“I recently bought a Slash 4×4 and hear guys are running a center diff.
Whats the benefits?”
(name and address withheld by request)

Cubby- The Slash 4×4 is a great truck, congrats on your new fly ride. So about that fancy dancy center diff, what’s the real scoop? If you dig pulling massive wheelies,
the center diff is not for you. With the center diff installed, the moment the front wheels come off the ground, the diff will transfer power away from the rear wheels to the front wheels, resulting in the front end coming back down to terra firma in a hurry. The trade off is the center diff will make your truck easier to drive from a dead stop, and will also make your truck more controllable in the air. My final verdict- if you are bashing, just running the stock slipper is great, if you do a lot of track driving and/or jumping, at least give the center diff a try.

==========

Cubby,
I wanna ask this girl Ashley to prom, what’s the best way to do it?
J.D.

Cubby- Yes indeed J.D., it’s that time of year again, prom season. First piece of advice, don’t just drop a bomb out of left field. By this I mean make sure the chick knows you exist. If you are already fairly close to her great, and you can skip too piece of advice number two. If aren’t “close” with her, at least a couple weeks before you intend on asking her, you need to be talking to her at least once a day. I mean, if some chic you didn’t know at all came up and asked you to prom, you’d assume she was psycho. Once you’ve talked to her enough that she knows you exist, you just gotta show some stones and ask. Don’t beat around the bush, don’t candy coat it, just be clear and concise. Exactly what you need to say is “Will you go to
prom with me?”. If she says yes, you are dialed (and I expect a full report after your prom).If she says no, be a man, hold your head high, and move on to greener pastures. There are over 3 BILLION women on this planet, trust me, there IS one out there for you.

That’s it for this week. Submit your questions to cubby at BigSquidRC dot com.

YOUR Cub Reporter

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I think everyone who’s looking to bulletproof their Traxxas Mini E-Revo already knows that RPM makes some must own a-arms, but I bet you didn’t know they now come in red! I guess it’s a little test on their part to see if people are interested in the red color. I have a feeling they will be. Upper and lower a-arms come in a set for front or rear.

Visit the RPM RC site for details.

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Looks like the Traxxas Slash 4X4 is going to be even stronger! RPM has just released a Rear Bumper for the Slash 4X4. It’s molded after full size short course trucks, it makes it easy to get to the a-arms, they incorporated a 35% thicker skid plate, and even has a place to mount your rear LED lights! They come in Blue, Black and Chrome.

Visit the RPM RC site for details.

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Hey Cub-ster,
I know you guys are all about bashing and so am I (hence the reason I bought a Savage X as my first RC in twenty years and is my first nitro truck, I love it!). However, I am thinking about getting into RC racing and I think a good place to begin would be 2WD stock CORR events at a local track. Which truck is better between the Associated SC10, Traxxas Slash and the HPI Blitz? How about a shoot-out between the three?

Also, I know batteries have come a long way since I was a kid with a Tamiya Hornet but the batteries out now are making me nervous about making the jump from nitro to electric. The battery performance that I remember as a kid (run for 20 minutes then back in the house for four hours to recharge) and the cost of extra batteries are keeping me from plunking down my hard earned cashola! Please help!

Thanks,
Dean T. (aka- Captain Khaos)
—–
Well hello Captain Khaos, that’s a true bashers handle right there. I think my wife might call me that at times after jumping my Revo off the roof of my house and accidentally landing on top of her Audi. But such is life……

Btw, CORR died a very sad death. The CORR sanctioning body folded before they even got to hold there season finale event a couple years ago, which left a lot of driver, spectators, and sponsors with a bad taste in their mouths. Two new sanction bodies have picked up the flag since then, The Lucas Oil Series (that AE is involved with) and the TORC Series (that Traxxas is Huge into). So instead of using the CORR label, using the term short course works a lot better.

The 2wd short course class is a great class to get into. All the trucks are pretty durable and you just can’t beat how damn cool they look going around the track. So what’s the best SC truck to race with?

If your local track has very low traction and is fairly rough, the Slash is still a great bet. Traxxas really hit a sweet set-up right out of the box. The progressive springs and light compression and rebound damping work great right out of the box on the slick stuff. The only weak spot are those pesky shock caps that like to come off at the worst possible moment, but that is easily fixed by putting metal caps on (assuming your local track allows that mod, most tracks do).

