The selling point for the Traxxas XO-1 is dead simple: "100+ MPH out of the box." Seriously, do you need anything else to make RC fans drool?

Measuring 27 inches long, this isn't a compact racer for leisurely racing around your local tracks. Heck, no. Designed strictly for expert RC drivers, this is a serious piece of equipment that performs like a real car. Only smaller.

The Traxxas XO-1 can hit 100 mph in as little as five seconds, going from 0 to 60 in just 2.3 ticks. You don't need to tweak any part of the vehicle to reach those speeds, although Traxxas requires you to tune it using a downloadable iPhone app (called Traxxas Link) that can dock into the all-new Traxxas TQI radio system. With the app, you get a full-color graphical UI that lets you optimize the radio to achieve the downright ridiculous numbers.

­Specs include a 1650 Kv Big Block brushless motor, Castle Mamba ESC, shaft-driven 4WD, bellcrank steering and sealed hardened steel bevel differential. Notable features include numerous machined aluminum parts, SS dual-CV driveshafts, onboard air-management system and the patent-pending Cush Drive for absorbing drivetrain shocks.

Billed as the world's fastest "ready-to-race" supercar, the Traxxas XO-1 will retail for $1099.99.

SPECIFICATIONS

Length: ­27 inches (686mm)
Front Track: 11.61 inches (295mm)
Rear Track: 11.81 inches (300mm)
Center Ground Clearance: ­ 0.59 inches (15mm)
Weight: ­8.6 lbs (3.9 kg) (w/o batteries)
10.3 lbs (4.67 kg) (with batteries)
Height (overall): ­5 inches (127.5mm)
Wheelbase: 15.91 inches (404mm)
Front Shock Length: 3.27 inches (83mm)
Rear Shock Length: 3.39 inches (86mm)
Front Tires (pre-glued): Belted Slick Front (4.29" x 1.7")
Rear Tires (pre-glued): Belted Slick Rear (4.29" x 2")
Front Wheels: 3.3" Split-Spoke™ (black-chrome)
with 17mm splined hex
Rear Wheels: 3.3" Split-Spoke™ (black-chrome)
with 17mm splined hex

[Traxxas]

We love Tamiya's RC releases of Japanese street cars and this sexy beast from 1978 rightfully makes me just a little giddy. I know, that's a stupid thing to say about radio-controlled cars, but the Mazda RX-7 is one of my favorite Japanese machines ever.

The Tamiya Mazda RX-7 is a 1/10-scale model, available in kit form. While you won't exactly be putting together a front mid-engine rotary engine (since it's, you know, a model toy), we reckon you can still geek out assembling this.

The dual-seater coupe body (polycarbonate, with a full set of stickers for the trim) is mounted on an M-06 mini chassis, with a rear wheel drive and a long wheelbase configuration. You get a 4-wheel double wishbone suspension, dog-bone driveshafts, transmission gear differential and oil-filled CVA plastic damper shock units.

Tamiya 540-J brushed motor and ESC are included, but you'll have to buy the radio gear and batteries (it's compatible with NiCad, NiMh, LiPo and LiFe) separately. It uses 60D Radial tires in front and 60D Super Grip Radial tires in the rear.

While this isn't the first time Tamiya released a Mazda RX-7 model, this is the first one I remember with the very first one in the line. It should be available in your local hobby stores now, priced at around $235.

[TamiyaUSA]

Want to drive Vaughn Gittin Jr.'s championship-winning drifter? While that's a dream that isn't likely to happen, you can mimic the thrills with this 1/10-scale recreation: the HPI Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang E10 Drift RTR.

A detailed reproduction of the original, this ready-to-run model features a finished body with full Monster Energy/Falken Tire graphics, HRE wheels and Falken Zenis T-Drift tires, all officially licensed from the original manufacturers. While specifically designed for drifting, a few tweaks on existing parts (no additions needed) will let you easily convert it into a street touring machine, effectively extending the enjoyment you can get out of it (you'll need to move the motor and radio equipment to optimize weight balance, though).

The HPI Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang E10 Drift RTR features a full-time 4WD, independent suspension and a large foam bumper to aid in your drifting adventures across paved parking lot surfaces. Providing muscle is a Saturn 27T electric motor, paired with a SC-15WP electronic speed control. The pre-assembled chassis and frame uses standard mounting points, so you can also replace the included Ford Mustang body with different shells currently available from HPI Racing -- an excellent option if you're thinking of using the ride as a touring machine at some point.

All in all, the HPI Monster Energy/Falken Tire 2011 Ford Mustang E10 Drift RTR offers one of the easiest ways to get into the drifting scene. You literally just pop it out of the box, charge and hit the pavement. Price sounds sweet, too, at $349.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Length: 14.8" (375mm)
Width: Adjustable 7.32", 7.56", 7.80" (186, 192, 198mm)
Wheelbase: 10" (255mm)
Weight: 2.8lbs. w/o body (1280g)
Drive System: Shaft Drive 4WD
Drive Ratio: 7.48:1

Hankering to add a new short course buggy to your roster of RC racers? The Losi 1/10 RTR XXX SCB could prove an interesting pick, with its realistic good looks and the proven of the XXX platform.

