| Some frequently answered questions |
| Q1: |
Only six liveries!! Why? |
| A1: |
Two reasons: First: Our car is licenced from
Audi AG, and Audi wants the car to be reproduced only in liveries
that have been seen in the real world,
and this car only raced in LeMans in 1999. Second: we want to reproduce the
history of this beautiful car, and so, we do not want to mess around making blue
or yellow or red non-existing models. So, the plans now are for 6 liveries
only. |
| Q2: |
OK, but why THESE six liveries? |
| A: |
The first two cars are portrayed as seen during a specific moment of
the Le Mans qualifying. During LeMans qualifying, the numbers do not have the
'LeMans 24 hrs' writing inside, and this is why the first two Slot.it cars on
the market have white background numbers. Also, car n.9 has the top part of the
number missing, and no 'R Ricardo' black logo: this is because the hood went off during
qualifying, or was substituted, and so everything that was on the hood (apart
from the 'Infineon' logo) went missing!
You might also notice that, in the car side, inside the
radiator air escape 'dwell', there is a cut, through which the external part of
the cockpit can be seen. We have reproduced it too. This ventilation hole will
disappear in all other versions, as it was seen only in this specific moment in
time. Further: the rear mirrors change in 'Race' versions, and a small front
wing will appear: remeber, this was 1999, the year of the flying Mercedes
CLR.
The 'all black' car was seen at the first car
shakedown in Snetterton circuit. The presentation car is quite interesting since
only one was made, and it has n.9 livery on one side, n.10 livery on the
other.
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test
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race
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press presentation right side /left side
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changes in numbering: presentation car has different numbers and drivers
on the two sides |
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changes in tail decals |
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changes in front decals |
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changes in drivers: note that Christian Abt replaces Didierr Theys
for the race |
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| Q3: |
I cannot find it in the shops? |
| A: |
(Updated 12 Jan 2003) We totally underestimated the success of the
car. After a difficult start up, things have eased out, but still, there are
still rough edges and we are underproducing. In 2003, new production schemes
will start to show up. This will show up as improved painting and decorations,
and, hopefully, better availability. If someone is to blame, that's us, anyway,
not the distributors. |
| Q4: |
What motor mounts can I use? |
| A: |
Apart from the standard inline motor, the 'Boxer' type motor
mount (code SICH12 also for NC2/3) is available now, and, for those
who like the stronger magnetic traction, the 'reverse motor mount' (code
SICH13) is available too. This makes the Audi R8C not only maybe the fastest,
but the most versatile car around! The R8C original configuration has the
magnet in front of the car, with the motor mounted with a can-inline
configuration: this is the ideal configuration for magnetless racing, or if you
want to enjoy the extra magnet traction with the occasional sliding. The
'reverse' motor mount allows the positioning of the magnet between the rear
wheels and the motor, and turns the car in a real magnet-stuck-down rocket., but
provides also a milder position in front of the motor.
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| Q5: |
I do not want to break the antennas, what can I do? |
| A: |
(Updated 12 Jan 2003) The antennas and to
some extent the rear wing in our own Audi R8C are detachable. For the
antennas, we suggest removing them before racing, while the rear wing is
slightly glued in but can be removed and substituted with the soon to be
released 'tearproof parts' that are made of very flexible plastic and should be
really crashproof: the package will include antennas (both), rear mirrors (both
types, including the mirrors used in future 'race' liveries), and rear wing. The
problem with these plastics is that they are almost impossible to paint so these
parts will only be black and without any tampo printing - and this is why we
cannot use them as standard. |
| Q6: |
Why is the front screw under the pickup?
And I cannot use the pickup for the wooden track! |
| A: |
Frankly it was an error. The 'screw mounted' pickups can be
used by trimming part of them in order to reach the body mounting screw to
reassemble the car. We regret this. |
| Q7: |
How can I improve the
performance as my car seems to deslot too much entering the turns. |
| A: |
Read the answer to Q8 below |
Q8:
A: |
I would like to loosen up the front screw in order to make
the body loose on the chassis but the front wheel arch interferes
with the front
tire.
What can I do?
When we designed the R8C, we were faced with a few hard choices. One of the most difficult ones was 'how
much slack space ' should we leave around the front wheel: we did not want to
compromise too much on the modelling aspect, which requires a very small space,
but we knew also that this could cause problems when the front screw would get
loosend up as every racer does. On the other hand, also, to make a fast racer we
needed to keep the pickup as flush as possible to the chassis - another critical
point here, as the wheel would then touch the track (like in the real
car!) and keep the pickup not as much as 'in the slot' as we wished. So,
the compromise we choose was to make a car that would run well without changes,
but would give its racing best with a very thin front wheel, which makes the
pickup enter all the way in the slot, and give plenty of space around the arch
for loosening the front screw (whose position under the pickup, we admit, is
wrong - my mistake!)
