What are your feelings on R1/Tight bends?

Scalextric plexy track was originally designed for slot cars which were a lot slower than today & mostly a lot smaller.
Unfortunately the radii of curves hasn`t really changed since then.
When the wider F1 cars & faster can motors were introduced during the 70s the limitations of the track became more apparant.
Dunbee-Combex -Marx seriously considered changing the track in the late 1970s. However,serious financial difficulties stopped any development.
Meccano France who also realised the limitations to the old plexy track did scrap the Scalextric Classic track system in 1979 & brought out the larger & wider Circuit S system.
A lot of collectors & racers during that period would have liked to have seen the Scalextric track change.

I still think it would be a very good idea for those who enjoy modern slot cars if Scalextric had slightly widened the gap between lanes & changed the radii of their curves.
Cheers,
Kev

A 1964 BRM next to a 1980 Ligier.Even on a vintage Scalextric layout such as mine cars like the Ligier can struggle on r2 bends.

Here`s the only radius 2 curve on my layout. Everything else is R3 & R4.
Cheers,
Kev.

Two BRMs . Scalextric track was designed for cars like these. Ample room for them.



Two 1970s Scalextric F1 cars on the same curve. Not much room even on R2.



Same R2 curve again. You can see the tightness of the bend. Personally I wouldn`t go below R2.



Sweeping R3 curve. Better for the 70s F1 cars. But note the lack of space between cars. This is why I made the point earlier that the track could have benefited from a redesign many years ago.