I am looking for some advice from anyone who races. I am going to get into RC Touring Cars, but I am having a hard time deciding which to plunk down the hard earned dollars for: Nitro or Electric. I am really interested in racing, not much else. I won't be doing much parking lot type stuff unless it is to practice racing. I am lucky enough to have 2 busy tracks near me both outdoors. What I want to know is which type of car should I start out with? I am looking at several brands, but mostly the HPI stuff. By the time it is all said and done there isn't a huge price difference between the two types so which is better and why? I have been into RC planes for a while so I have some gear that will transfer like a good charger and associated tools. Thanks for any help!

I can't tell you much about on-road stuff, but I suggest nitro, alot of fun and it has it's up's and it's down's but 100x better then electric.

Try search.......

[link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3869259/anchors_3869259/mpage_1/
key_nitro%252Celectric/anchor/tm.htm#3869259[/link]

[link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3794819/anchors_3794819/mpage_1/
key_nitro%252Celectric/anchor/tm.htm#3794819[/link]

[link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3796337/anchors_3796337/mpage_1/
key_nitro%252Celectric/anchor/tm.htm#3796337[/link]

[link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3796269/anchors_3796269/mpage_1/
key_nitro%252Celectric/anchor/tm.htm#3796269[/link]

[link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3705355/anchors_3705355/mpage_1/
key_nitro%252Celectric/anchor/tm.htm#3705355[/link]

[link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3583548/anchors_3583548/mpage_1/
key_nitro%252Celectric/anchor/tm.htm#3583548[/link]

And that is just since november

No it's not.... who's giving you this information....

there both bad - Goto petrol 1/5th's

Ha he said petrol.....

Electric and nitro are both good these days. It's just personal preferance. I know it's a total misconception but even with a nice electric it just feels more like a toy than something with a real engine on it.

Technically it is a toy, nitro or electric.....

depends what your going to do with your car. If your racing do nitro, but of course you could just buy a brushless motor for it.

Well, I'm sure you know what I mean. I know it's really not true because there are some electrics taht are just as nice as nitros, but IMO a nitro feels more like an adult hobby while electrics feel like kids toys. I guess that's because I like working on 1:1 cars.

1/1 that most be preety big

Nitro guys just don't like to hear how electrics can whoop them.... Not out of the box of course but with a good brushless setup......[:-]

I have both, and bash and race both.

We have people who love nitro and people who love electric. No one is right or wrong, it is all about the enjoyment you get while working on and running the car/truck. I don't think anyone can define which is "better." Some people love working on their engines, so nitro is great for them. Some people love to be able to charge up and go, so electric is great for them. Electric is certainly easier to get into, deducting cost from the initiating factor. In 8 Ball's situation, I think it depends on what he will be racing against and what appeals to him most.

yeah it is... as in normal full size cars

Thank you all for your great posts! It appears there is less of a performance/run time difference between the two than I thought. As I said, I have been into RC planes for a few years and have both electric and nitro birds. Strangely, the same situation applies there: Electric planes are easier to maintain (less vibration no fuel), but generally offer less performance until you go with a brushless/Lipo setup.

I am trying to decide between the HPI Pro4 or 18SS. My LHS supports them and I like to support the locals. My goal is to get into 1/8 scale racing so I am leaning towards the nitro kit for the experience factor. Is the 18SS a decent choice for racing and growth?

probly better off getting a tried and true team associated nitro TC 3 setup. but ive nothing against HPI they are a good car.

Dann

Lol - After using petrol 1/5th's my 1/10 nitro feels like a little toy lol. buzzing around and so tiny and stuff :P

Well crap...I am just learning as I go here, but I just found out that I can't use the .18 motor for racing? So this car may be off my radar now. It looks like I can get the R40 and buy a different engine though... Anyone have any thoughts on that chassis?




Driving, Crashing....Learning.

If you think that's tiny try 1/18

If you are gonna race get a Serpent or Mugen, they are made for racing. Most organized races require .12 sized engines for touring-cars I believe.

It depends on what your budget is really.

I was hoping to pick up car and engine for about 350.00 or so. I have a radio already (Spektrum) and I have a pretty decent support setup from my plane experience. Now that I know the specs for racing I will have to look at a few different cars. I am sort of disappointed...I was looking forward to the 18SS...*sigh* I will look at the Serpent and the Mugen. Thanks for the suggestion.