It's almost surprising to think that there haven't been any modern models of the Ferrari F40 but we're about to be spoilt for choice. Fly have recently released the F40 in a number of liveries in both standard and 'Racing' spec and we have upcoming models from Slot.It too.

The car reviewed here is the Fly Racing F40, so let's see what it has to offer. 

Most slot car Ferraris are supplied as kits (something to do with licensing issues/costs) and this one is no exception. 

It's not too much work though. The body is pre-painted and complete except for grilles and rear light. The chassis need axles, bearings, gear, wheels and tyres fitted and it's ready to go. 

The body is quite thin and light but beautifully formed and finished. The moulding looks perfect, no sign of mould lines or blemishes of any kind. The elaborate ventwork is faithfully and cleanly reproduced and details like the side window surrounds and fuel fillers are very neatly done. The paint finish is flawless, a deep glossy red and the whole car just looks right.

The interior is a fairly plain vacuum formed piece, lightweight because this is the racing model. There is some moulded detail which could be picked out with paint if desired.

The main chassis has some serious-looking stiffening braces running along its length. The front axle height and travel can be adjusted with grub screws fitted above and below the axle. The (bright red!) guide has a large arc of travel and its mount looks quite sturdy.

The motor and real axle are housed in a separate motor mount. The motor is a long-can, rated at 22,000 rpm @ 14v. The motor clips in place and feels quite secure although there are holes to secure it to the mount with screws (not supplied). The bearings are a nice precise fit on the axle and the gear mesh is smooth and positive. A couple of drops of oil and it's ready to go.

The motor mount is attached to the chassis with a flexible mount at the front and a spring and screw arrangement at the rear. This provides an effective, adjustable suspension system. 

I was a little disappointed with the wheels. At first they appear to be alloy but they're not, they are plastic wheels on an alloy hub. The rear wheels and tyres also seem rather narrow.

The car is supplied without a magnet and the tyres are quite hard, so grip is very limited on my Scalextric Sport track! The car squirms and slides under anything but the gentlest acceleration - too much power and too little grip make the F40 a real handful on this track.

The F40 fares better on the larger routed track. It runs smoothly, quietly and most of all - quickly! The F40 feels fast and responsive though still a little twitchy. The suspension was initially set quite soft so I tightened the screws by a couple of turns and tried again. The firmer suspension seemed to suit the track and made a noticeable improvement. The tyres offer more grip on this surface but they're still not ideal.

But even with less than ideal tyres this is still a rapid model. Straight line speed is very good and braking is positive and predictable. Corners have to be handled with care but the car feels balanced and smooth - I think it just needs tyres which suit my track better.

Overall I like this car a lot! 

It looks fabulous (in my humble opinion!) beautifully detailed and finished. The chassis seems very capable and well designed. Tyres have been the limitation on my track but the car is still very fast and lots of fun to drive.

Got to be worth considering...