THE Cub Report – Backwards Is The New Forward

Hola folks, and welcome to BigSquidRC version 2018. Holy cow did 2017 fly right on by, hopefully 2018 decides to stick around a little longer.

While 2017 could be considered an “ugly” year for rc, there is a whole lot of hope out there for ’18. Sales seem to be coming up, that and companies are really changing their business models to better suit the changing consumer climate.

With all eyes on 2018, we have of course been sniffing around to get a feel for what might be hitting shelves in the coming year. From what we’ve heard, and from what cars/trucks that we know are on the way for the coming year, here is what we expect to keep seeing more of in the coming year…

1. Scale, scale, and even more scale. You think there are a lot of scale crawlers on the market now? Just wait, more, a LOT more, are on the way. From affordable low-end scalers, to mind blowing rigs with opening hoods and perfectly scaled engine compartments, if you are into the scale scene, 2018 is gonna be huge for you. We’ve even heard rumor of a hardcore crawler from a high-end racing company, now that is something we would like to see (enough teasing, even we wanna see them pull the trigger on releasing it!!!).

2. FPV. Like it or not, 2018 is another slow transition year for first person driving. We know of at least 2 more RTR FPV vehicles scheduled for a Q1 release, and we expect to keep seeing more during the year. Expect to see companies like Spektrum, Fat Shark, and Tactic, introducing more product aimed right at the surface FPV crowd. And yes, you might wanna get that HAM license that you’ve always been talking about.

3. More licensed products. Expect to keep seeing more fully licensed tires, wheels, bumpers, etc. The best part of the scale movement is the tremendous aftermarket associated with it, after all, accessories is where the real money is to be made. On lower end product you won’t see it so much, but there are a number of companies going after “best scale crawler on the planet”, that is where you can expect to see licensed everything from nose to tail.

4. Bash trucks keep on getting bigger. For the longest time 1/8th scale has been considered the largest “reasonable” sized vehicles to bash with. I think 2018 will see that go even bigger. With trucks like the Losi Super Baja Rey and Traxxas X-Maxx coming in at bigger than 1/8th, but still smaller and more affordable than 1/5th scale, trucks in that size category can go a nearly everywhere a full-on 1/5th scale can go, without sporting a 1/5th scale price point.

5. Fewer new cars. Remember just a few years ago when it seemed like there was a new car announced every day? Well, with slashed budgets and slow times in rc, 2017 was the first year with a significant reduction in new car announcements. From what I’ve heard, budgets are still super tight, so don’t expect a zillion new releases this year, in fact, expect even less than last year.

While I would much rather publish a list of what you can really expect to see this year, those pesky lawyers mandate a much more general overlook. On a personal note, I know that our entire staff at BigSquidRC is gonna go after it even harder in 2018. Our industry is in trouble, and with BigSquidRC being a media site, it is our job to help promote the industry the best we can. We are 100% in to support our industry, if they go down, we’ll go down in flames with them. Until that time, we gotta push ourselves to help expose the hobby we love so much to as many people as we can, in the best possible manner.

So there it is folks, thanks for reading BigSquidRC and THE Cub Report. Hang on tight, 2018 looks to be wild ride, but then, boring rides suck, so sign us up! Also, support all those local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can!

YOUR Cub Reporter