It is my argument that the previous Ninco Cobra had way too much power for such a small frame, and no downforce (magnet) what-so-ever. The counter argument would be that the real Cobra was EXACTLY the same: Too much power for too small a frame. Still, this was a slot car, and one that I wanted a bit more control with. The most common modification to the old Cobra was to add magnet. Evidently, Ninco caught wind of this.

Though the body is not changed from previous releases, this new Cobra does have a lot of painted and Tampo details that really make this car a cut above the rest. There are rivets tampo'd around the hood scoop, the front snout is trimmed in white, and the tonneau cover over the passenger seat has silver trimmed screws. The tampo work throughout is stunning, and the blue finish is a gorgeous metallic blue. The whole package rivals the quality of some limited editions. Bravo to Ninco for producing such a stunning car.

The driver is basically unchanged from previous Cobra releases, and looks to be very serious about his driving. Other notable details in the Interior are the silver highlighted gauges on the dashboard.

The wheels on this car are of a two-piece variety. They seemed very round, which is exceptional considering the chance for error is doubled with two-piece wheels. Ninco has been doing the two-piece wheels for years, and I've yet to hear a complaint.

The big change that makes this car special is the addition of a button magnet, where previously there was none. When you receive your Cobra you may notice that the car is secured the display base with a screw, not the usual Ninco T-Handle thing. This is because the old hole for the T-Handle is now taken up by a magnet. There is a new hole for the T-Handle, but I believe that this hole was too close to the guide to work well.

Four screws secure the chassis to the body. Under the body we find the same chassis as previous Ninco Cobras, with the exception of the magnet. This magnet can be adjusted a bit by raising it away from the track just a bit, or if you like, remove it altogether. Gearing is 9/27, the rear axle turning inside brass bushings. I found no slop in the rear axle and it all seemed very tight. A little oil on the gears and bushings and we were ready to roll.

If you think adding a magnet to this car makes this car tame, think again. This car is a beast, though a bit more controllable than the old Cobra. This car is fast, and you still have no doubt that there is a lot of motor in a small car. Because of the magnet being located forward of the motor, this car has a lot of tail-out action but with far better consequences than the magnetless version.

This car is a real hoot to drive, and even braking is a whole new experience with this car. It actually kicks the rear end out to the right side a bit as it skids to a stop. Powering out of curves is as exciting as it gets, and this car walks the fine line between too little and too much magnet. In my book, it's a perfect mix. To compare, my MRRC "Scary Fast" Cobra managed an exciting lap of 6.79 on my 62 foot Carrera track, this Ninco Cobra was only a tick behind at 6.90 seconds. Though the MRRC was faster, I would bet that because of the consistency of the Ninco that the Ninco would come out the victor among all but the most skilled drivers. I don't think you could go wrong with the new Ninco Cobra.

Thank you to Fantasy World Toy & Hobbies for sending me this great car for review. I highly recommend you check out their site for AutoArt and other great slot cars and track.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to eMail me at ken@slotcarillustrated.com

Ken