So, as we so far do not have a 'super thin' front tyre,
we suggest either to sandpaper the front tires down (the 'Zero grip' compound is
very hard and easy to sandpaper), or putting on Team Slot's or Gom's 'super low'
front tires. You will notice the car is very sensitive to this
change. |
| Q9: |
I want more magnet power!!! |
| A: |
(Updated 12 Jan 2003) fine, use the 'reverse' motor mount (code
SICH13) or the 'Race Magnet' SICN04, which, being shaped as an asymmetrical
'H', can be put closer or farther away from the track, to control the
desired traction. The two solutions together yield a car which is a magnet
rocket... Also read Q4 above |
| Q10: |
My car is noisy |
| A: |
(Updated 24 Feb 2003) This took us by surprise: a few customers reported noise
from the car. After testing, we have discovered that some noise comes from the
'air extractors' surfaces, the ones behind the front wheels, vibrating on the
chassis. So, oil, or grease the lower end of the surfaces, where they touch the
chassis. Then, oil the bushings and the crown pretty well, and if it does not go
away, see if the motor is loose in the motor mount. While our motor mounts
prevents the motor from 'popping up', thus avoiding the notorious problem of the
motor abruptly coming out of its place and in the process destroying the crown,
first generation 'inline' motor mount (SICA01a and SICA01b cars) allowed some
play of the motor in its place. So, while there is no danger of mechanical
failure, to reduce this source of noise either put some oil in the spaces
between the motor and the motor mounts, or fix the motor with tape. This has
been addressed in SICA01c (Dec 2002) and following models. A very likely source
of noise has been, later, identified in the air extractor behind the front
wheel, that, with vibration, would resonate on the chassis: put oil between the
two. |
| Q11: |
Can I use the magnetic suspension on the
Audi? |
| A: |
(Updated 24 Feb 2003) Yes, but it must be
inserted IN FRONT of the motor mount, and not in the rear. All you need is
included in the 'Magnetic Ssupension Kit': use the short screws, and the brass
nut, not the self-locking unit; put a small amount of cyan glue on the nut to
secure it to the screw. (You will be able to disassemble it later). Give it
plenty of run (i.e. leave the magnets as spaced as possible), and loosen up the
rear motor mount screw by 1/2 turn. To see how it works, keep the now assembled
chassis, without body, in your hands, and twist it gently: the suspension will
counter act the twisting torque. However, with the suspension in place, the
chassis will work as if there was no motor mount, since now themotor mount is
basically independent from the chassis itself. It must be noted that the magnets
in the magnetic suspension have NO magnetic traction effect.
|
| Q12: |
The screw attaching the car to the box is 'not
ideal'... |
| A: |
In fact it was a last minute fix when
we discovered that the thing that we designed for this purpose would not
withstand the 'drop test', which consists in taking a boxed car, and dropping it
upside down on a concrete floor from 1.5 m.... so, we tought that the most
important thing is to make sure that you receive the car intact and so we
resorted for the time being to a steel screw which surely does not
break. |
| Q13: |
What controller should I use?
The motor
is very powerful but power comes up only after I pull the trigger
halfway |
| A: |
Most likely your controller has a resistance greater
than 25 Ohm. Use a 25 Ohm controller, or even a 15 Ohm if you have a 'rapid
finger'. This is recommended for all Slot.it V12/2 and Boxer
motors. |
| Q14: |
(New 12 Jan 2003) What has been changed from SICA01a/b
(Le Mans test) and SICA01c (Snetterton roll-out)? |
| A: |
New v12/2b 25000 RPM motor: more torque, better braking and balanced armature.
Aluminium insert crown gear instead of Brass insert crown gear as standard.
Improved motor mount holder fixes the motor better. Black mask around the front
lights. Chrome exhausts. All these changes will apply to further Audi
production. |
| Q15: |
(New 15 Aug 2003) What has been changed between
the 'first release' SICA01a/b/c (2002) and the 2003 edition of the
same? |
| A: |
The reissue of SICA01a/b/c is
imminent. The mould has been changed to make space for a 'real' plastic tail
light in place of the previous 'tampo printed' light. General overhaul
of decoration: better painting, many decals have been substituted by tampo
printing, 'real' rear mirrors opposed to grey sprayed mirrors. All these changes
will apply to further Audi production.
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| Q16: |
(New 15 Aug 2003) Will the 'step2' chassis and the new
guide flag be used in RTR cars? |
| A: |
Yes, in
the near future. |
Thank you very much to all the customers,
which,
through their reports and questions,
help us build a better product.
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