The Vendetta TC has a very aerodynamic body styled after the bigger 1/10th scale bodies used in national events. The slope of the hood, windshield, and the open area of the wheel wells are designed to cut drag as much as possible. The rear wing is functional in providing down force and keeping the rear end from moving around too much at high speeds. It fastens to the body with screws and even after multiple wrecks and bumps on the track, has yet to tear off. The paint on the TC is very high quality and comes in 6 different schemes to help differentiate yours from the rest of the pack. A clear version is also available if you want to customize your TC further. The finish of the body and wing are superb; no burrs or bad cuts to note. The height of the body can be adjusted by moving the support pins up or down on the plastic body posts.

With the body removed, we see a chassis that is very similar the other Vendettas. But don't let it fool you, the TC has many parts it calls it's own, and is unique in many ways. The front foam bumper is stiff enough to stay together after repeated abuse, but soft enough to absorb some serious frontal loads. The bottom of the bumper attaches to a plastic plate which also protects the foam from abrasion when running on concrete and asphalt.

The chassis is a plastic tub design that is very rigid and has almost zero flex. Its just wide enough to accommodate a 2/3a 6-cell stick pack and a full size servo. The layout is as follows; the battery runs longitudinally on the left side, the motor and steering servo are on the right side. The battery is held down with a plastic strap that slides into a slot up front and attaches with a body pin in the rear. Atop the battery strap sit the electronic speed control and receiver. Down the center of the chassis runs the blue anodized aluminum drive shaft. At each end of the chassis are the differentials. The bottom half of each diff case is moulded into the chassis. The gear differentials drop in and the top case halves are screwed down.

The TC features a 380-sized performance motor dubbed the VR3. This little black motor is just the ticket for the Vendetta TC and boasts great torque and an impressive top speed. The VR3 comes with a motor plug soldered on and it's sealed so there's no option to change the brushes once they wear down. That shouldn't happen very often, but if you do need to replace the motor, you can purchase it for only $15.99 through Tower Hobbies. The Esc used is the ESC750. This is an update from the older ESC500 that ships with the Vendetta buggy. The ESC7500 features brake and reverse and will not go into reverse unless the trigger is brought to neutral after the brake is applied. There is an on/off switch located on the right side of the unit that can be accessed with the body on. After running hot laps with the Vendetta, the esc was only warm to the touch and I feel it should last for a long time.

From the motor, power is transferred through a 20T pinion gear and a 42T spur gear. The spur is mounted on the shaft drive, connecting the front and rear differentials. The diffs then transfer power to the wheels through the universal driveshafts. Running universal shafts are better than standard dog bones due to decreased drag and better operation at steeper angles. Speaking of reducing drag, there are two ball bearings supporting each universal shaft at all four corners. The suspension arms are held on with captured hinge pins vs using small c-clips that can get lost easily. One screw holds the caps on for quick removal if necessary. At the rear, camber is adjusted by turning the turnbuckle connecting the hub to the differential. Rear toe-in is set at about 1.5 degrees from the factory. The front end has a little more adjustability built in and you have full control over the front track width, toe, camber, and caster. Track and camber are adjusted by turning the pivot balls on the front hubs while the caster is adjusted by adding an adjuster clip in front or behind the upper arm. Droop is also adjustable and is done by turning the grub screws located on the upper suspension arms.

The blue anodized aluminum shocks are a great addition to the already aluminum-laden Vendetta chassis. They feature knurled ride height adjusters instead of those cheap shock clips that are a pain to pull off and get lost easily. The rebound and dampening is great for such small shocks. The Vendetta comes stock with medium (yellow) shock springs and different rates are available from Duratrax. The TC shocks can be mounted in multiple positions on the anodized shock towers and the a-arms. By changing the shock positions at the top and bottom, you can effect handling characteristics such as high and slow speed steering, rear tire grip, and faster/slower suspension reaction. With all the suspension adjustments on the Vendetta TC, it makes a great platform to experiment with tuning and learn the ropes of racing.