If your local track is high bite and smooth, or you plan on racing mod, the HPI Blitz is the truck to get. The Blitz has class leading mechanical grip in the corners, and it’s a lot easier to get a good set-up on it than the AE SC10. To boil it down, it’s super easy to drive, and it’s just plain fast. Races are won in the corners, and the Blitz has class leading corner speed on high bite tracks. The main downside to the Blitz is the steering. If someone is a total noob, the stock steering is awesome as it’s set up to not steer too quickly. If you are an experienced driver, you’ll be looking for a higher torque servo and a tighter turning radius. Throw in a servo with at least 100 oz/in of torque, and do a little grinding on the front hubs and hub carriers to gain more turning radius, and you are dialed.

A short course shootout would be awesome. We already have a test Slash, Blitz and SC10. However, I think my constant bashing of Horizon and Kyosho are preventing the BigSquid crew from acquiring a Losi Strike and a Kyosho Ultima SC. That or those two simply don’t have the balls to see how their trucks stack up.

About today’s batteries- they are no joke. Good packs aren’t cheap, and all of the packs out there can be dangerous if not used properly. Go too cheap on a pack and the cells are prone to early failure and are just plain slow. If I had to recommend one pack to you, it’d be a Ni-mh 5000 mah pack like this ONE. There are tons of chargers on the market that will charge Ni-mh cells (and Ni-mh’s are not prone to thermal runaway like some of the Lithium based cells), and with 5000 mah of capacity on tap, you’ll have get a ton of run time. Enjoy.

That’s it for this session of Ask Cub Reporter. Send your questions to cubby at BigSquidRC dot com.

YOUR Cub Reporter

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The folks over at Traxxas have been busy shipping all their vehicles with the TQ 2.4Ghz radio system, and now we can add the Traxxas E-Maxx and Jato 3.3 to that list of vehicles!

For more info on Traxxas click HERE.

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Ok Traxxas Slash 4×4 owners, looks like you have another item for your weekend shopping list! RPM has just released a Front Bumper and Skid Plate combo for the Traxxas Slash 4×4! They come in Grey/Chrome, Black, or Blue. The bumpers also work with the RPM Canister light set.

Visit the RPM RC site for details.

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Recently we reported that Traxxas would start shipping a bunch of their vehicles with 2.4Ghz radios. You can now add the Traxxas Summit to that long list! It also comes with two 7-cell packs to get you up and running! I’m really glad to see Traxxas continue to make things easier on the new people coming into the hobby! The less they need to worry about, the more fun they will have.

For more info on Traxxas click HERE.

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Wow, Traxxas has another version of the Slash coming to a hobby shop near you! They have now combined the Traxxas Slash 4×4 Platinum Edition (the one with all the good hop-ups like the center diff!) with their 2.4 ghz Radio system, and are calling it the Traxxas Slash 4X4 Ultimate! It comes with the aluminum parts, center diff, 7-cell 8.4NiMH battery, and their new TQ 2.4Ghz radio system with 5-Channel Micro Receiver!

If you have been putting off buying a Slash 4×4, this might be the to pick one up!

For more info on Traxxas click HERE.

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I’m very happy to see that Traxxas is now shipping their TQ 2.4GHz radio with many of their RTR vehicles! This will really help the basher and newbie market! It gives people 1 less thing to have to worry about. Also, it gives them a nice cheap reliable alternative for receivers for their other vehicles! A 5 Channel Micro Receiver is only $45!!
The vehicles the radio comes with are the Bandit VXL, Stampede VXL, Rustler VXL, Nitro Rustler, T-Maxx 3.3, E-Revo Brushless Edition, and the E-Revo 1/16 scale! Another great job by Traxxas to set the bar for other RC companies!

The only issue now is getting them all to agree to a standard receiver, so I don’t need 10 different radios.

For more info on Traxxas click HERE.

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The folks over at Traxxas have really been on a roll with the sponsor money lately! From Supercross to Core trucks and now Snowmobiles at the winter X-Games!! They are sponsoring Paul Thacker’s sled in Best Trick, Freestyle, and other events! Paul is also the current long jump record holder for snowmobiles at 301 feet! Congrats to Paul, and Good Job Traxxas for doing everything in their power this year to get the word out about RC!

For more info on Traxxas click HERE.

