RC Gas Cars

The Myth and the Facts



RC gas cars myth! What’s that?

Nitro powered cars are often called as gas cars. But let the truth be told they are a different breed altogether. They are powered by gasoline…you heard it right, its gasoline.

There is not much difference in the way rc gas cars and nitro rc cars operate. Radio controlled gas cars are much bigger than the nitro models. The motors used in gas cars are bigger than the ones used for nitro models. To accommodate the bigger motor the body and other parts need to be appropriately scaled thus increasing the size of the car.

Popular RC Gas Cars

RC gas cars haven’t been as widely popular as their nitro and electric counterparts. Nowadays they are gaining popularity slowly and steadily. Here are some of the cars that have been well accepted by the rc hobbyists.

Duratrax Fire Hammer is a 1:5 scale ready to run 2 wheel drive gas car from Duratrax. Its incredibly powerful, power complimenting its massive size. It comes completely rtr, which means you just need to fill the gas and then take it on the track. This 23 cc motor powered car weighs at about 19 lbs. Fire Hammer is 28.1 in long and 16.5 in wide.

Traxxas 1/6 Monster Buggy is a powerful monster buggy from Traxxas. This is one model in the rc gas car segment. This car is powered by a Zenoah racing engine. Such kind of engines is proven for high performance. The speeds of the buggy can reach up to 40 mph. Once the tank is filled with gasoline you may run it for about 45 minutes. This comes laced with all sorts of advanced features like disc brakes T6 aluminum chassis etc.

FG is considered to be the leader of the pack among gas cars. They have released a number of models to the market, probably the highest by any company manufacturing rc gas vehicles. Some of the popular cars from FG are FG Baja, Stadium Beetle Pro, ST-6, Monster Hummer H2 and scout. Other models include ST-5, MT-5, Leopard STX, Monster Beetle, Monster Beetle Pro, Leopard Race, Marder and Marder Beetle

HPI has its own gas cars in this category. Most prominent of all its models is the HPI Baja 5B. This monster is powered by a 23 in engine fuelled with gasoline. This buggy is designed for strength and durability. The length stands at 32 inches. A single tank of gasoline is capable of powering the buggy for thirty minutes, quite decent in my opinion.

One gas car from XTM’s stable that would contend for a slot in any rc cars list is the XTM 1/6 Gas Powered Buggy. Please note that this is not ready to run. Its 80% factory built thus you will have to put in some effort in getting it to run. The 23 cc gasoline engine can take enough fuel to run the car for 45 minutes. This car is worth a look.

Why Do I Drive RC Gas Cars?

Simple reason being its fun and bears closer resemblance to the real car than the nitro and electric cars.

Usually a rc gas car is are large meaning they lie in the ¼ to 1/6 scale range. This makes maintenance easier as the components are easily accessible. You may reach any part with less difficulty because of the large size.

The fuel or gasoline is carried by gasoline tanks like real life cars. These tanks are spacious enough to carry fuel that will run the radio controlled gas cars for about 30-45 minutes. In the rc cars world that is long driving. So once you fill in the tank its 45 minutes of pure pleasure that you will never get with a nitro or electric car. In nitro and electric versions you will be bothered about refuelling and recharging or changing batteries a number of times before you get 45 minutes of driving fun.

The cost upfront for gas cars may be on the higher side. But if you are planning to drive frequently then it’s beneficial to go for rc gas vehicles. That’s because over a period of time the cost associated with gas cars is considerably less than the operating costs of nitro cars. It’s pretty obvious because gas cars run on gasoline which is less expensive than nitro methane fuel.




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