FLY/ SLOT WINGS; Renault 5 Gen2 GT turbo

Even though I know I need to start reducing the number of untouched “cold” cars in my collection as I move toward closing chapters of my life, I ended up buying yet another RTR.

This time, it was the long-awaited FLY Renault 5 Gen2 GT Turbo.

That said, I had zero interest in the initial release—the ones with the V1 chassis. The rear tab alignment was off, and combined with oversized tires and an oddly slammed ride height, the proportions looked completely wrong. It just wasn’t something I could bring myself to buy. On top of that, the livery wasn’t compelling enough to make me want to jump on it.

Later, the design was updated to a V2 chassis, where the rear tabs were raised slightly and the rear ride height improved a little. Around the same time, more appealing liveries started to show up. That’s when I finally picked up these two.

If I remember right, the original road car came with 195/55R13s. I had the chance to drive one briefly back when they were new, and I remember how those low-profile, small-diameter tires gave the car a crisp, quick handling feel.

As for FLY’s too-thick tires—well, I can just sand them down myself. But going too far with that ends up making the rear spur gear scrape the track. So in the end, there’s only so far I can go in the pursuit of realism.

Then again, I came to terms with this odd hobby a long time ago—20 years ago, to be exact. Slot cars demand a strange kind of compromise. Sure, there are a few cars that get everything just right. But if I stick to only those, it doesn’t take long before things start to feel dull. Even the ones that fall a bit short—in looks or handling—end up just as close to my heart.

After all, that’s how real cars are too. Different brands, different models—each one has its own character. And character, to me, is simply the interplay between styling and performance.

Trying to recreate those differences in miniature—that’s where the joy lies for me.

It’s also why I’ve never had the slightest interest in the standardized metal chassis of 1/24 slot cars. I only care for 1/32 cars with their plastic chassis, each one uniquely engineered and wildly inconsistent from brand to brand. That lack of standardization—that one chaotic point—is exactly what makes them feel like real cars to me.