Monster Truck Madness – Pour one out for the SMT10

It’s time to pour one out for the Axial SMT10. After seeing that it was discontinued on various websites and hearing rumors that it was being phased out, I have had it confirmed that the SMT10 is indeed actually being discontinued. The Losi LMT has firmly supplanted it in the Horizon family as the defacto solid axle monster truck platform.

This makes a lot of sense to me, as whenever the the LMT was released (and wound up being awesome), I figured it was only a matter of time for the Axial to eventually hit the chopping block. Instead of talking about the LMT though, let’s discuss the SMT10.

The Clod was the flag bearer for the r/c solid axle monster truck world basically for 30 years. Despite it being popular in certain circles, it was still kind of underground. The SMT10’s release in 2016, when Axial was on fire, helped to make this genre a mainstream part of the hobby. I’d argue vehemently that until the 2021 release of the Losi LMT, the Axial SMT10 was the standard bearer of this hobby segment.

Given how long the Clod was king, that’s saying something. There would be no Losi LMT without the Axial SMT10 igniting the solid axle scene. I’d also argue there wouldn’t be all of the bodies, wheels, tires, etc that we see from the aftermarket companies.

For me personally, the Axial SMT10 stands up there with the Clod as my favorite r/c release of all time. I’ve owned and competed with four of them, and they have been excellent on the track. Yes, they needed a few mods….but what r/c racing vehicle doesn’t, ya know?

While the SMT10 is being discontinued, I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. There are A LOT of SMT10’s out there and a ton of parts available. Despite the production run coming to an end, they will still be out there competing and bashing.

And besides, plans can change. Maybe with the SMT10, this isn’t a “goodbye”, but a “goodbye for now”? I could see it getting a re-release at some point, as I know nostalgia will run high for it eventually.

All that being said, let’s pour one out for the Axial SMT10. You did good, kid!