Vaterra just announced their new monster truck . Of course the truck is 1/10th scale and 4wd and it has a brushless power system. To be blunt the only things that differentiate this truck from its competition are two acronyms AVC and VTV . So what are these systems really well AVC is pretty much a gyro and a traction control system .I'm sure there are some people out there that like docile easy to drive RC's but to me these features are kind silly on a Monster Truck . So we have VTV left and it stands for Torque Vectoring Differential how VTV
stands for TVD I don't know but thats what they say. So here is the quote from there web page .
http://www.vaterrarc.com
The innovative VTV™ differential prevents wheel spin on loose surfaces when you're taking on corners or pounding the throttle. Its smooth actuation and consistent feel provide extra confidence over a variety of surface conditions. It is fully sealed and can be fine-tuned using different weights of silicone oil.Pretty much I'm left with the feeling of "sealed differentials already do that " but to be honest there is the possibility of something new and innovative here and that the guy they paid to describe it laugh and ran away with the money they paid him in advance .
So what would impress me when this truck starts getting reviews. If the differential can actually compensate for varying terrain .
So lets look at what it has to compete against :
1: The Traxxas Stampede let's face it its probably the most popular 1/10 MT on the market ad for good reason .You can get parts just about anywhere and there is a substantial number of aftermarket parts for this platform. $387.99
2: The HPI Bullet trucks have became very popular . Cant say it has huge aftermarket support but most shops can order replacement parts.$345.99
3: The Helion Invictus probably ranks lowest as it is a Hobby Town Exclusive and they are the only source for replacement parts but if you have one down the road that shouldn't be a problem. Currently there is little to no aftermarket support for the Invictus but Hobby Town does have a healthy list of upgrades for there truck. $289.99
I bought the halix back in January ! I have already broken a rear shaft ( known weak point) and both body mounts ! As for the avc and vtv issue , yes they are very valuable features on the truck ! The avc is easy to adjust on the fly ! And the vtv is great when playing in the snow ! Most trucks will have one tire unload on a spin , with the vtv that does not happen ! Straight out of the box this truck is really awesome ! Very fast & very easy to control !
ReplyDeleteIve owned the Halix and wasnt impressed at all. So i can say that i NO LONGER OWN IT. The trucks driveshafts were a joke, if you ran the truck on 2s you were ok but i wanna go fast. So once the 3s went in the truck started to basicly fall apart. Its a $299 truck at most.
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