Hpi Rush Evo

This is my nitro truck, for general bashing about in car parks you cant beat fuel. The HPI Rush Evo is a 2wd stadium truck, which is powered by a .15 glow motor. It is supplied as a ready to run car, fully assembled with radio gear installed. All the new owner needs to do is supply fuel, glow starter and some batteries. The kit retails for £199 and I think represents pretty good value. The full HPI range is sold through Halfords, gadget shops and of course Hobby shops. You should be able to knock some money off!

Engine

The model is supplied with a HPI t-15 motor. This is a 2.5cc, 1.2hp unit which is quite simple to start, tune and maintain. Mine is a pull start (standard in the UK) which has proved good. The electric start is just one more thing to charge! I have had no real problems so far with mine, and from the research I did before buying, it seems quite robust. HPI supply rebuild kits for these motors as well - with a new piston and liner the motor is pretty much good as new, making them good value. As long as you understand how to tune the motor so it doesnt get too hot and use after run oil you should get plenty of hassle free running. It can be upgraded with a good range of other motors - OS's 18 motor seems popular, as it pretty much doubles the power! The downside is motors are expensive in the UK, leading many to order for the US.

Drivetrain

The Rush Evo has a centrifugal clutch through which it drives a pinion and spur gear combo. The ratio can be adjusted by buying new clutch bells as the pinion is part of the casting. Behing the spur gear isa slipper clutch whicgh prevents impacts from causing damage to the gears. Finally, a geared differential dishes out the power to the rear wheels.

Suspension

The Rush uses simple wishbone setups like most other RC buggies. The system would work well if it was supplied with the right springs - the stock rears are very soft and allow the car to bottom even on small jumps. With purple rear springs, the problem is solved. The dampers are oil filled and allow a reasonable amount of tuning oppotunity.

Radio Gear

The supplied radio gear is a pistol transmitter, standard receiver and 2 servos. It can cope with the car well - the transmitter feels fine in use, and the receiver works well. The reciver is also weatherproof - as its located in a sealed part of the chassis. The servos are acceptable - a stronger steering servo is a good upgrade though. Power is from 4 x AA batteries in a sealed box at the back. The most essential upgrade is a failsafe - the rush evo can get going at 40+mph - if the radio kit has a problem it can hit a wall / person HARD. A cheap failsafe will put the brakes on if the signal is lost or the receiver batteries get too low. A 6v hump pack adds the benefit of rachargeable batteries and the extra voltage speeds up the sevo response as well.

Performance

The standard motor on cheap 16% fuel should be impressive for the target market - first time notro owners. The car can be challenging to drive - the rear wheel drive makes powersliding around a fun challenge.