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Best Slot Car Reviews 2018

Slot car racing is a fun pastime for both individuals and groups. There is such a myriad of top-quality slot cars on the market these days, with great features at different prices that making the right choice can be an onerous task for you. That’s why we’re here to help. We’ve studied a wide range of the best slot cars and have come up with our list of five top brands. The products we have featured are just samples from these five top brands, not their only products. They have other options, but for the purpose of this review, we have featured just one product from each brand.
Overview
PROS
CONS
SPECS
Type/Model
Scale
Size/Weight
Materials
Age range
Our Top Choice
Anki Guardian Expansion Car Toy
Anki Guardian Expansion Car Toy
Anki gives its customers unique artificial intelligence experiences by putting together the results of years of research, and it’s committed to making robotics available to everyone.
It’s beautifully designed with easy-to-set-up devices, can be played with up to 4 cars at once, and has exclusive weapons that give you an edge over your opponents on the track.
Unfortunately, this car does not come with a track; that'll have to be bought separately.
Car with 4 packs
Info not provided
3.3x2.1x5.5 inches; 2.5 pounds
Plastic
8 – 15 years
Best Value
AFX Porsche 962 Slot Car
AFX Porsche 962 Slot Car
AFX has progressively moved with the technology of different eras to provide consumers with slot cars that are so realistic they keep coming back for more.
It’s beautifully designed , has one of lowest and narrowest chassis ever manufactured, and a low center of gravity that makes the car go faster and around bends better.
On the downside, some customers feel the car is too slow. They've got the need for speed!
Porsche cars with 2 packs
HO
10x2x8 inches; 0.16 pounds
Plastic
14+ years
DMXslots Racer G2 Vehicle
DMXslots Racer G2 Vehicle
Dynamic Motions Express is continuously improving to provide a better slot car racing experience. It takes pride in the revolutionary new concepts adopted for slot car racing.
The G2 machinery gives the car better weight balance, faster speed, lower noise level, and quicker response. The rotating pin device allows you to change lanes easily on the track.
Some experienced faulty cars when they arrived.
Car only
1:32
18.1x6.7x26.4 inches; 11 pounds
Plastic
8+ years
Scalextric Chevrolet Camero Series Slot Cars
Scalextric Chevrolet Camero Series Slot Cars
In 1957, Francis Betram launched a car racing kit at the Harrogate Toy Fair. This has grown to become the most popular and well-liked Scalextric brand.
It has a highly detailed body, complete interior with driver, xenon effect headlights, and functional rear lights.
Magnets could be considered weak, especially on the back end.
Chevrolet car
1:32
6x2.5x2 inches; 4 pounds
Plastic/metal
8 – 15 years
Carrera USA Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff Slot Car
Carrera USA Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff Slot Car
Since 1963 till date, Carrera USA has been all about developing toy car racing through innovative technology and providing excitement for generations of car racing lovers.
It’s a 1/43 scale analog car that has inbuilt double contact brushes, a full range of spares and upgrade options available, and is compatible with CARRERA GO 1/43.
Some consider it slow.
Chevrolet car
1.43
6.7x2.4x7.5 inches; 1.8 pounds
Plastic
12+ years

(Updated )
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Watch Our Slot Car Review

How Do I Choose the Best Slot Car?

Some toys are classics (they never go out of fashion). The sweet thing about these types of toys is that they remind adults of their childhood and make them want to recapture fond memories with their young ones. This encourages fun family time. One of such toys is the slot car. Slot cars can be enjoyed alone or in a group. There may be times when families or kids aren’t in the mood for outdoor games or the weather isn’t cooperating; slot cars provide a fun alternative, especially if you want your kids spending less time on the computer.

Slot car racing has spanned over 5 or more decades. It involves racing toy cars with electric engines on a wooden or plastic track. The scale of a slot car determines the size of the slot cars and the track. There are three widely used slot cars scales: 1/64, 1/32, and 1/24.

