Dangerous New Toy For Men

StarHalo

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We've already got flashlights that can set things on fire and potentially explode, and lasers that are so powerful that they can't be used for any application, but now the guys who gave us the batteries for these things have blessed us with a new toy; a remote control car that can go 100 mph - not a scale 100 mph, an actual 100 mph..

The Traxxas XO-1 is loaded with 5 amp-hours of LiPo batteries that it flings from 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds - so if the starting line in your street is your driveway, then three seconds later this car would be several houses down. And like any proper man toy, it comes with the prerequisite lengthy warning list: "It must only be driven at its top speed on a closed course such as a racetrack or drag strip where there are safety barricades and pedestrian access controls. Operating the XO-1 in a careless, unsafe manner, without adequate care and preparation, can result in collisions with catastrophic consequences such as serious injury or death. Know your limits. Be honest with yourself about your true ability and be certain you have a location where you can safely run the model. The XO-1 contains LiPo batteries. LiPo batteries have a severe risk of fire and injury if they are improperly handled, abused, or misused." Very kind of them to throw in the advisory on the batteries..

The XO-1 will be available before year's end for $1,100, see the promo vid below; it looks like a real car going around the track, because it's going the speed an actual car would:

 

PCC

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Hmm, a road modified E-Revo. Okay, that's an oversimplification. It's a sweet looking car, that's for sure. Im guessing that its scale is going to be around 1/6, so it's a pretty big car. If you hit someone with it you'll do some damage. This is definitely a car for the experienced RC car driver.
 

LEDAdd1ct

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Ouch! I'd love to see one in action, but I have no idea where it would be safe to play with it. Neighborhood roads won't work, nor will a driveway suffice...squirrels beware!
 

monkeyboy

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This looks awesome but not something you could really make use of unless you has access to a disused runway or racetrack etc. Play with this on your street and it'll probably be obliterated into tiny pieces in less than 5 mins. It's 1/7th scale from what I've read so it's a whole new class of electric on-road RC car. If you had a full sized race track and a crane to stand on, this would be the coolest RC class in the world.

Personally, If I'm going to spend that much money on an RC car, I'd prefer to build it so I can choose all the components myself. There are some crazy 1/10th builds I've seen that are capable of these speeds - the Team Associated TC4 seems to be the chassis of choice for some reason (there's a nice youtube video of one taking off and flying into the woods), but no one would race with a car that powerful as it's impossible to control round a track.
 

TedTheLed

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I don't think you can steer it at that speed, it is shown only for very short moments, and going in a straight line..
don't 'normal' cars ie without extra-wide tires, lose the ability to turn at around 180 mph?
 

Chicago X

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I don't think you can steer it at that speed, it is shown only for very short moments, and going in a straight line..
don't 'normal' cars ie without extra-wide tires, lose the ability to turn at around 180 mph?

No.
 

mvyrmnd

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I don't think you can steer it at that speed, it is shown only for very short moments, and going in a straight line..
don't 'normal' cars ie without extra-wide tires, lose the ability to turn at around 180 mph?

You can still turn, but any rapid or severe maneuvers will result in natural selection.
 

ganymede

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A 2.4ghz radio has an effective range of 400m, you will be out of radio control range a few seconds after you squeezed the trigger... :sssh:
 

JacobJones

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What happens when it goes out of range? Does it do the usual 'let's smash into those pensioners at top speed' thing? Or have they found a way to stop that on modern RC cars?
 

Patriot

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What happens when it goes out of range? Does it do the usual 'let's smash into those pensioners at top speed' thing? Or have they found a way to stop that on modern RC cars?

I'm not sure what programing Traxxas had built in but it's possible to program just about any parameter you want to once radio contact is lost. Examples would be; stop motor, stop motor and turn full left or right, reverse motor, etc. 2.4ghz radios can actually far exceed 400m and in the case of RC aircraft that range can exceed a mile. In other words, it's more likely that you'll lose sight of the RC vehicle before you fly it out of radio range.
 

jtr1962

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I would be very surprised if there wasn't some sort of built-in failsafe in case you lose radio contact. Sure, this is a really cool toy, but where on Earth would most people be able to use it outside of on a closed course designed for full-sized motor vehicles? I'm thinking a local spot to play with this might be going around the lake at Flushing Meadows Park, but those turns are WAY too tight to take at 100 mph. And outside of late nights, there would just be too many people in the vicinity.
 

ganymede

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Not sure what radio you have, my 2.4ghz Sanwa M11x effective range is 400m, further than that the reception can be iffy and dangerous.

Yes, most modern high end radio has fail safe if the signal is lost but my point is having fast car but only limited range is pointless, unless of course you go around a circle.
 

TedTheLed

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you could launch it on the highway from your speeding car, and follow it... ? :duck:
 
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