This discussion received over 27,000 Views, with almost 700 Replies. A few of them are below. Posts have been edited for brevity... such as it is. A brief discussion of physics is on the next page. The BRRC™ involvement is on page 4.

wheelycool  RLC™# 35789

I would try some of the FTE cars first off. Some of the Co-Mold wheels are slick too.

Good luck and please let us know the outcome.

skaforhire  HWC™# 500783

Our track is about 40 ft, and a similar incline with about 20 feet of straightaway.

FTE wheels are hit-and-miss. This last race, some friends and I each had a new Buick Grand National FTE in our complement, and mine was totally wasted by a beat-up car 15 years old, whereas one of my friends' was only bested by a really fast 2007 Dodge Charger from the Heat Fleet pack. So that shows how different same-model cars can be.

dooleybois  RLC™# 2177

Geeze, no one has beaten that thing yet, Jim? I guess there is no justice in the world... LOL.

VENI, VEDI, EMI VEHICULUM MINIMUS

Leprechaun17  RLC™# 35218

Jim, I can't believe no one has knocked off that MB Datsun yet! It seems like it has been on the top of the "Win" category forever. Someone needs to bring in a "ringer" to take it down. I wish I had a car I could send you but I've never really tested any of mine to see how quick they are. Might need to get some track and try it out.

Good luck with your races and let us know when this car gets beat.

davidm94585  RLC™# 14910

What about those race ace cars from Target?

jimbo32  RLC™# 47106

Sorry, but they are JUNK!

Hey Jim, has anybody raced the new '65 Fastback yet? Just wondering if the fastback rolls decent down your track. The axle seems a little sloppy to me to be a real good racer.

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

Been there, done that. The Fastback is not fast on our track. The Ace Racers series Subaru is pretty good.

csun2  HWC™# 16920

A big steel ball bearing with a hot wheels logo painted on the side will beat it.

redlinehawk  HWC™# 189585

yep ... the Larry Wood Special.

Legend has it Larry crushed all the other Mattel designers' cars with it.

jimbo32  RLC™# 47106

See the problem is all the cars you guys are listing have been raced, maybe twice. The Datsun is a one-in-a-million Matchbox car and what is needed to beat it is a one-in-a-million Hot Wheels car. I have sent one or two dozen cars that are fast on my track, just not fast enough to beat the Datsun. In my opinion, the car to beat it will be a funny car— good weight, good balance, and (very important) good width. The best car out there is probably stuck in a blister in someone's basement.

redlinehawk  HWC™# 189585

I recall when those MB Superfast cars came out in 1986-87, they advertised 'em as being "faster than any other manufacturer". Even then, you couldn't say it if it weren't true. So this may not be a one-car fluke. Have you tried other MB Superfast cars of that era?

It may be tough to find a HW's car to beat it. It may just take a "one in a million" car to do it. So, how about it HW's? You're supposed to be all about speed. Can you take up the challenge and make the "fastest" production diecast car?

kingcuda  RLC™# 979

Hi Jim - I'll weigh in on this little.

I do not have a track as long as yours, mine is only 30ft from start to finish (don't have room for 50ft inside). Starting gate is 4ft off the ground with an appx 20-30 degree angle before hitting the flat straight which is 18ft to the finish line. I do a lot of racing and find that not all cars of the same make/model, always run the same when raced against each other, which I guess is why you would need someone to send you their fastest car.

What I have found, is that I have 3 cars (98FE Mercedez SLK yellow 5 dot, mainline Ferrari F512M red 5sp, and mainline Ferrari F-40 black 5sp) that will consistently beat every FunnyCar I have (I have tried 20 different F/C's), and all cars are straight off the cards. All three will beat the F/C's by 1 to 2 car lengths every time, holding this advantage with no gain by the F/C over the distance of the track. I also have a Honda Spocket that is almost as fast as the other 3 and will beat the F/C's 2 out of 3 times. For a very light car, this one is quick. I have tested over 100 different cars against the F/C's, others are close and win once in a while, but not consistently like the other 3.

I may have to do a 50ft setup outside and retry the races to see what happens, but with my 30ft setup the three I mentioned can't be beat. If I get the same results on a 50ft setup, i'd be happy to send you the cars I have that will beat the FunnyCars to test on your track.

GezaSz  HWC™# 391374

Has anyone bothered to look under the hood of this killer car? There might be a 9 volt battery under the hood.

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

You guys are all great! The Huffman is a good short track car but does nothing on the long track. We're racing Tuesday night and I'll let you guys know what's up with the Datsun Challenge. Thanks for all the great tips. We'll try many of them again until we take this car down.

