Get ready for the ultimate Scalextric battle with the new Back to the Future vs Knight Rider Race Set. Buckle up as the iconic Michael Knight racing K.I.T.T., or imagine travelling in the Back to the Future Time Machine as Doc or Marty McFly. Combining retro Scalextric branding with the high detailed and functional film inspired vehicles, as well as everything you need to begin your Scalextric journey in one box...

Race the iconic '80s souped-up Delorean and Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

The latest Scalextric battle will delight fans of '80s pop culture. If you've ever dreamt of racing the iconic Delorean from Back to the Future or K.I.T.T., the souped-up Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, from Knight Rider then your fantasy is about to be realised.

Not only are the two cars highly detailed, to the point of almost being display models in their own right, but they also come with working lights. As well as the headlamps and tail lights, the Delorean comes with a working flux capacitor and K.I.T.T. comes complete with the iconic pulsing red strobe light.

The set includes 19 pieces (532cm / 17.5inch) of track which includes a side swipe and a cross over section of track. The side swipe track sees the track narrow, so if both cars are side by side then they bash against one another. Likewise the cross over track acts like a crossroads and means that the cars can smash into one another, sending them flying off the track. Now... the first few times the cars collide the sound made me wince. I was convinced that one or the other car would be terribly scratched or the lights would get damaged... but of course Scalextric has carefully designed them to be resilient enough that a few bangs and scrapes won't cause any damage.

Make sure you keep below 88Mph

Back when I was a youngster, Scalextric was the main slot car set for collectors, and still is but, and for me it was a big "but", back then the tracks seem to take an age to construct and the cars flew off the track constantly. But that was part of the fun and skill. You had to master your racing skills, working out how fast to take bends so that your car would stay on the track.

Scalextric's patented magnatraction system helps the cars to stay on the track, with powerful magnets in the chassis helping to provide extra traction and downforce, reducing the amount of skidding and crashing. Depending on your point of view this is either a curse or a blessing. Personally I loved the opportunity to be able to pick up and play from the start and not worry too much about having to pick the car up and put it back on the track every two minutes.

You have the choice of sitting on your own marvelling at the way the cars look as they zoom around the track without fear of smashing them into one another... Or you can race and sneakily attack your opponent. Using the two straight track side swipe you can either try to knock your opponent off the track, or time it to ensure you avoid a side-on collision. Or if you're lagging behind you can try and time it so that you meet at the dual lane crossover, sending your competitor flying.

Slot car racing is as entertaining as it's ever been

We've had this set up in the office for a little while and it's amazing how great it is for team bonding and to help everyone get motivated to carry on with other jobs. The old "Just one more go!", really comes into play here too.

This would have scored a perfect 10, but £160 just felt a little too expensive when the country is in a recession. Then again, you do have to factor in the cost of using franchise vehicles and the fact that it's insanely detailed. This is more a collector's item than it is a toy for the kids. But then again, the Delorean car was released a while ago with an RRP of £50 (see our previous review here) so if you factor this in the set seems a little more reasonable.

A beautifully detailed set that will have you living your dream whilst bringing back waves of nostalgia.

9

Nick Smithson