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HUGE news out of Plano Texas today. Traxxas has jumped on board with the most
dominant Lites team in AMA Supercross/Motocross history, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. This team, owned by pipe building guru and legend Mitch Payton, has featured riders such as Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, and Ryan Villopoto in previous years. This season, the 2010 Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team features Jake Weimer and Josh Hanson on the West Coast series, with Christophe Pourcel, Tyla Rattray, and Dean Wilson on the East Coast series.

AMA Supercross has filled stadiums for decades with rabid dirt bike fans, and this year, thanks to Traxxas, all those fans will get exposure to Traxxas hobby grade rc cars and trucks. The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team riders will sport Traxxas logos on their helmets and jerseys, in addition to Traxxas logos on the team hauler and pit gear. Traxxas will also be attending all the Supercross rounds and will be displaying their product in the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki pit area. So be sure when you hit a AMA Supercross this year that you get a pit pass so you can view the truck display and say hello to the good guys at Traxxas.

For more info and a complete schedule for AMA Supercross, click here. For more info
on Traxxas click HERE..

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Ask Cubby, Your Weekly RC Advice Column.
==================
Cubby,
What are the best tires for my Slash? Love Reading Your Stufff
Ronny From Pittsburgh

Yo what’s up Ronny from Pittsburgh? The stock Slash tires have their upsides, and their downsides. Upsides are they look realistic, and wear a long time. Downsides are they explode on high cell counts, and don’t offer that good of traction. So what’s the best tires for your Slash? If I had to pick one set of tires for all around use it would be the Pro-Line Bow Ties. These offer much greater traction on both asphalt and on dirt, yet aren’t ruined if you run them on the street for a while. Get them in the harder M2 compound for longer wear, and remember the off sets for the rims of a Slash are slightly different front and rear. You can get these pre-mounted on uber Pro Line rims, which saves you some time and CA burns. Part number for the pre-mounted M2 Bow Tie fronts is 1153-11 M2, the part number for the rears is 1153-12 M2. See more info HERE.
===================
Cub Reporter I got a question for you. I live in North Dakota and it’s really cold here and I was wondering if it will be a problem driving my E-Maxx outside when it’s cold?
Thanks dude,
Barnes

Barnes I feel for ya. It’s cold here in the Chi-town metro, but it’s gnarly a$$ cold in North Dakota. I watch the weather channel, and every time they mention North Dakota they always say “negative 25″ right behind it. Damn, you gotta be part Eskimo to live in them parts. Does it hurt an E-Maxx to drive it in cold weather? No. But, all the plastic parts will be more likely to break. The E-Maxx is normally very durable, but any plastic truck will become more brittle when exposed to cold temperatures. Your batteries will also put out less voltage when they are cold, so your truck will seem slightly slower. So break out the E-Maxx and chase your sled dogs around yard a few times (just try not to hit anything… LOL).
=====================
Dear Cubby, where the heck is Scott Hughes?!

Scott is a man of many dreams, but since birth, his biggest goal in life was to become a professional ice cream truck racer. Since leaving Pro Line, he is chasing that dream by racing the Icelandic Ice Cream Truck Pro Series (the IICTPS) in Reykjavík Iceland. You can watch him race live next Thursday on ESPN5. But seriously, Scotty needs to phone home and give BigSquid the scoop.

=====================

That’s it for this weeks edition of “Ask Cubby”. If you have a question, shoot it to cubby at bigsquidrc dot com, and we’ll stare at it a few weeks, then probably delete it, but a few will make the main page. Carry on.
YOUR Cub Reporter

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I normally don’t post stories of us out bashing the night away, but this one had so many interesting things, I felt compelled to mention it. It started out when I get a phone call from Kierre seen in the left picture showing off his winning… err loosing Slash after one of our famous demolition derby improves, anyway, he calls me up and says ‘I think I want to attempt to rent out the track, are you in?’ Since our track has a really good rate for full track rental on Monday nights, I say sure why not! We each make a few phone calls, and suddenly we have a big enough group to break even on the track rental, and a small enough group to actually enjoy the evening to ourselves. You know how Cubby has been ranting and raving lately about all the ‘local racers’, I can’t agree more with him, but it’s nights like these where you really realize how much more fun our sport is without those guys around!