The steering system on the Vendetta TC is a dual bell crank setup with an aluminum steering drag link connecting the two. A plastic servo saver is built-in to the steering horn and slides over the servo output splines. A standard analog servo with plastic internal gears is used to turn the wheels. Its pretty average when it comes to speed but gets the job done and torque is really not an issue with this small vehicle.

The transmitter included with the TC is a Tactic am 2-channel pistol grip with a few standard functions. It features servo reversing and steering/throttle trim knobs. With alot of companies offering rubber and foam steering wheel grips, I think the plastic wheel on the Tactic feels a little outdated. The Tactic receiver is also a pretty standard unit and works as expected. I drove down the street and up a gentle hill to make a few fast passes and the two stayed connected at almost 50 yards away. Not too bad for an am system.

The Vendetta TC requires a 2/3a 6-cell flat pack, a NiMh charger, and 8aa batteries for the transmitter. Once you have them, charge a fresh pack, install the antenna tube, and apply the Vendetta logo stickers to your liking. That's all the TC needs to get it moving... and rather quickly at that. From the factory, the ride height was set too low which caused the body to drag in the corners. A few turns of the ride height adjusters solved the problem in a matter of seconds.

The Vendetta was tested at Nexus Racing's indoor carpet track in Atlanta, GA. during a Wednesday night practice session. Racer Eddie Colon piloted the Vendetta and really showed what this little 1/18th scale touring car is capable of. The first thing we did was to add some traction compound to the tires and let it soak in for a few minutes. This makes the tires more sticky and results in increased grip on an otherwise slippery carpet track. After a few short laps, we realized the ride height was too low so we turned the shock adjusters enough to raise it a few millimeters. That was all the Vendetta needed and Eddie began cutting laps at an impressive pace for someone who had never driven this car before.

The VR3 motor is quite powerful for an rtr setup and made the Vendetta blast down the back straight faster than the stock 1/12th pan cars he was running with. Through the technical sections of the track, the TC held its line firmly with little noticeable under steer in the turns. Acceleration was strong out of the turns and the Vendetta exhibited little wandering from the rear end when traveling down the back straight.

One thing we noted is that, while the stock steering servo turns the wheels quickly for sport driving, the reaction time needed to compete in a race is very fast, and the stock servo was just slightly behind the curve. This shouldn't be a problem for anyone having fun on the track or racing your buddies, but if your serious about competition, you might want to upgrade to a high-speed steering servo.

I tested the top speed of the Vendetta TC on the street behind my house and used a small Garmin Forerunner 201, which I feel had very little effect on the TC's performance. In fact, its so small that I could lay it on the chassis and put the body on during the runs. The TC had a best speed of 26.4mph and a total run time of 15 minutes and 27 seconds before a noticeable dump in power. That's very impressive for this little car and the new DTX 1600mAh battery definitely contributes to the extended run times.

The only broken part I suffered was the rear hub. The area that attaches to the upper arm is relatively thin and can break if you slam into a wall on the track. I broke 2 of them over the course of a week but I'm not the best driver out there and the Vendetta saw it's fair share of the guardrail when I was driving. The hubs are very inexpensive and I suggest you pick up a few if your starting out, or buy the optional aluminum hubs and take the weak link out of the equation.

The Vendetta handles like a modded car, but costs a rtr car price. It has upgraded features like aluminum oil-filled shocks with adjusters, true touring car suspension adjustability, a quick motor and a stylish body. Beginners and pros alike can have fun with the Vendetta at the carpet or asphalt track, or in the parking lot or driveway. The Vendetta TC is true performance that won't damage your wallet. If your looking for a small electric on road with big power and handling, please checkout the Vendetta TC. Thanks for reading my review and have fun with it!

Duratrax Vendetta TC 1/18th RTR
Distributed Exclusively by:
Great Planes Model Distributors
P.O. Box 9021; Champaign, IL 61826-9021


Nexus Racing
1720 Cumberland Point Drive, Ste 9
Marietta, Georgia 30067 (USA)

Web Site: www.nexusracing.com

Track Web site: www.track.nexusracing.com

Thanks to racer Eddie Colon for helping me test the Vendetta TC.