Helion Criterion available at Hobby Town USA 30+ mph RTR

Well I kept seeing ads for this buggy and decided to have a look see at what this buggy is all about . 

From what can be seen from the pictures available at this time Helion didn't really set out to break the mold but this isn't a bad thing as the basic buggy design is very reliable and with the addition of a substantial amount of plastic added to the most easily damaged areas such as the front shock tower I think this looks like a good basher for the person who may think about racing .

The first thing that intrigued me was the claim of  class leading top speeds . Upon further investigation I can say it probably does have the hottest sealed can brushed motor I have ever heard of since it is a 12 turn 540 motor instead of the  12 turn 550 motor some are using these days. What this means is more RPM for your money . As of this moment the next nastiest sealed can 540's are the 15 turn motors from HPI,Arrma, and dynamite so this should be a big kick in the pant's compared to the other offerings . 

The buggy also comes with front and rear 12mm wheel hexes The specs list the wheels as Team Associated and Kyosho compatible now thats a smart move.

I'm also glad that they include ball bearing everywhere including the steering bellcrank . I can't decide if I like the Idea of the plastic slider shafts but you never know .Hopefully the diff gears are good and strong.

I like that they designed the battery strap to accommodate a 7 cell hump pack and with waterproof electronics this new buggy is keeping up with the big names as most of them have went waterproof already . 

All in all I think Helion has made shopping for your next. budget buggy a bit more interesting but I do think the price ( $189.99 ) is a bit much for what you're getting . To be blunt I think there is someone out there this buggy is perfect for but my first thought after seeing the price was that a Traxxas bandit is only  $204.99 from Hobby town. I don't really think the price is low enough for what you get in my opinion this should be priced at $150 or below to compete with the ECX Boost and undercut the Arrma ADX-10 which runs around $160. 

If I was real picky I would point out that the Redcat Racing Twister XB in brushed form can normally be bought for $119.99 with free shipping and the brushless version runs about $185.99 with free shipping but they are in a slightly different category.