This latest release from Scalextric almost came as a surprise - the photos in this years catalogue were of 'road' Vipers in plain black or red.

So the arrival of these race-bred monsters caused quite a stir. 

But are they any good?

First impressions are good, Scalextric usually does a good job of presentation, especially with the 'Sport' versions.

Inside the box you get the usual 'potted history' in the box lid, the car itself and a transparent plastic cover, spare braids and a card with the model details and number. 

When talking about the car's looks the kindest description I can think of is 'brutal-looking' or 'brutish'. Pretty it ain't. But whatever your opinion, there's no denying the quality of finish on this model. The metallic blue paint is superb, and the tampo-printing is pin sharp and solid, all topped of with a nice glossy clear coat - it really doesn't get much better than this. Quality.

Fit and finish of the body is very good too, no unfinished mould lines or poorly fitting parts, and crisply formed open vents on the nose, sides and tail.

Everything is put together smoothly and cleanly, windscreens, lights and detail parts, and it makes a noticeable difference.  

The interior is fairly dark but there's a lot of detail in there too. The driver figure looks pretty good, if a bit plain, but at least his seatbelts and helmet are painted. He's surrounded by a nicely detailed dashboard and a big chunky roll bar, and instead of a plain rear shelf there's more roll cage and fuel tank detail.

The body is secured with 6 screws, the two shorter ones attach in the centre to the interior tub, and aren't vital.

The motor is mounted inline at the front, driving the rear axle via a short prop shaft (9/27 gearing). The red nylon bearing was a snug fit in it's mounting but I secured it with a drop of superglue just to be safe. The painted metal axle bearings were also glued in place, as was the motor.

Good fit and finish are again evident here. Everything is fitted neatly and securely, and the parts I glued in were treated for peace of mind rather than necessity.

A large bar magnet sits in front of the rear axle, and an alternative position is provided just behind the motor.

Front and rear lights are fitted though they are not the permanent type.

OK, so it's nicely finished if not exactly pretty, but what's it like on the track?

Pretty good really, is the honest answer.

Out of the box it's the usual Scalextric performance - quiet, rapid if not blindingly quick, and predictable.

Acceleration is brisk, and the car seems to brake sharply. It's nice and stable and handles well despite it's long wheelbase.

With the magnet removed the car struggles for traction, but is still driveable. The rear doesn't hop or bounce, so I think it's safe to assume the wheels are round and the axle is straight. The guide stayed firmly in the slot despite the tail sliding, so I think there is scope for tuning the car to run without magnets. 

With the magnet back in I ran some laps against it's handsome cousin - the new Fly Viper. I expected the Fly to wipe the floor with it, because of it's more powerful 'racing' motor. 

But the Scalextric car did not disgrace itself - only 0.3 seconds behind the Fly car's best lap on my 18m sport track. Although the Fly definitely had the advantage on the straights, the Scalextric Viper seemed more stable through the corners. A good first impression.

Further 'testing', this time with the tyres trued and the motor more run in, and the gap has closed to one or two tenths. Personally I find I'm more consistent with this car as it's a bit more forgiving. I love my Fly Viper, but it is more of a handful to drive and the standard tyres really need to be kept clean.

I'm glad I bought this car.

It's superbly finished, nice to drive with or without the magnet, turns in some decent lap times straight out of the box, and the looks are, um, growing on me!

Nice one, Scalextric!