Not one time did I hear someone raise their voice, or yell at a marshal, see them throw a vehicle or get into a confrontation about being cut off in a turn. And EVERY open practice, yes I said PRACTICE night, I see that. I see some moron on the drivers stand cursing out a marshal because he didn’t get to his vehicle fast enough, or he put it down in the wrong spot. I also didn’t see any near death collisions from the same local racers because they couldn’t/wouldn’t’ slow down over a triple when there was a marshal out there trying to rescue a car, and he decided he would rather take the chance at taking the guys head off with a 1/8th scale then loose his 2 seconds of lap time DURING OPEN PRACTICE! You also don’t see those morons down there marshaling after their runs! Everyone was super friendly! Any time there was a broken vehicle in the pits, people were helping each other get back out on the track, helping fix vehicles, helping by donating some extra parts they had in their tool box, doing all the nice and friendly stuff you rarely see on a open practice night! Ok, I’ll get off Cubby’s soap box before he knocks me off it, but seriously people have fun in the hobby, that’s why we do it! When’s the last time you saw a dad and his kids (and his kids friend) having a fun evening at the track?! It’s rare, but I snapped this shot of Paul and his family enjoying the evening of bashing.

We did all of our usual basher fun, like full track tag (exactly what it sounds like) someone is it, and they are it till they tag (ram) another vehicle.
Full track demolition derby, last car able to drive away wins.. congrats to Bill for winning tonight, Congrats to Kierre for taking the most damage! After we brought our vehicles in from the demo derby, someone came up to me and said ‘I can’t believe you guys did that! I could barely watch! I usually don’t even take my car out on practice nights because I’m afraid I’ll break something, or someone will run into me and break it’. *sigh* Those 10 or 15 minutes of us chasing each other around on the track, and ramming into other vehicles at high speeds brings SO many smiles to our faces, and the faces of others watching. Yea we break a lot of stuff… but wow is it fun, and a good way to release some tension! I highly recommend it. Too many racer shelf queens out there!

You want to know what a basher vehicle looks like, notice anything weird in this picture? I took it because this is the FIRST time I have ever seen someone use a tooth brush as a battery strap! It worked for a while, but it didn’t last all night. We do tend to be a little tough on the cars. Great idea though! Might have to add that one to our basher tips!

Lastly, I wanted to mention that since it was a private track rental night we didn’t invite that many people to keep the numbers low enough for us to relax and have fun, I did notice something very interesting, that 4 out of 10 people were running Tactic Radios! You can read our fullTactic Radio Review here. I’d like to think Big Squid RC has something to do with this, and we might since everyone at the track tonight was a Big Squid RC reader, but it’s also possible that the Tactic might just be the next Ice Charger! Think about it.. when is the last time you saw near 50% of the drivers using the same thing? (Not including a Slash). The Ice charger is the only thing that comes to mind! If you haven’t read the Tactic review, or heard of the radio, check it out! It looks like it’s getting popular quick!

Ok, I’m done ranting and raving before Cubby thinks I stole his job! LOL.
Support your local tracks and stuff, err something like that!
Brian

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First off, here’s the LINK of the week. CLICK HERE No, I’m not going to Rick Roll ya with a blind link. The link takes you to the Toys “R” Us website.

Did you know that Traxxas is not only sold at Pep Boys, but also now at Toys “R” Us? Did you know that some models of HPI are also sold at Toys “R” Us?

With that said, I’ve heard many “core” hobbists say that Traxxas being in a Toys “R” Us is a big sell out. Those same people argue that Traxxas being in Toys “R” Us makes our hobby look more hack and makes their products look more “Tyco” like. I say WHAT? Every rc car we buy, no matter how expensive or esoteric, is still just a toy car. (If you doubt that, go out and build a full size SCCA car, put your a$$ on the line and go race it, then get back to me) Our hobby IS playing with toy cars, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, as it is our hobby. If you want to view this in a healthy manner, accept that fact, and accept the fact that the more mainstream our hobby gets, the better our hobby will become. More mainstream will equal more people to race with, more people to bash with, and more money for the research and development department at your favorite rc car manufacture to come up with cool stuff.

Are surface radio controlled hobbies really about to blow up mainstream (I never thought I’d live to see the day)? Well, getting into the local Pep Boys and Toys “R” Us is a HELL of a good start. Traxxas sponsoring the TORC series and getting tons of tv airtime is a HELL of a good thing. The HPI/Tamiya/Kyosho R/C Motorsports Experience was also a nice step in the right direction exposing our hobby to thousands of fresh faces. Are we really and truly on the verge? Based on the evidence shown, we are closer than perhaps we’ve EVER been. If you are some average Joe Blow Basher type, your part in helping us go mainstream is to remember every noob that shows up is the most important person there, so help’em out instead of blowing them off.

