Remember the Anki Overdrive, which let you race miniature cars that you can actually drive using a smartphone app? That was fun, which is why we were sad to see the company shut down back in 2019. The Carrera Hybrid looks to be picking up where the Overdrive left off, delivering a similar racing experience while putting a bit more control and realism into the mix.
To the unfamiliar, Carrera is German outfit that’s been making slot cars and tracks since the 1960s. They’re well known for having plenty of licensed vehicles in their lineup, which is what really makes this move into app-controlled racing slot cars pretty exciting for fans of automotive toys.
The Carrera Hybrid uses 1:50-scale cars (they measure roughly 3.7 inches in length each) that you can drive around a customizable track. Built-in Bluetooth allows you to pair the car with a smartphone app (iOS and Android), which turns the mobile device into a steering wheel that you can use to maneuver the vehicle around the track. Prefer a more traditional controller? That works, too – simply pair the app to your Bluetooth controller of choice to use that instead. It has built-in AI driving support that automatically compensates to keep you on the track at all times, although you can turn that off if you want full control, allowing you to drive off track to overtake other drivers if you want.
The vehicle doesn’t drive fast, by the way, since these little things running at slot car speeds will likely be impossible to control. Instead, it runs at a brisk but somewhat leisurely pace that allows drivers to really dig into maneuvering it around the track. It also simulates tire wear, as in the harder you drive into turns, the faster the tires wear out, although you can turn that off if you prefer a more arcade-like driving gameplay.
The Carrera Hybrid app doesn’t come with CPU drivers. That means, you either race with human opponents or you’re driving on the tracks alone. If you want to play single-player, though, the app offers a Career Mode that will have you beating lap times and driving across different track layouts. Still, this is a game best played with other people (it supports up to 16 cars at a time), especially if you want to experience exciting racing action. The car, by the way, comes with rechargeable batteries that are also swappable, allowing you to simply plug in a fresh one any time your car drains out.
As of now, the outfit seems to be selling a single set called the Highway Challenge, which comes with two 1:50-scale cars and a 20-foot track designed to be assembled into different layouts, so you can change up the races every time. The track is expandable, too, so you change it up even more with additional 9.8-inch wide panels. The set’s two cars are both Porsche 911 GT3 R models, one in black and one in red.
The Carrera Hybrid launches stateside with the Highway Challenge set on September 1st, priced at $199.99.