit, unclip the axle, and the new parts can be installed.
Anyone who wants to completely disassemble the car will first have to remove the axle unit; the screw for the base plate is located under the rear axle. Due to its design, the chassis itself is very tight. Therefore, be careful not to pinch any cables during reassembly.
Let's move on to the handling: Despite the very narrow tires, the KTM sits like a board on the track. The tires have very good grip, and even with a magnet, it's almost impossible to throw it off course. The car handles like a go-kart; it's almost impossible to fly off course. If you remove the rear magnet, things get really fun. Drifting until you (lately) fly off course—this thing is simply fun.
Conclusion : For me, this is the vehicle with the highest play and fun factor that Carrera currently has in its range, suitable for fathers and sons alike. If only it weren't so ugly... :-)
CoMod Lotus
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Test report by CoMod JoergW on the KTM X-Bow
(analog 27248)
1. Optics:
The orange-and-black flat-bottomed car's trim is clearly visible, even though the name 'Speedster' has already been used for other purposes. No superfluous parts that would even remotely dilute the pure driving pleasure have been installed on this vehicle. This orange sports car could even make it to the finals, purely on its looks. The car is polarizing. You either like it or you don't, I like it.
For about 1/100 of the full-price price, the car racing enthusiast can enjoy it on their own track, and that doesn't just mean the visual pleasure, but also the driving experience. One 'advantage' of slot racing becomes particularly clear here... you're not sitting in the car and getting back problems, but can relax and aim for the lap record on your home track.
2. Technology
Here, proven technology is combined with the new rear axle removal option. In the case of the KTM X-Bow, however, it's important to note that the rear magnet must first be removed; underneath is the screw for releasing the rear axle. Once the chassis is disassembled, reassembly should be carried out carefully to avoid pinching any cables. The vehicle is not equipped with lights, which could be due to the rather limited space.
3. Processing
The vehicle is detailed, but not too delicate. This makes it suitable for children's hands, once dad lets go.
4. Driving behavior
The orange and black X-Bow, weighing just 88 g, is the lightweight in the starting field and can certainly be optimized. Personally, I'd consider the modifications too radical. The narrow tires offer very good grip, only slightly less than the Golf GTi. The chosen version with a tread looks very appealing. Since the tire material used appears to be the same as in the Golf, the reason for the slight difference could be found in the tire width and the general differences in the vehicle construction. With both magnets, the X-Bow can be driven around the track without any problems, even by beginners, but it's only really fun with the center magnet. Drifting fun until the limiter kicks in. Definitely a fun car that can be driven quickly even on twisty home tracks with a high proportion of Turn 1!
5. Miscellaneous
A fundamentally well-suited vehicle selection to complement the 1:32 range. The orange and white versions look almost like teams competing in an international match between neighboring nations. Two more bold, highly visible colors could be added next year to increase the field. However, if Carrera were to release a kit with two or three differently colored interchangeable upper sections or bodyshells in the club... then yes, there would be possibilities. That would really be a different idea for a 'limited' 1:32.
CoMod JoergW
(analog 27248)
The love-hate relationship...
There are racetrack cars (or slot cars in modern German) that you would never buy. You see pictures of the real thing, and you just don't like the vehicle. Too weird, too ugly, too unusual. The X-Bow is one such vehicle. I just find the car ugly. You could give me the real thing as a gift; I wouldn't want it.
The original was first presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2007. Initially limited to 100 units (and already completely sold out), the X-Bow is an uncompromising vehicle. Audi four-cylinder turbo engines from 220 to 260 hp, a carbon monocoque, and a Brembo braking system. You won't find any useless child's playthings like air conditioning, a radio, etc. But the X-Bow has a very distinctive look. And that's precisely why I would never buy one. For me, a sports car also has something to do with design.
And now I'm supposed to test it as a slot car. Okay, admittedly, the body is excellent and absolutely true to the original. And the matte black and orange combination just works. The sparse printing is cleanly executed, and the body overall makes a very sturdy impression, making it suitable for children's hands. Very nice: the rims with the profiled tires.
Let's get to the technical details: The car weighs 86g, making it one of Carrera's lightest cars. The distance between the guide keel and the rear axle is, in my opinion, perfectly implemented. The guide keel is too stiff for my taste; in such cases, I remove the guide keel spring, but this, of course, prevents the keel from being reset. The double sliding contactors have proven themselves at Carrera and are easy to replace. The interchangeable rear axle unit isn't to everyone's taste, but it makes replacing the axle much easier. Loosen two screws, fold out the entire unit, unclip the axle, and the new parts can be installed.
Anyone who wants to completely disassemble the car will first have to remove the axle unit; the screw for the base plate is located under the rear axle. Due to its design, the chassis itself is very tight. Therefore, be careful not to pinch any cables during reassembly.
Let's move on to the handling: Despite the very narrow tires, the KTM sits like a board on the track. The tires have very good grip, and even with a magnet, it's almost impossible to throw it off course. The car handles like a go-kart; it's almost impossible to fly off course. If you remove the rear magnet, things get really fun. Drifting until you (lately) fly off course—this thing is simply fun.
Conclusion : For me, this is the vehicle with the highest play and fun factor that Carrera currently has in its range, suitable for fathers and sons alike. If only it weren't so ugly... :-)
CoMod Lotus
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Test report by CoMod JoergW on the KTM X-Bow
(analog 27248)
1. Optics:
The orange-and-black flat-bottomed car's trim is clearly visible, even though the name 'Speedster' has already been used for other purposes. No superfluous parts that would even remotely dilute the pure driving pleasure have been installed on this vehicle. This orange sports car could even make it to the finals, purely on its looks. The car is polarizing. You either like it or you don't, I like it.
For about 1/100 of the full-price price, the car racing enthusiast can enjoy it on their own track, and that doesn't just mean the visual pleasure, but also the driving experience. One 'advantage' of slot racing becomes particularly clear here... you're not sitting in the car and getting back problems, but can relax and aim for the lap record on your home track.
2. Technology
Here, proven technology is combined with the new rear axle removal option. In the case of the KTM X-Bow, however, it's important to note that the rear magnet must first be removed; underneath is the screw for releasing the rear axle. Once the chassis is disassembled, reassembly should be carried out carefully to avoid pinching any cables. The vehicle is not equipped with lights, which could be due to the rather limited space.
3. Processing
The vehicle is detailed, but not too delicate. This makes it suitable for children's hands, once dad lets go.
4. Driving behavior
The orange and black X-Bow, weighing just 88 g, is the lightweight in the starting field and can certainly be optimized. Personally, I'd consider the modifications too radical. The narrow tires offer very good grip, only slightly less than the Golf GTi. The chosen version with a tread looks very appealing. Since the tire material used appears to be the same as in the Golf, the reason for the slight difference could be found in the tire width and the general differences in the vehicle construction. With both magnets, the X-Bow can be driven around the track without any problems, even by beginners, but it's only really fun with the center magnet. Drifting fun until the limiter kicks in. Definitely a fun car that can be driven quickly even on twisty home tracks with a high proportion of Turn 1!
5. Miscellaneous
A fundamentally well-suited vehicle selection to complement the 1:32 range. The orange and white versions look almost like teams competing in an international match between neighboring nations. Two more bold, highly visible colors could be added next year to increase the field. However, if Carrera were to release a kit with two or three differently colored interchangeable upper sections or bodyshells in the club... then yes, there would be possibilities. That would really be a different idea for a 'limited' 1:32.
CoMod JoergW
