May 9 2008

'Speed Racer' slot car for geezer nostalgia

(Credit: Carrera International)

Long before RC toys began terrorizing household pets, there was the slot car. They still exist today, of course, but have become more of a hobby akin to model trains than something that would occupy kids for hours on end, pre-Nintendo.

But now that Speed Racer has been resurrected--"the movie event of the century," as Craver Caroline McCarthy puts it--the venerable slot car may make something of a mild comeback. Carrera is coming out with a new package that includes a Mach 5 (of course), a Racer X Street Car, 20 feet of track, and endless bouts of nostalgia, according to Gadget Lab. Scoff if you will, but it sure beats that lame flash drive.

Posted in: Entertainment, Retro, Toys
Tags: Speed Racer, Carrera, Mach 5, Racer X, slot cars
 

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 2 comments (Page 1 of 1)
by Voodoo101 May 12, 2008 8:02 AM PDT
I tried a post a few minutes ago and don't see it.....
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by Voodoo101 May 12, 2008 9:11 AM PDT
I'm going to repost this. You guys are out of touch. Slot racing has been back and growing steadily for the past 10 years. Plus, I saw this set in Hermitage, PA about two weekends ago. Slot racing may have "become more of a hobby akin to model trains than something that would occupy kids for hours on end, pre-Nintendo", but the number of manufacturers, outlets and models rivals the 60s-early 70s heyday. A new generation of racers are running REAL 3-D cars on model tracks. Try these current websites: www.slotcargarage.com www.oldweirdherald.com and www.slotcar.com to start with. I was into the hobby the first time around as a little kid. Now I'm watching grade-schoolers and teenagers outrunning us old guys. I even got my daugther (bless her little gearhead heart) a Carrera Mini-Cooper set two Christmases ago...which she still operates. If you give kids real toys...as opposed to virtual ones...they'll play with them, too. You can't hold a car on Forza or TORCS and your bragging rights when you "build" one will be limited to what's pre-programmed. With models, you're only limited by your fabrication skills, resources and governing rules. Incidently, I'm a model train collector/operator also....there's something to be said for modeling outside of a computer....even though I'm a network admin for a 9 to 5.
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