HATCHIT  HWC™# 472629

Does anybody take the side of my Datsun? I must thank the Lincoln Jonny Lightning club— that's where the Datsun first raced. Since then it's taken on all racers so if you've got a fast car, send it to RI! And Jim, I will see you Tuesday night— the Datsun is ready!

KE1067  RLC™# 48532

OK, let's cut the BS, I found it... finally... if you already raced against it let me know. It is a Yellow MetalM 1995 7sp Ferrari 355, and it was the fastest we had a few years back. My Heavy Chevys look like they stand still when racing against it. "All original."

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

I'm ready, lets race! Ferrari is my favorite car and casting, and I have some fast ones. Tuesday night I'll be using 3 different Ferraris and I'll use yours if I can dig one out. This car is fast and we need to beat it.

jimbo32  RLC™# 47106

To say any '95 Ferrari will do the job is just wrong.

KE1067 you need to send your car to race! Don't worry, the RI club has a great group of guys that will send your car back right away! I'll buy three to four of the same car to race and MAYBE one of them is fast. You need to find the car that has the best wheel-axle combo. I had a caddy with FTE on it and all it would do is fly off the track! Front wheel had a slight wobble! Like I said earlier about funny cars, not all are fast but one or two will be the fastest out of the bunch, and maybe faster than anything else. As far as Noodleheads, the car is so old that finding a fast one (a really fast one) is going to get harder as the years go on. Bottom line: if someone out there has a fast car, send it to RI. The Datsun needs to be shut down!

jcorwin  RLC™# 42648

I ran about twenty different cars on my track this afternoon. No matter what I put against the Lucky Charms Drag Bus or the Vintage S'cool Bus, I could not beat them. Even when the two raced each other it was a dead heat. The Drag Bus may be a little faster because of its weight, but both are extremely fast.

benjamin  HWC™# 11906

Several years ago, I got the Highway 35 cars and the Ultimate Track with loops and boosters for my nephew. His dad's not really into Hot Wheels, but loves math and said he calculated the HWY 35 Vulture going like 300 scale mph. I went over and was watching and though I don't know the accuracy of what he's saying mathwise, it was clearly the fastest vehicle of all of them by a long shot. Don't have one to give you, and don't know if there would be a difference with loops and boosters than straight downhill racing, but if you have one or know someone that does... might be worth a shot.

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

We've tried many of your suggestions and if there is a car out there that can last the 50 feet, we might have a winner. Stay tuned; we'll be racing tommorow night and I'll post the results and the link for all of you to see what happened. Thanks for all the great suggestions, and send your cars! If we start the new year with a winner, we will send you the trophy gladly.

Tinkrsup  RLC™# 45196

I have an original yellow redline Don Prudhomme Snake that rolls dang straight on 3 wheels (barely 4)... less friction, and it rolls forever so the straightaway would be no problem. And it is a heavier car... What do you think?

seemoores2000  HWC™# 495956

WOW! Just found this post. Really cool idea. I look forward to how this race turns out. Is there any way you can do some video of just how fast this Datsun is? I had a Matchbox F40 with the same wheels and it was scary fast. Keep up the racing!

FreaknLunatic  RLC™# 46687

I really don't understand this. I consider myself a pro die-cast racer. I have bought everything under the moon twice and sometimes 3 times, fresh out of the blister, and the Laser Wheels don't get in my top 50. I have well over 5000 opened and raced and know my top 2 would both beat it— they are Hot Wheels. My #3 is a Matchbox and would probably beat it. I would hate to send my boys up there. (You gotta understand, I have spent so much money to find the fastest cars that to get them lost in the mail or damaged... uhh.) Wish I lived closer. If this Datsun doesn't get knocked off soon, I will have to send one just to confirm that I have the fastest diecast known.

nspo  RLC™# 18673

Just an aside that hasn't been mentioned... there are so many micro-variables that can affect a car's performance (how oily was the worker's hand who pressed the axles in, how strong was the electric charge during the paint coat, how humid was the day it got sealed in the blister) that you really do have to send the actual car, rather than say "the X casting in the Whatever series is really fast." You could find two of the exact same car, one behind the other on the pegs, rip 'em both open, race 'em, and one will win.

highway star  RLC™# 1654

This is funny that the Datsun wins every time! Yes the old Matchbox Laser wheels were fast...

