c0brakai

Priorities:
Budget price of the base vehicle is #1
Good platform worthy of upgrades. Don't want a cheap POS that is not worth upgrading over time.
Adjustability (no fixed plastic tie rods)

I think durability of any of these will be comparable.

I'm liking the AE Pro4 RTR. $400 for everything. Sealed gear diffs. Fully adjustable.
https://www.associatedelectrics.com/.../Pro4SC10/RTR/

or... the Traxxas Slash 4x4 Ultimate. It's at $499, right on the border. Maybe with a discount it will leave room for a battery and charger.
https://traxxas.com/products/models/...ate?t=overview

76jimmy

iTrader: (28)

What Bill said. That PR stuff is gunning for top end kits at half the price. Probably to get a customer base. If I had your budget they would be on my short list.
KIts

BloodClod

iTrader: (7)

Definitely second that. I have seen PR kits continue developing and getting better and better. The fit and finish of the parts is exceptional and the latest V4 2WD buggy is priced at a very *very* reasonable price. Some countries have spotty distribution, but if you have a source for parts support I think it is my best recommendation for a race spec kit.

RazorRC

iTrader: (5)

I would strongly recommend against weird brands like PR. Assuming everyone is new to this, and the races will be more of a demolition derby than a race, I highly recommend you get a very popular brand that has easily gotten parts at your local hobby shop or online or whatever.

Especially if you're running buggy, nothing will kill someone's enjoyment faster than breaking an arm or hub or idler gear or spur or whatever and having to wait a week to fix it. The most important thing is to be able to keep everyone up and running with as little downtime as possible.

Pro2 SC10 or RB10 would be my choice, the 22 is a nice buggy, but about as "exotic" as I would go.

I also recommend you just buy one of whatever you decide on first and run it at the track to make sure it's what you're expecting. Short course on a carpet track rolls over super easily. Buggy on a dirt track requires a well groomed, well maintained track else they just get thrown about too much and it's not fun at all.

c0brakai

I would prefer to stick with a major brand supported by the LHS. Traxxas, AE, Losi, etc

How about this alternate idea to get everyone driving but also satisfy those who want to build a kit from scratch:
The standard car (so that everyone can be included) will be the Pro2 SC10. Probably 8 out of 10 drivers will pick this route due to budget reasons.
If someone with a little more $ to burn wants a more bling platform and to build the kit, they can build an RC10SC6.2.

My thinking is: Both are 2WD. Both weigh the exact same amount and are the same dimensions. The only practical difference is the quality of parts, and mid vs rear motor.

Questions:
-Assuming the same battery/motor/esc/servo, would these two be competitive on the track or is this going to put one group at a major disadvantage?

billdelong

iTrader: (33)

To go along the lines of your alternate idea, we've seen success with a "Spec SC class" where folks can pick any brand of RTR 2WD SCT they want and then limit upgrades for durability only, no performance upgrades allowed. Only electronics that can upgraded are Radio, Servo and 2S LiPo ROAR spec. Must run box stock RTR wheels to prevent a tire war.


What we found was that of the 5 different brands out there at the time, folks would experiment with parts between brands to build the "Unicorn" because no single brand has the best of everything in one box


If you want to spec out the radio and servo to keep costs down I would consider these here:


$64 - Radiolink RC4GS

$41 - JX CLS6322HV

$34 - Zeee 2S Shorty

$42 - Tenergy 80W AC6 Charger


There is also a BTD kit from ECX to consider as well:

https://www.horizonhobby.com/product.../ECX03034.html

c0brakai

Not a bad idea to give a few options. My initial thought was to standardize the car out of fairness, but maybe if we just set a price limit and platform (eg. 2WD SCT) then that gives people some freedom and we're all still competitive.

tomkatn

iTrader: (119)

I would not consider the SC6.2 just 'a more bling platform' than a Pro2 SC10 ... very different vehicles under the body, much more adjustability, quick change diff option, superior shocks, etc. etc. ... there is a reason people are running 6.x vehicles most everywhere today vs. an early 5 series platform vehicle ... this would be quite a stray from the intentions and objectives expressed in the original post IMHO ... on very loose outdoor track conditions, the advantage difference would be minimized somewhat, but not "-Usable on carpet track, and groomed dirt track."

tomkatn

iTrader: (119)

From your "to get everyone driving" comment, sounds like there may possibly be some with little or no driving experience? ...

Just a thought, but maybe a Pro2 SC10 or Traxxas Slash 2wd in either kit or RTR form as the choices ... creates a little brand rivalry, and much more similar than your rear/mid motor suggestion ... kit version available, as well as parts most everywhere, good used market for rollers if anyone is wanting to take even a more budget route (just FYI, the Pro SC10 is the same as Pro2 SC10 before name change) ... then all you need to fight over is an agreeable electronic/tire package that fits the criteria ...

Lots will scoff at any mention of a Slash, but tough to go wrong as a strong consideration in any budget/spec scenario ... in some forms of R/C racing (even among very experienced drivers), the 2wd Traxxas Slash is one of the fastest growing/most competitive classes, often limited to box stock configuration except for minor upgrades for durability and body changes for appearance...

E1 Diablo

iTrader: (10)

Keep it simple. Spec 2wd Slash. Here are example rules Spec Slash Class ? ROCCK Racing

Chenstrap

iTrader: (1)

A lot of people are suggesting slash, but another option could be the Traxxas bandit 2wd Buggy.

This guys been running a YT series where hes been getting one racing and been doing quite well with it, to the point a lot of other racers bought one and they now have a Bandit class. His biggest hop up was tires that saw a 5 second change in laptime. May be an idea to pick a spec after market tire so the buggies are a bit more racey, but still prevent a tire war.

Link to latest vid in that series: https://youtu.be/Hgsqx45VLZ0

edman4523

The Bandit is not keeping up with the RB10 on the track. RB10 for the win.

c0brakai

Okay good to know. I was basing the "bling" comment on an internet review, where it looked to me like they'd both work pretty similarly, but the SC6.2 is clearly a lot nicer car in terms of part precision, durability, etc.

Yes, I would say 75% have zero driving experience. The remainder are pretty experienced in the R/C realm.

I mean, the Slash unassembled kit fits the bill. It would work fine and is well within budget. The powertrain could be upgraded to brushless later on.

c0brakai

I found this awesome tuning guide from Traxxas... this might be making the decision easier...

https://traxxas.com/news/slash-spec-racing-guide

RazorRC

iTrader: (5)

I highly recommend you just keep it to one make and model of car. The whole point is for the zero-experience people to just show up, drive their cars, have fun, not worry about who has a better car, or what they need to do to "fix" why they are losing all the time, or worry about spending more money because they think they need something someone else has, etc.

Also not sure why you want a kit if 75% of the people have never even driven an RC car, much less built one from scratch. Traxxas kits aren't that hard, but if you have zero experience and don't even know what an ESC or receiver is and have like an 80% chance of probably building the car wrong the first time. Trust me, people have enough problems even getting an RTR to run reliably.

Kits are great once you've had an RTR or two and have taken them apart and put them together a few times.

I get that you want to come up with something that the 25% of experienced people would enjoy, but remember it's the 75% you need to make sure have a good experience, so they keep coming back again and again and last long enough in the hobby to turn into the other 25%.