When I got back into slotcars nearly ten years ago, Fly were a little-known company producing a small range of cars. They were superb cars - beautifully decorated and with far better performance than the Scalextric cars of the day, they became instant favourites. For a few years I loved almost everything Fly made, but rising prices and varying quality restricted my enthusiasm. Then came the super BMW M1 and of course the Porsche 911S and 934, cars which I enjoy very much.

Now they've tempted me again, this time with the Porsche 935 K3...

The car is supplied in the usual neat Fly display box. First impressions are good, the car sits low, the paint looks nice and smooth and the tampo-printing is, as far as I can see, flawless. 

Unfortunately closer inspection reveals that the paintwork isn't as good as I first thought. The white paintwork is fine, smooth and blemish free, but some of the pink is a little scruffy, especially around the rear spoiler. The paint is solid and smooth, but the separation between colours is untidy, not the crisp lines you would hope for. It's not a big problem, but it is frustrating on what is a relatively expensive model.

The body itself is crisply moulded and has no visible moulding lines. The level of detail is very good, with bonnet louvres and the various open ducts, inlets and vents all cleanly defined. Detail parts like the wire mesh at the front, lights, door handles etc are neatly fitted and look really good. The mirrors are tiny and solidly mounted and the car has no aerials - often the first victims of 'racing incidents'!

A full-depth interior is fitted. It's typical of a racing Porsche - all black! The interior tub is quite a detailed moulding, even though some of it is hard to see. The dashboard instruments are tampo-printed and some of the switches and controls are painted silver. There's the usual fire extinguisher and a detailed roll cage. The driver figure is good and his racing harness is a separate part which attaches to the rear bulkhead - a nice detail.

The chassis, like the 911 and 934, has a rear-mounted sidewinder motor. As you can see from the photo I've added 10 grams of weight to the front of my car - it just pulls wheelies on my routed track without the extra weight! Even on a magnetic track you'll probably need some weight or a small magnet at the front to keep the nose down. Unlike the 911/934 there is no pocket for an extra magnet.

The chassis is very plain, no bracing! Unlike some recent Fly cars there is no underside detailing except the exhausts at the rear. Both axles are solid, the rear running in nylon bushes. The motor shaft has been trimmed so it can't touch the rear tyres, an occasional problem with sidewinders. Fly's standard bar magnet is fitted ahead of the rear axle. Three screws hold body and chassis together, two at the front and one at the rear.

When my car arrived the gear mesh felt rough as I turned the rear wheels by hand, so I took the body off for a quick check. I'm glad I did because the motor wires were not secured in their clips and one of the wires was catching on the spur gear!

Securing the wires in the clips showed up another problem. The interior tub has two tabs protruding beneath it, presumably to act as spacers and hold the chassis in place, preventing the rear wheels from rubbing on the arches. But one of these tabs rests squarely on the wires when the wires are secured! Oops! I just bent the tabs out of the way, and it doesn't seem to have caused any tyre rubbing issues.

I must admit I had a few worries when I first put this car on the track. The 911 and 934 both needed weight up front, but I wanted to at least try the 935 in 'out of the box' condition. I also had a few reservations about that un-braced chassis...

I put it on the track, fed in some power, and it lifted the front end and drove straight off the track! Tried again, another wheelie, another de-slot, gave up and put some weight in! At least the plain flat chassis makes it easy to add a couple of wheel balancing weights...

So now the car is 10 grams heavier, but what a difference that makes! The car hurls itself around my routed track with complete confidence. It accelerates and brakes very well and those large rear tyres generate plenty of grip, especially after being lightly sanded. The chassis didn't seem to cause any problems, the 935 ran smoothly without any hop and was consistent in the way it handled.

I've only tried the 935 briefly on Scalextric track but the result was the same - it's quick, quiet and smooth. The bar magnet makes sure the car has plenty of grip and it can be hammered round the corners. You could probably get away with a little less added weight, but I left it in mine because it will spend the majority of its time on the routed track.

OK, so the Fly 935K3 is not perfect. There aren't really any excuses for flawed paintwork as many other manufacturers prove. Fly are one of the more expensive brands which makes it even more disappointing. 

The issue with the motor wires is possibly a one-off, but I would suggest that you check your cars before running them, just in case.

But, admittedly with a little work, the 935 runs very well. I buy my cars to use and race, so I can live with the slightly flawed finish, and I don't mind doing a little work to get a car running well.

I'm really enjoying this car, but I honestly think that Fly need to start addressing their quality control, and soon.

PS: As a little extra, here's a video of the 935 doing a couple of laps

Bigger pics in the Gallery