Eureka – 1st Review

This is a copy of my original review of the
AGM MASTECH Mini Deluxe Block Building N Slot car Race Set GD-12 at 1:87 Scale
posted on Amazon on November 11, 2023.

A Race Track AND Building Blocks!? Does it get any better than this?

(Original and additional pictures in the gallery below)

So, let me get this out of the way first – I LOVE slot cars! I have a huge collection of them in different scales, but this is quickly becoming my favorite set. Why? Well, at 1/87 scale, you can build a great track in a small amount of space. Add to that the ability to add anything that is Lego compatible and you open up a whole new realm of possibilities!

This started out as the basic GD-12 kit. When it arrived I was surprised to see just how nice the packaging is (good enough to keep the box) and even more surprised at the quality of the track system itself. The pieces are solidly built and are (2) standard plates thick. The track segments fit together well and make a good solid connection between rails, which is critical for problem free racing. The blank pieces are solid and flat, which is nice when you start building on them. One of the structure kits in the set two missing pieces, but AGM Mastech’s support was fantastic! Not only did they fix my problem right away, but they sent me a spare car body for my troubles! Totally exceeded my expectations.

The set also includes a variety of accessories as well as three different structure kits (Console Station, Car Store and Air Parking) that you can build and place wherever you want. I found them to be of good quality with consistent color although the fit was just a tad looser than I like. That normally isn’t an issue, but it means that you have to be very careful when assembling and placing the “air parking” structure, which is a “tensegrity” device. Basically, the platform “floats” in air on a chain system. It works great until it has any lateral stress OR a loose connection fails. Oops!

For my initial build and testing, I did everything “as-designed”. The cars performed much better than I expected for something that small. It didn’t take long to get the feel for sliding around a corner or using the “turbo” button. I found that I really like the adjustable speed limiter on the hand controllers. You can set it low for young children so they stay on the track, or turn it up high to practice your drifting. Either way, make sure that you use a USB power supply that outputs 1 Amp so that you have enough juice. Also, clean your rails and adjust your brushes before racing! That’s critical for any slot car track, including this one. It will eliminate >90% of your problems! I also played with the included app using an iPad. It worked exactly as advertised and adds a whole new dimension to racing – especially with mandatory pit stops!

Once I tested everything “as-designed”, I tore it all down and started building my “Race City”. This is where this set really gets fun! First, I used the blocks from the included kits as a base for for bigger and more elaborate structures (grandstand, car shop and heliport) and started scouring my home, Amazon, and the Internet for items to add to my city. At 1/87 scale, there is a lot more than you’d suspect. Part of that comes from HO train sets, which have been around forever. Terrain, buildings, vehicles, figures – they are all out there, BUT… this track system is Lego compatible! That means that if you can’t find a kit for something you want, just design and build it yourself from parts!!! As you can see from the pictures, I ultimately ended up doing both things. My structures and terrain are brick based, but vehicles are diecast. I’m calling it “mixed media”.

As I added more structures, I realized I needed more space and more track. This is where a modular system really shines. The manufacturer sells add-on straights, corners and blanks separately, so it was pretty easy to expand, although at my current size, adding just a few pieces of track mean that I need 3 or 4 times as many blanks. Oh, wait a minute! Lego compatible? Just order some 3rd party large baseplates. Problem solved!

Okay, as great as this system is, there are a few things I think could be improved for V2.0:

Make all of the sections 3 plates high and add Technic style connectors to the edges to help keep the plates connected.
Add additional track types; crossovers and overpasses. Slot car enthusiasts use both of those to create layouts with equal lane lengths.
For the Lego enthusiasts, add some roadway tiles so people can more easily build cities like mine. Also, offer larger blank bases to help create really large layouts.
Produce more accessory kits that can be purchased separately – guard rails, signage, car bodies, and most of all, figures! Lego style minifigs are way(!) too large for this scale, and regular HO train figures without bases don’t work well with bricks.

Summary

As I said at the start, this is quickly becoming my favorite slot car track. That is probably because it is WAY more than a “normal” track. I have probably worked on it a little every day since I bought it, and I am only at the end of “Phase 1” in my build. If you like slot cars, Legos or city building, try it out – I think you’ll like it!