Maurizio versus Salvatore

Future Italian Duel?

The Godfather of Slot.it Gets a Formidable Challenger

Meet NSR?s New Kid on the Block: The Mosler MT900RGT (Pre-Production Model)

By 68Deville

The benevolent Don Maurizio built up his Slot.it Empire rapidly by winning over the hearts and wallets of slot car aficionados with ?offers they couldn?t refuse?? that is with sleek, gorgeous, and accurate vehicular pageant winners that parade oh so gracefully around our club tracks. Enter NSR?s Salvatore Noviello, champion slot car racer and renowned engineer, itchy to stir up the slot car buying world. Ever since NSR announced it would begin to manufacture slot cars (beginning with this Mosler MT900RGT) in addition to its line of high quality racing parts, the slot car forums have been abuzz with excitement for the impending shoot out that will inevitably occur. 

 Of course, after Maurizio and Salvatore have changed the face of the slot car industry, we can imagine them as cute little old men sitting together in the back of a dark caf? sipping grappa (salut!), laughing, reminiscing, and slapping each other on the back in mutual respect. However, in the present tense, we can speculate that the slaps between the two will have a definite sting. As an avid fan, I am eagerly anticipating this match of two awesome competitors as much as a close Super Bowl or World Cup game.

 While we see Slot.it and NSR as primary competitors, Don Maurizio hasn?t manufactured the Mosler MT900RGT so a head-to-head comparison won?t be possible at this time. As Ninco is the only company that has released this car, we will use it as the main comparison car in this article. Also note, that this NSR is a preproduction (authorized for sale only in Italy) car, sans the Xavex livery and finishing touches. It?s a preview of what will come in the middle of June 2006 when the full model is released for worldwide enjoyment.

So how did I acquire this car? Let?s just say that Tony at Fantasy World pulled many strings to get this precious cargo through the Italian border via a team of Croatian mountain smugglers. Contact him for details on this colorful escapade.

 Without further ado, let?s get to the dissection shall we?

APPEARANCE

Overall

So yes, the NSR is a preproduction car but as you can see, it?s not Tupperware. It is, even in this preview version, sleeker, lighter, lower, and smaller in proportion overall to the Ninco car. From the outset, you can tell that the NSR is clearly built for club racing.

Canopy

The canopy sections comparison was perplexing because the two versions are so different. For starters the NSR canopy is so much more compact. The windshield is shorter with much less surface area and features a dramatic V shape when meeting the hood which is absent on the Ninco. Lastly, the back window louver section is much more compact and convex than on the Ninco.  I consulted the Mosler website and based on the photographs presented, the NSR seems to be the closer match (although without seeing the car in person, it?s really hard to bet any money on that. If anyone has access to one, I?m available for final judgment.)

Headlights

The eyes are the windows to a person?s soul. The same can be said of a car?s headlights. NSR?s ?eyes? are decidedly more expressive and somewhat quietly flirtatious like the Mona Lisa, showing more curvature than the fairly rectangular Ninco headlights. 

Hood Louvers

NSR features hood louvers that are pressed rather than cut. Additionally, there is a subtle shape difference. Maybe this is nitpicky but the NSR?s louvers are shaped like tears while those of the Ninco look like tiny lungs. Which is better? I don?t know; you be the judge: Everyone needs to breathe but let?s face it, internal organs are ugly. Tears are graphically dramatic but who wants to have a crybaby car. Looks like we have a toss up on this one.  

Lastly, all other louvers are cut and seem comparable to the Ninco version 

Spoiler

The NSR spoiler is ever so slightly wider than the Ninco. I?m not sure if Salvatore built it that way to shave off .05 seconds or if it?s just a preference. 

Mirrors

The mirrors on the Ninco are designed for the vain driver ? They are huge.

Height

Salvatore ulterior motives are revealed: He wants you to win that race. Thanks for spreading the glory, Salvatore. This ground licker is surely aerodynamically superior to the much taller Ninco.  