Ready to run right out of the box (well, you'll need to throw in a battery, but that's it), the toy car comes painted and decorated in one of three styles: Stronghold, Rockstar and Readylift. The body graphics look awesome, with detailed appearance cues lathered from bumper to bumper, including a fully-designed cockpit with window nets and an elaborate driver figure.

The 1/10 RTR XXX SCB is a 1/10-scale vehicle with a three-piece Lexan desert buggy body. Designed for tough off-road performance, it's got durable composite-molded XXX chassis, nerf bars, beadlock-style wheels with treads similar to the Eclipse Short Course Trucks, realistic bumpers and a bad-ass roll cage.

A Losi LM-32K performance motor provides the muscle, aided by a three-gear transmission with sealable differential, a 2S LiPo-compatible ESC and a Spektrum SR300 receiver. Other details include oil-filled aluminum shocks, a digital steering servo and adjustable slipper clutch.

All three Losi 1/10 RTR XXX Short Course Buggy models -- Stronghold, Rockstar and Readylift -- are available now, priced at $249.99.

Specifications

Scale: 1/10
Length: 20.078 in (510mm)
Width: 11.42 in (290mm)
Height: 7.24 in (184mm)
Wheelbase: 12.95 in (329mm)
Weight: 4.25 lb (1.92 kg)
Motor or Engine: Losi LM-32K performance motor
Speed Control: LiPo-compatible ESC
Radio: Spektrum 2.4GHz DSM Losi radio system

[Losi]

Want to replicate Ken Block's gymkhana antics plastered all over YouTube? Perform your on-road acrobatics in scaled-down mode with the Traxxas Ken Block Gymkhana Fiesta, which mimics the champion driver's full-size Ford Fiesta competition car.

Just like in a real gymkhana course, you can use the 1/16th-scale vehicle to perform reversals, figure 8s, drifts, 180-degree spins, 360-degree spins and other acrobatic skills. Even better, you'll be doing your tire-smoking obstacle clearing with a finely-tuned machine, clad with an unmistakable replica of the Ken Block Monster Energy graphics found on the original ride, with paint job courtesy of ProGraphix.

The Traxxas Ken Block Gymkhana Fiesta comes fully-assembled and ready to race, with a Velineon 380 brushless motor, a VXL-3m ESC, a 7.2-volt 6-cell NiMH battery and a TQ 2.4GHz radio system. The full-time 4WD can do 30 mph on the included battery, which you can extend to over 50mph with additional juice and a Traxxas speed connector.

It utilizes the same F1-inspired suspension system used in the Traxxas Revo, engineered to offer precise and accurate control with the new vehicle's 1/16th frame. Other details include threaded-body GTR shocks, rally-tuned progressive-rate springs, waterproof electronics, sealed differentials, Volk TE37 racing wheels and Gymkhana-compound slick tires.

If you've ever watched a competition along a gymkhana course, you can imagine just how fun and challenging that can be. Now, you can enjoy it at the local course with the Traxxas Ken Block Gymkhana Fiesta. No pricing yet, but expect it to drop just in time for the year-end holidays.

[Traxxas]

You may not be able to buy a hydrogen car to park in your garage just yet (there's a good possibility you never will), but you can build one to put on the stand right next to your Traxxas Slash and HPI Blitz. Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies just began shipments for their H-Cell 2.0, the world's first hydrogen fuel cell hybrid powertrain platform for radio-controlled machines.

Emulating the function of real-scale, zero-emission hydrogen powertrains, the system lets you shed the traditional all-electric power source from any RC kit, replacing it with a hydrogen-based hybrid system (such as the Tamiya TRF416 in the picture). We do mean any RC kit, as it can be set up to run on boats, planes and even robots too.

We're still not completely clear on the installation, but you basically get a fuel cell powertrain with two refillable HydroSTICK cartridges lining up with the two sides of the chassis. Each cartridge carries 10L of hydrogen, which translates to about 12Wh of energy to power the vehicle's movement. It works hand-in-hand with a lithium battery that provides peak power for acceleration and high-speed requests, while the hydrogen system handles cruise power, apart from replenishing the battery throughout its use. According to Horizon, this allows hobby-grade RC vehicles to run with 3 to 4 times more endurance than all-electric versions of the exact same model.

But how do you replenish the hydrogen cartridges? You do it using HydroFILL, a separately-sold, small-scale hydrogen refueling station that can recharge your canisters automatically using water and electricity. They also have a solar panel kit that you can use, in case you don't have a wall plug available (like if you find yourself in the middle of the park).

There's still no pricing for the Horizon H-Cell 2.0, but they'll be doing the trade show rounds beginning June. Expect an actual release very soon.

[Horizon Fuel Cell via Engadget]

Looking to take your RC down the tracks for the first time? No need to mince words, you'll probably lose. Just because your chances of winning are slim doesn't mean you shouldn't do your best, right? After all, giving it all is how you improve in this game.

1. Aim for consistency. Your first couple of times racing should be about trying to get consistent lap times. Forget about beating that obnoxious loud dude and his beefed-up truck. Instead, aim to run a consistent course lap to lap.

