[moped rider]

Sportswold and internet racing has been delayed until 2005. It has occurred to me that Hornby have deliberately held back the launch of Sportsworld because they want to incorporate a number of new products yet to be announced into the Sportsworld software and this is the reason for the delay, not anything technical.

It all makes a lot of sense to do this as otherwise Hornby would be releasing an update almost as soon as the product is launched and a 2 stage launch would increase development costs.

Given that Hornby have a few cards up their sleeve for 2005 and we are almost into the last quarter of 2004 the time is right to offer up a few predictions Nostradamous style for 2005. They are not just Hornby related but cover the whole spectrum of slot car racing.

So here are my 10 predictions:-

1) A digital slot car circuit will appear at a club in the UK for the first time as a permanent feature for club members.

2) 2005 will be the year of the pitstop with every manufacturer offering up a version in one form or another.

3) The project of a major manufacturer will be delayed until 2006.

4) At least one Slotforum member who is currently a digital sceptic will become a digital convert.

5) The member for Wrexham SCC who recently passed his driving test will introduce a female friend to the other members of Wrexham SCC.

6) 2005 will be the year of the classic rally car.

7) Sales of performance spares will increase sharply as more slot car enthusiasts than ever "prepare" their cars.

8) Ford fans will be happy.

9) NASCAR fans will be happy.

10) There will be more slot car scenic accessories than ever before to enhance the appearance of your circuits.

I'll tick these off as they happen and I expect to score 10/10 by the end of 2005!

Note these are predictions and not requests.

Feel free to add your own lists of predictions.

Moped

 

[LMP]

QUOTE 1) A digital slot car circuit will appear at a club in the UK for the first time as a permanent feature for club members.

Certainly agree. And I bet it'll be DAVIC for the 'one system fits all' function.

QUOTE 2) 2005 will be the year of the pitstop with every manufacturer offering up a version in one form or another.

That'd be cool. I certainly hope so. For Analogue aswel..

QUOTE 3) The project of a major manufacturer will be delayed until 2006.

A bit vague? However I agree.

QUOTE 4) At least one Slotforum member who is currently a digital sceptic will become a digital convert.

Agree. But what'll they chose?

QUOTE 5) The member for Wrexham SCC who recently passed his driving test will introduce a female friend to the other members of Wrexham SCC.

You talkin about Inte? Probably done it allready

QUOTE 6) 2005 will be the year of the classic rally car.

Whats the car of this year been? I doubt you'll be able to proove that one mate.

QUOTE 7) Sales of performance spares will increase sharply as more slot car enthusiasts than ever "prepare" their cars.

Sharply? Same as usual I'd say.

QUOTE 8) Ford fans will be happy.

Why shouldn't they be now? Its not like theres a lack of them.

QUOTE 9) NASCAR fans will be happy.

Thanks for confirming Scaley are releasing some NASCARS

QUOTE 10) There will be more slot car scenic accessories than ever before to enhance the appearance of your circuits.

Of course there will. Just 1 more accessory will mean there will be more than ever before. Its like saying that everyone on SlotForum will be older than ever before.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd like to add a prediction:

I think scaley will make a car that'll run well without mags. I reckon it'll cost £35-£40 and be part of a special 'racing' series similar to the fly racers or the old protecs.

 

[James - Junior Racer]

As a spokes person of Inte'

QUOTE 4) At least one Slotforum member who is currently a digital sceptic will become a digital convert.
"It damn well wont be me."

QUOTE 5) The member for Wrexham SCC who recently passed his driving test will introduce a female friend to the other members of Wrexham SCC.
"I ain't getting married this soon! - and no lmp04 I am not a slut"

QUOTE 8) Ford fans will be happy.
"What will please ford fans apart from them releasing a RS Fiesta and Cosworth Focus"

Think thats all he was going on about...

 

[Wankel Ickx]

QUOTE It has occurred to me that Hornby have deliberately held back the launch of Sportsworld because they want to incorporate a number of new products yet to be announced into the Sportsworld software and this is the reason for the delay, not anything technical.

Or, they're so busy wiping the MotoGP stabiliser egg off of their faces that they don't want to shoot themselves in the foot twice!

Ford and classic rally cars. See, I told you, Escort MK1.

 

[pupkick]

... and Ninco's digital system will amaze us all!!

*runs*

 

[moped rider]

....and by the time that is launched in 2006 the digital hype will be all over according to the doomsayers here.

And everybody else will have had an 18 month lead to develope the systems still further.

