How Fast Are Traxxas RC Cars?

The speed of a particular RC car is something that can mostly be determined by the components and internal makeup of the RC car. Many enthusiasts want to know just how fast their Traxxas RC cars can go, but the thing is, it’s hard to say precisely how fast each Traxxas model is because it can vary.  

How fast a Traxxas RC car can go depends on the specific makeup of the car in question. A lot of Traxxas cars offer high speeds, but the speeds of different Traxxas cars will vary significantly. They do not all have the same speeds as each RC car is designed for a different purpose. 

Some cars are designed to go as fast as possible while other cars are designed for offroading or to crawl over obstacles. These different kinds of RC car styles will all have different top speeds. 

Each Traxxas RC car will have an approximate top speed but that speed will vary depending on the terrain, modifications to the car, gearing, and much more. The table below gives some specific speeds for current models that are made by Traxxas. 

Factors That Determine the Speed of an RC Car 

There are many things that go into making some of the above cars faster or slower than the others. Each of these things work together to make up the RC car’s top speeds. We will discuss the three most important things that go into the speed of an RC car but there are obviously many other smaller parts that can be upgraded or changed to make an RC car go faster. 

The motor of the car

The first thing to think about is whether the motor of the car is brushed or brushless or nitro. As their names imply, brushed motors are motors with brushes while the brushless motors are motors without brushes. While brushed motors use friction to apply a charge to the car, ensuring that less raw power is turned to the real rotation, with brushless motors less energy goes out in the form of heat and noise. As a result, brushless motors are more efficient and offer more speed. With 10-15% more efficiency, the brushless motor is your best option if you’re looking for speed. 

Essentially, the fact that brushless motors are made without a brush is the reason they offer so much speed, because nothing (brushes) is hindering them. 

In general nitro RC cars are normally slower than a car with a brushless motor. The top speed of an RC car with a brushless motor is over 200 MPH while the highest speed a nitro RC car has reached was only slightly above 100 MPH. 

Before you buy an RC car, check the manufacturer’s page to make sure to find detailed information about the car. This is how you can find out what kind of motor the car uses; brushed, brushless, or nitro. Reading reviews from other users may also be a good idea. 

Battery, LiPo vs. NiMH

The speed of your RC car will also largely depend on the kind of batteries the car uses. Does the RC car use LiPo batteries or NiMH batteries? NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries typically provide a lower energy density as well as a lower efficiency. LiPo batteries, on the other hand, provide a lot of efficiency. 

Also, NiMH batteries are safer as well as easier to maintain. However, LiPos are what you can trust if you’re looking to get the highest possible speed. LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries normally provide larger energy density in addition to a higher discharge rate. What this means is that the batteries can send more power at the same time, helping to ensure that the motor receives higher levels of power.  

The gearing

The gearing of your car also goes a long way to determine how much speed the car can provide. You can gain both better speed and better acceleration by simply upgrading your gears. That is if the car does not already provide the speed you want. If you’re thinking of upgrading your gearing, you should consider both the pinion gear and the spur. Upgrading to a smaller pinion gear and a bigger spur will help you get better acceleration, but you may not have the top speed you want. On the other hand, upgrading to a bigger pinion gear and a smaller spur gear will help you gain top speed but slower acceleration. 

If speed is your priority, you will want to go for a bigger pinion gear. 

Some of the Fastest Traxxas Cars 

As can be seen in the table above there are quite a few Traxxas models with very fast top speeds. Some of the fastest ones currently on the market are found below. 

The Traxxas XO-1 

A mere 27 inches long, this RC car  takes after full-scale supercar technologies to help it hit top speeds of over 100 MPH! This four-wheel-drive car will hit over 50 MPH right out of the box, and you can use the included accessories to tune it to 100MPH. The iPhone/Android app connectivity also helps to gain that top speed. This little electric RC vehicle with lightning-quick steering response will also accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 2.3 seconds and 0-100 MPH in 4.9 seconds! 

It comes with two big 3-cell 5000 mAh batteries and a newly developed 1650 Kv motor.

You can read some of the reviews or see more stats on Amazon by clicking here.

To see this model in action check out the video below. 

Traxxas Slash Ultimate 1/10 Scale 4×4 Short Course Truck

This is another high-speed RC truck that hits just over 60mph right out of the box. The Traxxas Slash comes with a brushless VXL motor, including completely waterproof electronics, which lets you race through snow and puddles without causing any issues. The high-volume shocks it comes with is just perfect for any tough terrain that you encounter. There is a TQi 2.4Ghz controller included but, you’ll have to buy a battery and charger and install them before you start driving. A 3S LiPo will give you maximum performance.

You can read reviews of this model on Amazon here. 

You can watch a video about this model below as well.

Traxxas Maxx 1/10 Brushless RTR 4WD Monster Truck 

With an awesome capacity to deal with tough terrains, the Traxxas Maxx 1/10 is the scaled-down and smaller version of the X-Maxx basher. It comes with a brushless motor which ensures that the car offers maximum speed, up to 60+ mph.

It comes with a powerful 32-bit microprocessor-control, which ensures efficient performance and provides long-running time. With a lot of excellent features included to ensure top performance in this car, the Traxxas innovative waterproofing comes right in to make sure that all of its brilliant features are all protected.

You can learn more about this model on Amazon here. 

You can view a full video review below. 

Conclusion

The speed of Traxxas cars can vary quite a lot as seen above with some models only going 20 MPH while others go 100+ MPH! For most people a Traxxas RC car that goes 50-60MPH will be about the right speed for everything that you need. 

There are many things that you can upgrade on most Traxxas models so if you want to go faster you can find a way to do it most of the time. No matter how fast you are wanting to go Traxxas is sure to have a model that will work well for you.