Hey guys just wondering here I was planning on spending about $500 on an RC car. Thanks to Cens trade in program I can get whatever Cen I want and have at least 100 left over. So heres my problem I mainly bash, hardly ever race. My current cars are AE FT T4, Losi BK2, traxxas revo (brushless) and with racing there is only 1 track that has a truggy/ monster class. All the tracks around here are indoor 1/10 class. so ive been looking at the Arena TR and the Nemesis one of the LHS does carry a full line of cen products so thats not going to be a problem its just a little farther away then the other 3. I like the Arena because its low fast on the track strong and wins races its up there in the A mains with alot of high dollar race trucks its just not a joke truck like some other RTRs. The Nemesis what else is to be said its friggin huge fast and built like a bull it would impress anyone who sees it. The downsides of the Arena TR its a truggy and its not going to be as capable on some things as say the nemesis but still capable for what I want to do, gonna need the aluminum servo saver arm, I have heard problems about some engines, and I'm going to have to take it apart to do work on the diffs (to fill with oil but only when I get it). The Nemesis its a monster truck plain and simple its never going to be able to handle like the Arena TR, its heavy and I do alot of walking to my bashing spots a 20 pound truck will be annoying, the engine is a gas hog and not legal at our racetrack but im not doing a ton of racing so thats what the other trucks are for, Im definately not a fan of the style 2 speed on the truck but I dont know of any other trucks as beefy as the nemesis so maybe its built better then past 2 speeds like that, and last but not least the wheels of the nemesis just seem to big to me (but thats just me) so I mainly bash on street, dirt, grass, bike park with some crazy dirt jumps that get my bk2 an average of 10-20 feet of air so these cars will see a TON of air, and while at the bike park there is almost always a crowd forming so a truck that could survive a backflip or 2 would be great. My personal preference is about 55% arena 45% Nemesis so its very close to me. So I must ask which one?

IMO go the Arena...truggies are a great all rounder...

I can vouch for the rtr truggy, very rugged and keeps up with pro truggies at my local track ( i have a picco p3 28 though, original engine died but cen have it and are awaiting a new lot of sh 28 to replace mine with). I bash it hard as well and its been great, seen plenty of big air, with a good few cartwheels and nothing has broken on the truggy, touch wood Bought cnc bell crank, cnc front shock tower, red mugen springs and some badlands tyres for when my track gets wet. Puts a big smile on my face every time i start it

Well Ace,

After reading your post and all that you plan to do and how high you plan on jumping, and after careful consideration, I am going to have go with the other fellas and recommend the Arena. It is a much lighter truck and wont be as likely to destroy itself, the nemesis is one bad assed truck and would handle landings from those heights if you land it on the wheels, but if you happen to land on the top of the engine, Unless you have a cage that can take it, you could do this:



It might surprize a few here that I would recommend the Matrix TR over the Nemesis but if you think about it, and take into consideration what you plan on doing with it, then it just makes sense. The intended abuse you will put it thru WILL break it!! And there is no sense recommending something I know you will break!! A truck this size and weight will make a dent in the dirt if land wrong, but Arena wouldn't.

Whoah dogman that must have been one hell of a bad landing! I have landed my arena "wonky" plenty of times on a pretty rough track and it cartweels and lands on its roof or end up in bushes, hell i have even had arguments with bad trees before and my arena keeps ploughing along, love it great truggy.

That was NOT my wreck!! I ran across this about a year ago and watched the video pf the guy who's truck it unfortunately was, he with abounch of other fellas jumping of off a cliif at the beach(about 20 Feet up) and landed kinda on the rear end and on the roof, that why I put a brace in my nemesis for the top of the rear shock tower down to the motorplate just in front of the motor. It helps keep the shock tower from pushing into the header and engine on a very hard rear end landing, its helped alot so far!!! I have made some very questionable errors in judgements on my aerobatic landings, My rear shocks are scarred for life from it.




Good luck with your choice acexxxoasis

One small part of all that made me lol "jumping of off a cliif". I think 6-8 ft is the most air i have got on my local tracks "big" jump, my arena is easy to throttle flat and land nicely now i have learned how to do it. Local track can be seen [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_KiiLedfgw]Here[/link]
mainly bashed, my cen isn't in that vid will post one when i am tho.

well thats nice to know. and I know how much stronger the truggys can be compared to the 1/10 electric (but man the BK2 took a beating just hard to find parts for anymore) and the last truggy I had was a beastly truck but it had its big weak points (kingpin bolt fell out every run silly XTM Mammoth ST) and I've been doing alot of research on this truck cant wait till RC Driver does their review ( I already read XRC and RCCA reviews) I feel Skinny has put alot of information into his review. but thank you guys for a fair opinion I had a feeling it would be the arena but Ill still wait a little more for more responses thank you guys! Also the RTR seems like its full of niceties except servos and radio but I have radio system but the number one upgrade for the TR besides the aluminum servo saver arm and servos would it be tires and wheel?

well to let you in on the bashing spot its a 6 foot dirt jump with a good 80 foot run up to it and its a modified kicker that is very straight but its got a transition that makes it alot like a vert jump so it kicks the truck high into the air and there is A TON of hangtime the only problem is there is not a downslope to land on.

