| ext">It doesn't matter if you are eight or eighty, if you | | | | On-road vehicles (on-road here refers to a smooth, |
| love cars and enjoy tinkering about, then racing radio | | | | paved surface rather than the road itself) are designed |
| controlled cars can provide you with endless hours of | | | | for speed and are clearly the option if you wish to |
| fun and excitement. But there are hurdles that you | | | | race your car. |
| have to cross before you get to the race track and, if | | | | If, however, you are not principally concerned with |
| you are a newcomer to the world of radio controlled | | | | racing then there are a wide variety of off-road |
| cars then there are a number of things that you will | | | | vehicles available including trucks and buggies which |
| need to think about. | | | | can provide immense fun negotiating rough terrain, |
| Many people are amazed at just how exciting the | | | | obstacle courses and even jumps. |
| world of radio controlled car racing has become in | | | | 3. Do you want an electric vehicle or a nitro powered |
| recent years with modern hobby cars reaching | | | | car? |
| speeds of 60 mph and featuring complex suspension | | | | Electrically powered vehicles provide the simplest |
| systems that can be tuned in much the same way as | | | | option and use rechargeable batteries. They are both |
| those of a real car. But perhaps the best feature of | | | | clean and quiet but, for many hobbyists, they lack the |
| today's radio controlled cars is the wide variety of | | | | realism that gives radio controlled car racing its true |
| different vehicles available. | | | | excitement. |
| When the time comes to buy your first radio controlled | | | | Nitro powered vehicles, on the other hand, offer the |
| car you will need to begin by considering three things: | | | | sound (tuned pipe), sights (smoke) and smell (exhaust) |
| 1. Do you want to buy a ready-to-run vehicle or to build | | | | of a real car. They do however require considerably |
| your own car from a kit? | | | | more maintenance than their electric counterparts and |
| There is no doubt that building your own car has many | | | | this is something that the novice needs to take into |
| advantages, not least the fact that you will find it easy | | | | consideration. Although the quality of nitro powered |
| to maintain the vehicle and to make alterations to it if | | | | cars in the past left a lot to be desired, in recent years |
| you choose to, but this is certainly not an easy option | | | | they have been greatly improved in terms of not only |
| for the beginner. Although they are a little more | | | | their performance but also their safety and reliability. |
| expensive, for younger racers and to get you up and | | | | Having considered the options of ready-to-run or kit |
| running quickly, you would probably be best advised to | | | | cars, on-road or off-road and whether you want an |
| start with a ready-to-run car and then move on to | | | | electric or nitro powered car, the next step is to visit |
| building your own radio controlled car at a later date. | | | | your local supplier and take a look at the huge range |
| 2. Do you want an on-road or an off-road vehicle? | | | | of cars available. |