Have you tried something from the Ultra Hots era? I can remember the Silver Bullet was fast, and this Ferrari 308 GTB Quik Trik in spfl blue or magenta. Some years later I got the Ultra Hots Street Scorcher (later name of Spoiler Sport). Have not tested it but this one runs extremely fast and straight. But only the early Ultra Hots were that fast, later ones had thicker axles or unplated axles and were slower. The Silver Bullet is only fast if it is bare zamac, not if it is silver painted.

HWRick0355  HWC™# 9268

Some cars are just fast and there are a select few that are very very fast. I have seen Huffmans, blister fresh, not make it 10 ft, and I have seen others spank redlines...

The fastest car we have had at any of our club (ECHWC) shows is a Frontrunnin' Fairmont with Hot Ones. The hard part would be getting Marcus to let it out of his sight to go to RI...

chev70  HWC™# 422207

WOW to think all this started cause of a short track race! I have had some close encounters with this DATSUN! It needs to go down! This is what this hobby is all about, not money or HUNTS... Unless the Hunts could be the fastest to take out a DATSUN! Got to go open some to try...

HATCHIT  HWC™# 472629

We have you guys at the Lincoln Johnny Lightning club to thank— since that Datsun won at your race day, nothing can keep up with it! Almost a year, right? See what you guys done? But I can handle it. I think I have one fan out there! Hope to see you back at the next meeting. Bring some race cars!!!

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

Couldn't agree more, chev70, made hundreds of friends through racing and it just keeps getting better and better.

segwaycrazy  RLC™# 49699

For Christmas I got a sweet Redline Ferrari 312P. This thing rolls like a dream. It rolls faster than any of my other cars. But I dont think I have the heart to send it.

filthybeatle  RLC™# 44807

OK, so I do not open Hot Wheels, but in my opinion the heavier the cars, the faster they will go. I have seen cars racing down tracks which were at least 30 feet and you can not tell me that a VW Drag Bus would not kill anything out there, any funny car or even certain Dairy Deliveries. Science and/or physics and certain metals in the car, Faster Than Evers or not, weight is all that matters.

nspo  RLC™# 18673

I have a Drag Bus, and a huge pile of cars that'll beat it. Weight is not the only variable. Often, extra weight on the wheels means more friction on the axles, slowing the thing down.

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

Let's not talk about it, send the cars and let's race. This is fifty feet of speed, and your car must pull a 3.8 or under to go against the Datsun. Best out of 3 takes home a cash prize and other great stuff. Good luck!

lucifur666  HWC™# 283425

My daughter has had great success and won at our monthly club meetings a couple of times w/ the #35 Ferrari Testarossa (black w/ gold lace wheels) and the #69 Ferrari F40 (red w/ gold lace wheels). Both of these are also quick w/ the Ultra Hots wheels too. The only thing close to beating her either time was the FTE 69 GTO.

seemoores2000  HWC™# 495956

Hey Jim, have ya tried the Mach 5 from the Speed Racer series? I had a little race with my nephews. They threw over 80 different cars against the Mach 5— it crushed them all. Of course our track is not 50ft. However, it did pretty well for itself considering the body is plastic but the base is all metal. Let me know what ya think.

nspo  RLC™# 18673

Not just any old Mach 5... My son & I did some track testing with well over 100 cars... the Mach 5 WAS really fast, but probably only cracked the top 10 out of our lot.

I don't get why people think that every individual unit/piece of a given model is exactly alike, especially when you're dealing with micrometers, and hundredths of a second.

Find another Laser-Wheels Datsun to put up against it & see what happens...

HATCHIT  HWC™# 472629

The Datsun is one of a kind. We raced 7 or 8 Datsuns, none of them can touch it. And Jim wants the Datsun to go down BAD!

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

THE CARS ARE COMING IN FOR THE BIG RACE ON TUESDAY NIGHT. Jimbo32 from Michigan sent us a HWC Batmobile that beat a FTE Batmobile last Sunday at a Connecticut club meet. We also got a Summer Smash '65 Nova from a friend in Canada who says he's raced it there and it's done quite well. We'll see how it handles the fifty feet of speed.

jimbo32  RLC™# 47106

I'm famous (LOL) Just kidding!

That Batmobile runs pretty good on my forty foot of track but it could stand to be just a little bit wider of a car. So far it is the fastest car I have! Will it beat the Datsun? We can only hope!

PS. I have been buying Noodleheads to try and find a fast one with no luck yet. I've got another one on the way for some more testing. One of these days i'll find the fastest Hot Wheels out there... one of these days...