2. Let faster trucks have their way. Sure, you can be competitive and refuse to give way during tangles. Do realize it's the easiest way to slow everyone down, including yourself, apart from heightening the chances of accidents occurring. Unless you've got a good shot at winning, wrecking your truck isn't worth the ego boost. You can get them later - after putting in some practice time.

3. Make sure your car can handle the occasional nervous driving. Racing brings out everyone's nerves. That means a potentially disastrous trigger finger at the most inopportune times. As long as your vehicle can recover and keep itself from spinning out, you'll be fine.

4. Watch experienced racers run the course. If you get the chance, watch some of the more experienced drivers handle the course. What lines are they talking? Where do they go fast or slow? Which jumps are they going for and which ones are they passing on? Seeing that gives you a good idea of how you should handle the tracks come race time.

Your RC won't start, has come to a sudden halt or runs like it just woke up from 100 years of slumber. Don't panic. Most of the time, it's actually just a little snag that won't require an engineering degree (or plenty of RC experience) to fix. In fact, it's probably an obvious problem. Here's a laundry list of what you need to check.

1. Switches. Are you sure the car is turned on? Believe it or not, this is the most common culprit for novice drivers suddenly screaming like they're about to cry. Check the power switch on the vehicle and check your transmitter too. If both are turned on, then you're not stupid. Congratulations.

2. Transmitter. Are you sure you have the right one for the car you're using? Look for the frequency label on both the vehicle and the transmitter. Oooops. If that's not the culprit, check the antennas. Make sure they're not damaged and are installed properly.

3. Batteries. Change the batteries (or install them, in case you forgot - duh). Make sure you insert it snugly, facing the right directions.

4. Fuel. If you're driving a nitro RC, check the fuel tank. In case it's not running on empty, check the fuel system. Warning: this can get a bit involved. First, try adjusting the fuel mixture (leaning out or enriching it) and see if that solves the problem. If not, look for bends or tears in the fuel line, as well as blockage (you have to disconnect it). Also, inspect the tank and lids for any air leaks.

5. Servos. We're getting a bit more advanced here, but this is usually the problem when you can make the RC do some things but not others (that it's supposed to - you can't expect a monster truck to fly 30 feet in the air). To test, unplug the servos and put them on a different receiver, then check if it responds properly.

Now, if none of those things are the culprit, then you might have a more serious problem on your hands. Unless you know what you're doing, we recommend just going down to your local shop to have them take a look.

Here's something new for fans of older racers to watch out for: an upcoming Tamiya model of the 1971 East African Safari Rally superstar, the Nissan Datsun 240Z.  If you're not familiar with that 6,200 km race, the #11 240Z basically took it all - Overall Victory, Class Victory, Team Victory and Manufacturers Championship, along with the hearts of every spectator looking on.

The Tamiya RC Datsun 240Z Rally Version is a 1/10th scale model that revives the legendary vehicle that both Herrman and Schuller drove during that period.  Reproduction looks very good from the photos, managing to produce a really cool-looking vehicle that will continue to turn heads even to this day.

Available as a kit, the package includes a polycarbonate body (with bundled, non-applied stickers and masking seals), all the molded resin exterior components in the photo (including the front/rear bumpers, hood spotlights sans the LEDs and light cases), black offset wheels and Rally Block tires.  A Type 540 motor and a TEU-104BK ESC comes with the box as well, although you'll have to purchase the 2-channel R/C system, battery pack and charger separately.

Not much info on the chassis, along with the rest of the parts, so it's best to wait for more details before deciding on this one.  While I doubt this can stand up to HPI's awesome Cup Racer version of the same vehicle, the Tamiya RC Datsun 240Z Rally Car is easily the better-looking one.  The scale reproduction is just hot.  There's no exact availability date, although pre-orders are priced between $220 and $250.

Slated for release in the Spring, the HPI Blitz ESE vows to take short course RC to the next level.   Throwing in a ton of premium upgrades to the already impressive 2WD's stock chassis, this can make an excellent replacement for your worn-down Blitz or a powerful entry to the short course truck scene.

Available as a kit, you can let your creativeness shine through as you customize the included ATTK-10 clear body with a paint job of your choice.  It comes with a set of graphic elements and official logos to help you out in decorating, as well.

The Blitz ESE boasts a stiffer composite main chassis that claims overall quicker response.  Color coded performance parts (white, cool gray and warm gray) let you see high-response parts at a glance, apart from lending it a more attractive appearance.  Of course, it's only likely to remain that way until the first time it tastes dirt, at which point it will have to say hello to your favorite scrub.

HPI wasn't short on superlatives when describing the release.  Precise steering and cornering from the firm front and rear arms, tougher skid plates for aggressive take-offs and landings, firmer bumpers for stronger and a whole host of other tune-ups have been outlined that make it a potentially super fast ride.

You'll have to supply a lot of the parts for this kit, including the motor, batteries, servos, wheels and tires.  This adds a laundry list of things for you to pick up, but allows for plenty of customization on actual racing abilities.  Expect the HPI Racing Blitz ESE Kit around April for a $250 price.

[HPI Racing]