The rtr servos and radio are pretty good for a rtr i havn't felt the need to replace the servos but i may go 2.4ghz just to max my time at the track. The newer rtr comes with the the much better sh 28 engine as well. Stock rtr tires are pretty good if a little soft and can balloon easily but pretty good considdering. The best upgrade other than what you have already said would be the springs, get the mugen red springs, got mine for $12 delivered, they are longer and have more coils and can even be used without spacers.

sweet so mugen springs the main problem ive heard with the stock servos is they are slower then molasses on a cold day lol but Im no pro so they may work for me not to mention I can always set the radio to have more of a direct feel by adjusting my subtrim up till its right before its on throttle I love having my radio I understand completely why people suggest having an upgraded radio I use a 3pmFS I just wish futaba digital servos werent so expensive so I can use high res mode

Servos are rated to 144oz 0.18s/60 if that reliable i don't know but they seem to do fine for me i may upgrade the steering servo in the future though as even for my level i can tell this is where i will want my next performance hike, anyone around intermediate level will probably need something a bit quicker and then you may as well go FRE kit. The radio is a skyion and can be seen [link=http://www.cenracing.com/skyion.html]here[/link] i ahve to be honest and say all i do is turn it on and go, im not abig fan of wheel transmitters and will go stick 2.4ghz as soon as ripmax supply the futaba i want later this week.. hopefully

I wrote this on another forum but i will put it here for you to read ace. I am a racer all the way. My truggy is only run on a track that myself, cousin, and uncle built in my back yard or on the club track. I run about 80% at my track but at the club track i push the truggy to 110% and i have only broke one thing at the club track and that was a front A arm but the was becuase i hit a fence post at full tilt with the right front tire. And with the tires I really like them they hook up great. Two things i dont like about the tires are they can't be put on any other rim then stock and they are to soft and ballon easly, other then that i like the tires but i wanna run 1/2 offset dish rims and i cant with them. I would post a pic of my TR but i dont know how. So other then that i will let you read.

I have had my TR for about 4 months now and what can I say it’s awesome. My uncle and cousin are running Kyosho ST US Sports (pimped out with all STR parts and upgrades) and my TR runs with and can lead them around the track, but that mainly as to do with the driver because comparing trucks im way out classed. Im running basically all stock except for servos (Hitec(steering) and JR(throttle soon to be a futaba), radio, knuckles, front lower and upper suspension braces, rear lower suspension brace, servo saver, and himoto wing. I was running with them with the stock rtr engine and my uncle has a werks .28 and my cousin has an lrp .28. But im going to be putting an axial .28 with a JP-3 pipe on so I should have no problem running with them now. The only reason im going to a different engine is I finally toasted the stock GO engine after 4 1/2 gallons. Don’t get me wrong this truck was a female dog when I first got it. It didn’t want to tune, run, or stay running. I was at the point of selling it and getting the Kyosho (also one mean machine) but I stuck with it and im happy I did. I replaced the servos and all of the tuning problems went away and the TR found a safe home on my work bench. I have only 4 bad reports for the RTR TR. 1) pull start broke bought a starter box (OFN10245 OFNA 1/8 and 1/10 Off Road Starter Box 49.99 at amains) didn't do anything else to the motor. Actually it wasn't the pull start that broke it was the pin that turns the crank shaft and the pin on the crank shaft two different times and locked the engine up both times. Good thing it was on trying to start and not after it was running. Flushed engine out and stopped using the PS. 2) Red lock tight don't get me wrong I love the idea of the lock tight but come on red that’s like the hardest stuff, blue works wonders on RC. 3) Servos and receiver. Servos suck and receiver is just too generic to be trust worthy had 2 crazy out of control situations, hens the new radio. 4) Wing mounts really weak, but that is because of all of the adjustment options. So I just run with mine on the lowest option and I haven't had a problem with the mounts again and it’s been over 2 months now. (But im not upside down as much anymore). I have only broken a few things. 1)1 front and rear A arm 2) rear brake camshaft 3) wing mounts 4) rim 5) front diff housing 6)bent a shock shaft but able to straighten it. And I think that everything. Mods I have done to the TR. 1) dremeld out the dust guards on the spindle carrier and on the servo saver plastic parts to get a better turning radius. 2) put a 1/4" fuel line on front shock shafts to stop dog bones from coming out 3) put a rear hinge pin in each of the front turnbuckles. I was sick of straitening them so I bought a new set and put the pins in and after 4 races no bend. (Just have to use a pair of pliers to adjust them.) And I think that everything.