The 1/64 scale slot cars, also referred to as HO slot cars, are the smallest size, and this makes them good counterparts for model trains. This size also allows you to have a larger track with the same space, and it’s usually less costly than other scales of slot cars. The most common scale is the 1/32 scale; it has the widest array of ready-to-go cars and a variety of 1/32 slot car tracks and accessories. The biggest size of slot cars in the market are the 1/24 scale slot cars. These cars have remarkable details and can be customized to suit individual preferences, but you need to have more room to accommodate the tracks because of the size.

The internet is a great resource for getting a full slot car set both for beginners and veterans alike; you can also find replacement parts and spare track lengths so that you can build the kind of slot car racetrack you desire. That said, you need to know exactly what to look out for when shopping for a slot car. This includes knowing the make or design of the slot car you want, how fast it can go without deslotting (losing power), how easy it would be to get accessories to add on, upgrade options available, how many people can play it, the skill level, and many more questions. Join us as we show you some features to look out for when choosing a slot car to suit your preference.
Price
Each slot car has different features that distinguish it from others. Just like in real-life car racing, the make of a car, its speed, proportion of the body parts, engine power, performance rate (how fast can it go? How well can it turn a corner?), the accessories that come with it or are readily available, and upgrade options are some of the things that affect the rating it would receive and the price it would command.

The higher the quality of the car and the more features it has, the more you would expect to pay. And if it’s a vintage or limited edition, you can be sure to pay even more. On average, you can get a good slot car for $35 to $150. During our research, we came across some cheap products, but we didn’t deem it wise to feature them because they were of low quality, made with materials that weren’t durable, and didn’t have replacement parts available. Since we’ve focused on top-quality brands, we’re confident that whichever product you choose from our featured products will give you good value for your money.
Features
There are many great features that you would find in any high-quality slot car. While it may not be possible for you to find all these features in one slot car, it is necessary that you know the features to look out for. This will enable you to know which product is best suited for you. Below are the vital features that you should look out for in any good quality slot car:
  • High-quality original detailed and tampo printed cars
  • Easy change pick-ups and braids
  • You can build new tracks
  • Easy to connect device
  • Full range of spares and upgrade options are available
  • Magnatraction- helps keep the cars on track
  • Functional rear lights
  • Tracks that can hold up to 4 cars
  • Rotating pin device allows you to change lanes whenever and wherever on the track
  • Low center of gravity- makes the car go faster
Construction and Design
There are basically two types of slot cars: analog and digital slot cars. The analog cars are battery-operated while the digital ones are powered by electricity. There are also some that are dual-functional (can be used digitally or analog). You would do well to consider your power bill before making your choice.

Slot cars are designed on three different scales: 1/64, 1/32, and 1/24. It’s important to note the scaling of whichever slot car you want to get, because it will determine the space you would need for your tracks.

Some slot cars have readily available accessories and updates; others are highly customizable. It would be in your favor to ensure that you’re able to get replacement parts when necessary and that you can always add on to your set whenever you want to.
Performance and Ease of Use
Each slot car comes with different accessories and devices. If you’re not a hands-on person, it’s safer for you to start out with a slot car that has fewer and less complicated features or one that’s easy to set up. These would be ones with easy fit plugs, and easy-to-change pick up and braids.

What fun would it be to have a slot car that’s not fast or that deslots when it rounds a corner? Magnatraction helps to keep cars on track, while a lower center of gravity helps the car go faster; be sure to look out for these features as you browse.

Look out for xenon effect headlights and functional rear lights (it lights up the tracks and cars when playing outdoors at night, or even indoors with lights out). These are things that would make your slot car racing experience enjoyable.

What is the Best Slot Car?

No slot car can be described as the best; this is because individual preferences differ. What works for one may not work for the other. So consider the features that are important to you (and of course your budget!) and look at the top five brands/products that we have featured.
Our Top Choice
Anki Guardian Expansion Car Toy
The Guardian Expansion Car Toy has some unique hidden features to surprise your challengers, thus providing a huge advantage on the track. If you’d rather have a truck instead of a car , check out the Anki OVERDRIVE Supertruck X-52 Vehicle.
Anki Overdrive Guardian Expansion Car Toy

Anki Slot Car 000-00044


Features
Anki was established in 2010 by three graduates of Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute. It gives its customers unforgettable experiences using frontier-breaking technology that was once restricted to the four walls of robotics labs and research establishments. It continues to exploit the knowledge of all engineering branches to ensure that the excitement doesn’t end. By putting together the results of years of research, it’s committed to making artificial intelligence available to everyone.