According to Bob Learmouth of Westwood Models the best thing that Ninco could do is contact Hornby and obtain a licence for the technology. This would at least give us customers 2 systems with a degree of compatibility and enable Hornby chipped cars to run on Ninco digital track and vice versa. And this might get Ninco up and running in 2005.

With the patents that Hornby and its developement partners have and the technology used it is going to be very difficult for Ninco to come up with a sytem that offers the same flexibility offered by Hornby Digital.

Moped

 

[Tropi]

It's actually much easier, quicker and cheaper to develop a better product when you don't have to start from the bottom.
Having said that, I am sure 2006 will have seen the digital bubble burst.

 

[Swissracer]

QUOTE It has occurred to me that Hornby have deliberately held back the launch of Sportsworld because they want to incorporate a number of new products yet to be announced into the Sportsworld software and this is the reason for the delay, not anything technical.

Possibly but then how do you reconcile that with the news earlier in the week that many more Scaley releases have been delayed (see NEWS)

More than just a simple decision to withhold for a timing issue me thinks. The plot thickens!!! ..

Sell yer shares now Moped! the world is about to end!!!!!!!

 

[astro]

delayed because they are releasing new products? that is rubbish, scalextric are CONSTANTLY releasing new poducts, if that was the case they would never release it!

I think delaying it is a great idea, it seemed very wierd and probably confusing to the general public to have new systems (digital and sport) released at the same time. Dunno if thats the reason, but it SHOULD have been the reason!

 

[lobsterboy]

MY 3 PREDICTIONS TILL THE END OF THE YEAR!!!

1) Moped will not stop starting silly threads.

2) Scalex digital will be late.

3) The British G.P. will be back on next years calender.

 

[McLaren]

I agree absolutely

Got some of my own, all before the end of 2004

1) M. Scumacher will not win another race this year

(Get ready to be proven wrong)

2) We will see neither of the two next Slot.It cars this year

3) Rob/Inte/Baz will return to SF and get banned again

4) I'll have been disqualified from a meeting at Eastcote for the first time

5) I'll consequently miss out on the club championship by the exact number of points that I lost

6) We won't see another Fly Racer for another couple of months

And finally...

7) Digital and Sport World will be a big disappointment to all of those who don't own shares in Hornby

McLaren

PS. Actually, they are all pretty much certainties...

 

[Slot.it]

What do I win if I'll proof you wrong on point 2? I have first hand information, you know (but sometimes even MY information is wrong!)

BTW - new liveries do not count, OK?

Ciao
Maurizio

 

[tDI_Fahrer]

QUOTE (Slot.it @ 1 Oct 2004, 08:58)What do I win if I'll proof you wrong on point 2? I have first hand information, you know (but sometimes even MY information is wrong!)

BTW - new liveries do not count, OK?

Ciao
Maurizio
I like the sound of that!!!

 

[McLaren]

Maurizio... new liveries do not count, but you will win the contents of my bank account if we can get our hands on a Sauber by the end of the year...

McLaren

 

[Slot City]

I just wanted to post a quick correction to one of Mopeds posts.

I think the quote he attributed to Bob was actually mine (I don't know who Bob is, answers on a postcard....), and to clarify it a bit:

From a customer and retailer point of view, the less digital systems the better. I'm sure we would all like to see one good and fully compatible system, rather than lots of incomplete and incompatible systems for obvious reasons.

However, this doesn't make as much sense for the manufacturers and I can understand their reasons for not wanting to go down this route. I appreciate that model railways have full compatibility between brands, but the slot car market is vastly different.

Whilst we are in the dark the same as everyone regarding the Ninco digital system, I am confident that we will see it in 2005. Probably with a working version at the toy fairs in the New Year. Ninco don't normally announce any products until they are close to being able to release them, why should this be any different?

Jon.

 

[Race-Jan]

QUOTE (tDI_Fahrer @ 1 Oct 2004, 09:07)QUOTE (Slot.it @ 1 Oct 2004, 08:58) What do I win if I'll proof you wrong on point 2? I have first hand information, you know (but sometimes even MY information is wrong!)

BTW - new liveries do not count, OK?

Ciao
Maurizio
I like the sound of that!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>


So do I.......

That NewMan Porsche is Sooooooo Sweet !!!!! (got mine yesterday... yup, sunday

)

Looking forward to both the Sauber and the Nissan....

 

[Big Al]

Hey Maurizio

seeing you're doing the "80's" thing, and pretty damn well I might add, how long do I have to wait to get a real version of this???

Regards

Big Al
South African Slot Car Portal