Classes

Regardless of scale there are three main types of off road car. Buggy, monster truck and truggy.

Buggy – The original car for off road racing. Small and nimble with a low centre of gravity these quick cars require precise handling to get the most out them and considered by many as the purist form of racing.

Monster Truck – Big and tough. Built for bashing off road with a go anywhere kind of attitude. Great for jumping and taking to the beach. Not as fast or stable as the buggy or truggy but great fun.

Truggy – A hybrid of the above two models. Slightly easier to drive than a buggy with the same speed and handling. Yet as tough and robust as a monster truck. Currently a popular class to get into.

The 1/8th scale cars are powered by a one cylinder two stroke engine that runs on a mixture of nitromethane and oil. Hence the name Nitro. The engine size varies from the smaller .21 (3.5cc) size up to .32 (5.2cc) size. It is similar to life size engines, just because you have a big engine does not mean you have the quickest car. A good quality .21 engine can often beat a lower quality .28 or .32 sized engine. Plus the fact it will drink less nitro meaning you can run the car for longer before you need to refuel. The other main factors that effect performance can be: Right choice of tyres for the condition of the track, the set up of the car which can include ride height, shock absorbers, camber of wheels, whether you run your front tyres toe-in or toe-out. The weight of the silicone oil in your differentials will also effect how your car handles. Confused? There is an excellent guide in our how to’s section to setting up your car.