The Guardian Expansion Car Toy (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $49.99) is well-matched with the Anki Drive app straight out of the box, and it doesn’t require extra set-up. It's very easy to just start playing. It has some unique hidden features to surprise your challengers, giving you a huge advantage on the track. It’s a fun toy that can keep the whole family engaged for hours on end. Here are some of its features:
  • Allows up to 4 cars at once- this means it can be added to other cars and played with by 4 people
  • Beautiful design
  • Sonic beam that hurls high frequency beam out of the car to blow your contenders off the track
  • Designed to detonate scramble mines to blow up in opponents’ faces, right there on the track
  • Sonic blast that can be used to conquer the enemies around the track
  • You can build new tracks
  • Easy to connect device
Not interested in this one? Check out more great slot cars by Anki.
Best Value
AFX Porsche 962 Slot Car
The Porsche 962 #14 Slot Car has a totally new chassis that ups the ante for performance, with a well-proportioned car body that’s very realistic with amazing details. Do you want a high-end collector’s product from AFX? You can check out the AFX Formula Two Pack Mega G.
AFX Porsche 962 #14 Slot Car

AFX Slot Car 21011


Features
AFX is a toy manufacturing firm that has been in existence since the 70s. It has progressively moved with the technology of different eras to provide consumers with realistic slot cars, keeping them coming back for more. Its history shows a trend of innovation that’s kept it relevant even till date.

The Porsche 962 #14 Slot Car (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $35.82) has a totally new chassis that ups the ante for performance. It makes the car go faster and ‘round corners better making it a lot more fun to drive. It has a well-proportioned car body that’s very realistic, the details are quite amazing, and the colors are great. Here are some of its features:
  • Has one of lowest and narrowest chassis ever manufactured
  • Weighs about 30% lighter than HO chassis - makes it more fun to drive
  • Much more realistic body
  • The wheelbase is one of the longest available
  • Low center of gravity- makes the car go faster
  • Smaller but more powerful magnet that keeps the car glued to the track
  • Mega-G chassis
  • 8-color graphics
Still undecided? Why not check out other slot cars by AFX?
DMXslots Racer G2 Vehicle
The DMXSLOTS Racer G2 gives the player a totally new experience in toy car racing. The makers used one of the most recent car base designs to improve the performance. Do you prefer a product with more cars? Then check out the DMXSLOTS Exclusive Slot Car Racing Package.
DMXslots Instant Speed Controller Version G2 Car Racing Set

DMXslots Slot Car 18IR2CS02


Features
At Dynamic Motions Express, the motto is "Continuous improvement to provide better slot car racing experience”. It takes pride in the revolutionary new concepts adopted for slot car racing. With DMXSLOTS, a number of limitations faced by car racers are removed.

The DMXSLOTS Racer G2 (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $149.99) gives the player a totally new experience in toy car racing. The makers used one of the most recent car base designs to improve the performance; for example, the G2 machinery gives the car better weight balance, faster speed, lower noise level, and quicker response. This exhilarating set of slot car racing combines momentum and tactics just like real-life auto racing. It has many great features and they include:
  • 1 infrared wireless model car with head lamps
  • 2 infrared (Channel A & B) Handheld Controller-controls five levels of speed instantly
  • 16 straight tracks including basic elements
  • 12 curved tracks
  • Requires 8 AAA batteries
  • Track that can hold up to 4 cars
  • Rotating pin device allows you to change lanes whenever and wherever on the track
  • 22-foot long track
Want more options before deciding? Check out other great slot cars by DMX.
Scalextric Chevrolet Camero Series Slot Cars
The Scalextric Chevrolet Camaro GT-R is a 1/32 scale slot car. It's ready to run on all 1/32 scale non-digital slot car tracks, digital plug-ready, and accepts a C8515 plug-in digital chip. Do you want a slot car with a different scaling and don’t mind paying more? You can check out the Scalextric James Bond Micro Slot Car Race Set.
Scalextric High Detail Chevrolet Camero Series Slot Cars – Available in 4 Styles