Picture of the week. Yes, hot chics dig BigSquid RC.

Quick note, as mentioned in the “Ask Cubby” column, I am getting my s#!% together and going on a solid schedule. Look for the “Ask Cubby” column every Thursday, and “THE Cub Report” every Monday. You can set your watch to it now, and if you are one of those lawsuit happy types, my new set schedule should save your finger a lot of hits on the refresh button.

Ever heard of the Tilted Kilt? Well, if you haven’t, you have now, as they are officially the hang out spot for the BigSquidRC crew. The Tilted Kilt is essentially a competitor for Hooters type restaurants. In short, the food tastes great, and well, the scenery is simply wonderful. So if you get a chance, check a Tilted Kilt out, you’ll be glad that you did. Click HERE to find your nearest location.

That’s it for this week rc fans. Send all hate mail and lawsuit threats to Brian, because I’m simply to lazy to read them. Support your local hobby shops and tracks!

YOUR Cub Reporter

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Here’s some video we shot while testing out our new Platinum Edition Traxxas Slash 4×4 in the snow! Good times! The video on Youtube is also uploaded there in hi-def!

Enjoy!

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So we just got our Traxxas 2010 Platinum Slash Edition in house! It looks like our friends at Traxxas are the first to listen to Cubby’s advice, and start treating some of their RC cars like REAL cars. Notice they call this the 4×4 Slash 2010 Platinum Edition on the box! Does that mean there will be a 2011 edition? The manual just says 4×4 Slash Platinum Edition. I like the thought of adding the years, I like the possibility that at iHobby 2010, we will be seeing the 2011 vehicles, just like at a real car show. Nice touch Traxxas, even if it was our idea.

The body style is a little different.

Notice how all the electronics are now on one side, leaving the battery to balance the weight on the other side. Once we start getting it ready for the review, we’ll see how balanced we are, and if we will need to add any extra weight.

Except for the center diff, most of the hop-ups for that make this version the Platinum Edition come already installed on the vehicle.

Click HERE to read the rest of this post and see all the pictures.
,

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We just got the PR for the new Traxxas radio, and it is sounding pretty sweet! The official name is the Traxxas TQ 2..4GHz Programmable Radio system with Traxxas Link. A bit of a mouth full, but it comes with some great features! To start with, it’s spread spectrum, meaning no more frequency worries! It now has a multi-function knob on the face of the transmitter that can be used to set steering exponential, steering and braking dual rates, and throttle trim! Other tuning options like end point adjustment, servo reversing and sub trim are also possible with this radio. You just don’t see that many functions on a radio in this price range, or on a radio that comes with a vehicle like the Slash 4×4!

The really stand out feature of the radio though is the new Traxxas Link automatic model recognition software. It’s basically their version of ‘model memory’ made simple. Each time the transmitter is bound to a new receiver, it saves that receiver in it’s memory along with all the model settings assigned to that receiver! AWESOME! The next time you turn on your transmitter, then reciever, the settings are automatically recalled. Up to 20 vehicles! That is very cool. No need to search for the model name, etc.. it just works.

Other key features, integrated fail safe, 5 channel receiver with 2 steering inputs for dual servo systems, and finally price is pretty good! Only $150 for the radio system with 4 channel transmitter and 5 channel receiver!

I really like the way Traxxas always make things simple and useful! Good job guys.

For more information head over to the official Traxxas website.

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Don’t you just love the rumor mill? I sure do.
Biggest rumor of the week-
That a Traxxas 8th scale buggy is on the way in the summer of 2010. Traxxas isn’t about racing, they are about making money, and the 8th scale market is one of the few that they do not dominate. I really have no idea what a Traxxas 8th scale might be like, but I would love to see their interpretation of an 8th scale buggy. An interpretation not intended strictly for track use, but one that might drive well on a track, yet own the local bash spot. Perhaps an 8th scale with slightly more ground clearance, featuring some of Traxxas’s uber refined CAD/CAM design work, and of course, tough enough to be Basher-Approved. Don’t hold your breathe, as this is still just a rumor, but there is plenty of money to be made in that market segment, and Traxxas isn’t the type of company to leave cash just sitting on the table.

