AutoArt's 1/24 Lamborghini Police car is an interesting choice for a slot car. Usually slot cars are racers, or in the case of many Aa releases, exotic slot cars. But with a police car you've now got something to chase down all those exotics that are speeding around the track!So where did this car come from? Read this entry from QV500:
"What's probably the best way for a supercar manufacturer to generate world-wide publicity on a budget of less than £100,000? Why, just donate one of your latest offerings to a more than grateful police force and then enjoy the associated media frenzy. Lamborghini obviously understood and in May 2004, supplied a unique Gallardo to the Italian Polizia di Stato. Presented in Rome's Piazza del Popolo, the Gallardo 'Polizia' was for traffic officers on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria autostrada in Southern Italy and high-speed delivery of transplant organs.
Fitted with sirens, flashing lights and a distinctive blue and white State Police livery, there was also a variety of medical equipment and advanced technological apparatus for receiving and transmitting information and images. Other sophisticated equipment included a satellite navigational system with GSM microtelephone, a 'Provida' system to record violations and send images in real time, direct connection to the Police database and an Elsag 'Autodetector' system for number plate recognition. Criminals in the region will now need to seriously re-assess their get-away equipment."
With that in mind...it sort of makes sense to have an incredibly fast and attention-getting car, eh? The details on this car are exceptional. AutoArt seems to have cornered the market on perfectly detailed 1/24 slot cars.
This AWD slot car has the tab system to get the power from the track to the motor. While the system does make good contact, I'm still more of an old-school slotter and I'd rather see wires going to the guide from the motor. I just think it's a more positive connection rather than relying on the pressure to make the connection.
Inside you can see the wires for the lights running. The front lights are nice and bright but the back lights really didn't seem all that bright. The bulbs may not have been seated fully in the holes in the body. One detail that does surprised me just a bit was that the take-down lights on the roof don't work. It might not be possible with the size of the housing for the lights on the roof...but it would be cool wouldn't it?
On track the car performed well and didn't have the heavy feel that I would have expected from a 1/24 car. The Lambo accelerated quickly and it was easily thrown around the corners. This would be an excellent car to buy for kids or as a complimentary car for an another exotic model slot car. You can have a real game of cops and robbers...and I have to say I haven't seen a kid yet that doesn't want to race a cop car around the track. In fact one of the neighbor kids has been after me for a while now to race this one.
Dave KennedySlot Car News