Scalextric Slot Car C3289


Features
In 1939, Betram “Freddie” Francis started a tool-manufacturing company. At the end of the war, he focused more on toys; this gave birth to Minimodels Ltd, which made tin plate Scalex and Startex clockwork cars. Upon close observation of the manufacturing of several electric and battery-powered cars, he noticed that almost all of them lacked the essential component of speed control. So in 1957, he finally launched a car racing kit at the Harrogate Toy Fair.This was a conversion of the firm’s clockwork Scalex 1:30 collection of racers to electricity, thus the creation of the popular and well-liked Scalextric brand. Till date, it continues to bring satisfaction to its customers far and near.

The Scalextric Chevrolet Camaro GT-R (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $48.95) is a 1/32 scale slot car. It's ready to run on all 1/32 scale non-digital slot car tracks, is digital plug-ready, and accepts a C8515 plug-in digital chip. It has great features, some of which are listed below:
  • Digital Plug-Ready- cars can be changed to be used with the digital range in less than sixty seconds using the C8515 Digital Easy Fit Plug
  • Easy-change pick-ups and braids
  • Magnatraction- helps keep the cars on track
  • Xenon effect headlights
  • Functional rear lights
  • Highly detailed body design
  • Complete interior with driver
Not yet sure that this is what you want? Scalextric has other great slot cars that you can check out.
Carrera USA Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff Slot Car
The Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff has been described as "the fastest policeman around”. It has flashing blue lights, looks just like a police car, and has everything a good-looking police car should have. If you’re into vintage cars, the Carrera Evolution Shelby Cobra 289 Universal Memories Race Car would interest you. Check it out.
Carrera USA Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff Car with Flashing Lights

Carrera USA Slot Car 20064031


Features
Since 1963, Carrera has been all about developing toy car racing and providing excitement for generations of car racing lovers worldwide. Because of its high-quality, innovative, realistic, and exhilarating racing ambience, it has fans of no age limit enjoying unrivaled levels of fun in their homes. It has many new sets and cars that would satisfy learners, enthusiasts, and veterans alike.

The Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $35.63) has been described as "the fastest policeman around”. It has flashing blue lights, looks just like a police car, with everything you would expect a nice police to car have. Yes, it's very fast too! (What good is a police car if it isn’t fast?)

With this slot car, you’re guaranteed hours of nonstop fun as the cultured law enforcement officer gives chase to the bad guys and arrests them. Children 6 years or older would sure appreciate using this to experience the world of car racing. This slot car is especially designed for children and gives them quality fun and enjoyment. The features include:
  • Compatible with CARRERA GO 1/43
  • Full range of spares and upgrade options are available
  • 1/43 scale analog car
  • Inbuilt double contact brushes
  • Not compatible with SCALEXTRIC
  • High-quality original detailed and tampo printed cars
Not sure on this one? Carrera USA has a lot more; we recommend that you take a look at them, too.

Get the Best Slot Car of 2018!

Now that you’ve taken some time to study this review, we’re optimistic that we have provided enough information to help you make the choice of a slot car that’s best for you. We are confident that any product you choose from these brands will meet your expectations.

Our Top Choice
Anki Guardian Expansion Car Toy
Anki Guardian Expansion Car Toy
Best Value
AFX Porsche 962 Slot Car
AFX Porsche 962 Slot Car
DMXslots Racer G2 Vehicle
DMXslots Racer G2 Vehicle
Scalextric Chevrolet Camero Series Slot Cars
Scalextric Chevrolet Camero Series Slot Cars
Carrera USA Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff Slot Car
Carrera USA Chevrolet Camaro Sheriff Slot Car

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