Second biggest rumor of the week-
Yet another rc mag is in the works. I can’t figure this one out, the marketplace is already spilling over the sides with 4 monthly print mags. Is there really room, or even a need for a 5th rc mag? I still can’t understand how a hobby as small as rc is can support 4 mags, and most industry peeps agree with me on that one. RCCA is still considered the standard, although in recent months they’ve hit all new lows, including way too much coverage of boats and planes. The name of their mag is CAR Action, not boat/plane/anything else we can get our lazy hands on Action. Hell, RCCA is even throwing in scantily clad chics, which is fine if that’s what you do, but looks like utter desperation for them. Xtreme has had the hot chic portion of our hobby covered for years, and they put out a decent looking mag catering to a slightly older crowd. RC Car has been the tiny “unknown” mag in the hobby for years, but has really turned it around, not only in content, but with shear number of pages since Bess came on board. RC Driver is the mag that covers cars/trucks/boats/planes in our hobby, has a very talented staff, but could use a cosmetic makeover and better photography to put it into the 2000’s. So just where is there room for a 5th mag? Just what rc magazine niche is not being filled right now? None that I can think of. Lots hope this rumor doesn’t actually work out. Seeing someone start an rc mag in this economy, against all the other mags, during a time when most people are ditching mags and reading the internet, is just begging for failure.

Everything goes in cycles. Electric dominated from the late 80’s till 2000. Then nitro took over for nearly a decade, and now we are in full swing back to electric. Last week, I asked several industry legends on just what is going to turn the tide back to nitro, because oh yes, the world will be all about nitro again before we know it. It all boils down to making a nitro based engine run most consistently. You come up with an affordable nitro engine that starts easily every time, never flames out, is good for 5 gallons of fuel, and makes decent power, and you are bound to make a LOT of money in this hobby. Up to this point, no company has invested the money needed to make the next leap in nitro engine technology, but it will happen. Once again, my money is on Traxxas for this one, they’ve got a few extra bucks to spend, and they’ve already proven they will go above and beyond to put out a better mouse trap. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit for them to fund the R&D needed to come up with the next gen nitro engine. I’m as hard core of an electric guy as there is, but if you come up with a MUCH improved nitro engine, even I will be driving one. You just can’t beat the sound and smell of fuel powered for realism. And according to the industry peeps I talked with, they were almost unanimous in saying that the next gen engine will likely be a 4 stroke. Time will tell.

That’s it for this week folks. Support your sport, hit your local hobby shops, tracks, and bash spots!
Your Cub Reporter

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So, stopped by the Traxxas booth early day 1 to present them with an official Basher Approved Award for the Traxxas Slash. Without a doubt the Traxxas Slash is deserving of one of the highest RC awards right now. It’s cheap, it’s fun, and it takes a beating like nothing else! Peter Vieira did the accepting for Traxxas. The future will tell if the 4×4 can follow in it’s footsteps! Congrats Traxxas!
(Bigger more official write up coming once the show is over, and we can all breath again!)

While at the Traxxas booth, we had to check out the Traxxas Slash 4×4! Notice the Monster Max system in the second one! LOL.. that has to be insane!

Something we noticed while there.. check out the front skid setup on the 4×4 vs the original Slash. It’s a little slicker, and felt a little more durable. I like they way it’s more of a one smooth piece setup! (Slash 4×4 is on the left, original on right.)

Remember, where to get your iHobby news first! This iHobby Expo 2009 link will get you all the 2009 updates as we post them! So keep an eye on it.

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You know I couldn’t pass on posting something when such a big announcement happens!
I’m sure the “Big Guy” is looking for the edit/delete key already since this isn’t my normal report.
So read fast.. haha

So lets continue shall we?

For those of you that have been living under a rock the last 4 hours, here’s the essential scoop on the new Slash 4×4.

1. 4 wheel drive Short Course truck
2. Comes stock with brushless and 7 Cell Ni-mh battery
3. Comes stock with 2.4 Ghz radio system
4. Revo diffs
5. Licensed BFG Tires
6. Rumored (I repeat- RUMORED) LHS Price is to be $399
7. Release date Rumored to be mid December 2009

Word out of the Traxxas camp before the unveiling was their new truck was going to
be “huge” and “revolutionary”. I must say that Traxxas has become a true leader, not a follower. One look at their incredible T-Maxx, or the original 2 wheel drive Slash proves that. One look at their new Slash 4×4 proves they are leading the field in the 4 wheel drive electric short course field as well. If you need proof of leadership, just start the countdown clock to AE, Losi, and others releasing electric 4×4 versions of their short course trucks.