Exhaust Location

Another perplexing detail doolie bob: The exhaust pipes are in completely different locations. On the NSR, they?re right between the taillights. On the Ninco, they?re right under the valance. Again, to clear up the confusion, I visited the Mosler website. Unfortunately, both versions were represented so I haven?t been able to get the matter properly clarified.

Back Quarter Panel

The NSR has a general fondness for curvature that the Ninco lacks. This is also carried through in the back quarter panel where a swooped concave ?eye? graces the form.  

Side Air Vent

The small air vent on the side is in a completely different position on the NSR. On the Ninco, this vent appears further toward the front.  

Plastic (Exterior Body)

The injection-molded plastic body is up to par with Fly Evo Racing Series or Pro Slot cars. We?re talking featherweights here. 

Lightweight Interiors

No Lexan interiors!! They are both back to the basics.

THE GUTS

Overall

Both versions have ample room for upgrades and modifications, no problem. The NSR has a slight advantage with its 22K motor versus the Ninco?s 20K, its multi slots for button magnets as opposed to the Ninco?s fixed magnet pod, and the flexibility of the ?rattle? chassis in contrast to Ninco?s solid chassis.

The following measurements were recorded with calipers and are not based on manufacturer specifications.

Performance ? Home Track

I set out to test the NSR?s out of the box race readiness. Given Salvatore?s commitment to developing products for the impatient racer ? those who want the pleasure that come with a finely tuned car without the annoyance of undoing screws and messing with glues -- I felt that unadulterated results on my home track was mandatory.

 However, there is a caveat: My track has never seen a car that performs well out of the box. Never. It?s like a punishing Formula One track, say the Monaco Grand Prix, more than a NASCAR style track.

But, back to our out of the box comparison?As expected, both the NSR and Ninco Moslers sprinted as fast as grandmas on walkers, timing in with average times of 5.125 and 6.18 seconds respectively (best times were 5.03 and 6.07 seconds). A little side note: ?Fast? on my track ranges between 2.8 to 3.2 seconds ? of course, cars that make these times are tuned to the max.

Even at the leisurely 6.18 seconds, it was a struggle to keep the Ninco from derailing. In fact, it seemed Ninco?s theme song came straight from Paul Simon, ?slip, sliding away?? I attribute the sloshy performance to the braking which feels stiff and inflexible.  

There was better luck with the NSR which did make honest attempts at staying grounded with its sticky Ultra Grip tires holding on for dear life. It is, hands down, the best ?out of the box? racer my track has seen and handles about as well as the Scalectrix IRL (out of the box). What?s great about the NSR ? it is a car that compensates? the braking is smooth and allows you to keep it together around hairpin turns and elevation changes. Overall, it was a joy to drive. 

However, if you want to have some real fun racing on my track, bejewel the NSR with magnets (one extra button and one tweaker magnet), change the motor to a 30K and let that rocket go (The modified NSR whipped around the track in 3.2 seconds).  

The Verdict

For my track, out of the box race ready does not exist. However, it?s likely that my track is the minority in the predominantly oval/figure eight home track world. For those who worship the straightaway, it?s likely that the NSR would provide out of box performance that?s stunning. And it?s great on curves too. But you?ll have to be the ultimate judge of that when the international version is released.  

The Future Feels Faster

 As a preview of things to come, this NSR preproduction Mosler definitely reflects Salvatore?s absolute devotion to twisting the laws of physics around his little pinky to change our expectation of how fast a slot car can and should go. And he?s trying to do it without sacrificing on aesthetics. This is as it should be. After all, what good is having car races if the normal driver never benefits from feats of technology and engineering? Salvatore?s poise, in contrast to Maurizio?s ?que sera, sera..(whatever will be, will be)?, seems to be, ?veni, vidi, vici,? (I came, I saw, I conquered).? That is not necessarily a bad thing. Great rivalries drive the sport and ultimately the industry itself. The excitement that comes from these and other developments will create a buzz that may bring more car buffs into the sport. At least, that is and always has been, my hope.

Big Ol? Thanks

Thanks to David and Tony at Fantasy World for sending me these great cars to review and for listening to my incessant ranting about the virtues of NSR parts before they were available in the U.S.