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

You ARE famous in Rhode Island; you've sent some fast cars to race and compete and you have even come close. The 427 Cobra from the Since '68 series has proven to be a contender and if this HWC Batmobile proves to be a tad faster, you may have a shot. I'll let you know after the Tuesday meeting. Good luck.

nspo  RLC™# 18673

Was amused to see the HWC Bat up above... I just Priority mailed a box of 4 (Thurs morn). In it is a plain old 5sp Bat. Oddly, that car consistently beat everything else we tried (about half of my son's 300-car collection). My squeaky wiggly HWC Batmobile was slower than half the mainlines, and stopped sooner.

Just proof that 2 copies of the exact same model can give very different results.

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

This Dinoco Lightning McQueen from the Cars set was sent to us from a little boy in Montana. And if little Bobby wins, I just may send him the entire track!

Gary from Tipp City, Ohio, sent 19 contenders. Good luck, Gary. We will return your cars to you after the race.

HATCHIT  HWC™# 472629

Great to see all the cars coming in! Good luck to all of you. And yes, Jimbo, you are getting famous here in RI. Maybe this time Jim will be sending a trophy back with your cars! Looks like we got some fast cars this month. We will race them and record their times so Jim can post them. I would love to have a video of RI racing on the 50 foot speedway! (Something to think about, Jim.)

meister-klepka  RLC™# 15213

We race a 44-foot track (5.5-foot drop, about a 25 foot straight) using an old school redline starter and finish flag. We use a couple of one-piece track rolls I got off this site a few years back.

I'm sad to report that an early champ was a Matchbox, but it has since been defeated by a Johnny Lightning '59 El Camino (on Racers Edge wheels, with the raised rim on the tire). A couple JL's have come close (Torino, GTO - both with the same tire style), but a HW has never taken the title. Not for lack of trying. I've been trying to unseat my buddy's JLs for a while now, using any HW I can get my hands on.

yankeexpress  RLC™# 429

Jim - it's great that a Matchbox is giving HWs fits on the track! I've been racing MBs, HWs and JLs since I was a kid - I'm 50 now.

Recently I've been building my sons Pinewood Derby cars for Cub Scouts and I learned a few things... weight and weight PLACEMENT is very important... as far aft and high as possible gives the weight a longer time on the incline part of the track to push the car farther, faster. Only dry lubricant [graphite] is allowed. We won 3 years ago on our 1st try against 31 opponents including a Dartmouth Physics professor who was 3rd. We haven't been better than 6th since.

My all-time track champ is an old Redline Paddy Wagon from my childhood. But I race on shorter tracks than yours, like most others posting here. Seems like the length of your track is what is giving the Datsun the win, probably due to fast Laser wheels with less friction.

As to the guys with cars like the Ferrari 355 and Huffmans; I have learned they are heavy but handicapped by small wheels and a nose that rubs the curbs too easily. Heavy with large diameter smooth wheels and no body parts to rub are the ticket. I'm surprised the RL Noodleheads aren't dominating, for all the above reasons.

ltfalcon  HWC™# 42040

Jim, the Datsun could be a freak.

The Datsun wheel width outside to outside fits the track perfectly. What does this mean?

This keeps the car from slamming back and forth from side wall to side wall as the car travels down the track which slows the cars down. The other advantage is the Datsun has wheels that are wider than the car body. The cars bodies that are wider than the wheels would have additional surface contact with the side walls which means more friction.

The perfect car would be heavy with the wheels wider than the car body and the wheel width as close the the wall to wall dimention as possible, which sounds like your Datsun.

HWC ChrisB  RLC™# 39992

This is not good. We need a Hot Wheels on top. Our designers are working hard on beating this Matchbox car.

HATCHIT  HWC™# 472629

Wow, no love for the Datsun-- now Mattel wants a shot at the Matchbox! SUMMER SMASH is going to be fun!

seemoores2000  HWC™# 495956

Hey Jim, did ya ever imagine that Datsun would have over 10,000 views on it so far? I mean, this is by far my favorite page. I believe that Datsun has driven more miles then a real 1:1 scale Datsun will ever drive. Part of me wants to see the Datsun taken down, but at the same time I want it to race until— like others have said— Race Until the Wheels Fall Off!

jim lombari  RLC™# 2594

The refreshing thing about this thread is it lets people know the hobby is for fun. Not Walmart complaints and Treasure Hunt trauma. It's been a real pleasure being a part of a club and a community of people who enjoy good times with their family, racing cars and making new friends along the way. We love Hot Wheels and racing is just one way to enjoy the hobby.