Here’s a few quotes off random message boards about the new Slash 4×4.
“home run guys, exactly what I was looking for”
“okay yeah i’m drooling”
“It looks cool, but with them forcing the battery pack, brushless and 2.4ghz on you, I’m sure it’ll be $$$”
“The only thing that I can criticize on is the 32 pitch gears”
“I am sooooo glad it’s a whole new chassis layout and not a revo rehash”
“I don’t see why anyone would want this over an e-converted slayer or an sc8e”
“Single battery is a big selling point to me”
“This thing is AWESOME. New suspension geometry and everything”

So here’s my skinny from the Cub view of things-
High’s-
1. Love the licensed BFG tires- the closer to realistic, the better.
2. Good looking truck overall.
3. 4wd makes driving on nearly any surface easier. Easier always equals better.
4. Mostly new design is great to see, glad it’s not Revo/Slayer based.
5. Comes with a slipper clutch, the driveline thanks you Traxxas.
6. Driveline looks very durable- 32 pitch gears and Revo diffs.

Low’s-
1. Price. We Do Not Know exactly what the Slash will be selling for, but if the rumors are right, it’s gonna be a bit high. Is the truck worth $399? Most likely hell ya, but a $399 price point will eliminate it from the majority of bashers budgets. A Slash 4×4 with a non-2.4Ghz radio, no battery pack, and powered by an E-Maxx motor and speedo would have come in at a much more attractive price point, while most likely yielding nearly the same performance.
2. Comes stock with 7 cell Ni-mh battery. Yes, real noobs don’t have any batteries, but most hobbyists already have plenty just sitting around. Why do I want to pay extra for a battery that Traxxas has picked out? No thanks, I’d rather pick out my own.

I’ve got one more bone to pick, but this one doesn’t fall on Traxxas’s shoulders. (So Traxxas, if you are reading this.. I’m not blaming you) Ever notice in a 2wd Slash how pretty much every motor tends to run hot? This isn’t really Traxxas’s fault, as they designed a great, extremely durable truck. A 2wd Slash has a beefy (and heavy) drivetrain, which is required for running huge brushless power. The 2wd Slash also has a lot of air drag due to the large short course type body, also a requirement to achieve the proper look. Unfortunately, the combo of a heavy truck with lots of drag equals pushing every single 10th scale speedo/motor system to the limit.

This will only get worse on the 4wd Slash. The 4wd has another diff to spin, more driveshafts, and simply more weight. Throw in a muddy track on a hot summers day, and I can’t think of any 10th scale power system that will be able to push this beast around (at a fast clip) without running hot. This looks to be the reason why the truck comes stock with a 7 cell Ni-mh pack. To help keep heat down, Traxxas installed a fairly low kv motor which is geared relatively conservatively. To get a reasonable amount of speed, the extra voltage of a 7 cell Ni-mh is simply a requirement.

Also in the press release today, Traxxas states that a Mamba Monster system bolts right in. The Mamba Monster system works great and should easily power a 4×4 Slash, no question about it. But, it costs $100 more than an entire 2wd Slash does, and is going to like some fairly expensive/high cell-count batteries for lots of top speed. This isn’t Castle’s, nor Traxxas’s fault, it’s simply the cost of technology. The real problem here lies in the need for a proper power system. A power system with perhaps slightly larger motors, 10th scale pricing (I repeat, 10th scale pricing!!!), that can propel the new era of heavy driveline/high drag short course trucks to eye opening speeds on only a 2S battery pack- without overheating. Maybe Novak, Tekin, LRP and Castle are already working on this problem, if not, this should be project numero uno on their “to-do” lists this fall.

In closing, everyone and their Uncles dog already owns a 2wd Slash. For Traxxas to continue advancing the short course format, a 4×4 is the natural progression. A 4wd Slash is the next logical purchase for those that love their 2wd Slash, but how many buyers are willing to break out the wallet for close to $400? My guess is a lot of people, a lot of people that will be very happy with the quality and performance of their new Slash 4×4. Traxxas has a well earned reputation for quality engineering, reliability, and value that will help make it easier for those wallets to open.

Thanks for reading, look for the BigSquidRC official test of the Slash 4×4 very soon, support your LHS’s and tracks, and get on that pre-order list for your Slash 4×4 ASAP! Also, if you haven’t seen it, check out the pictures the boss posted earlier.

Your Cub Reporter

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