Has anyone had any plans/thoughts of getting a mini 1/18 scale electric car?

Cars like the RC18T2 brushless , losi mini-t etc. are hits abroad.

At 26cm it can be used indoors. Making carpet tracks at home is possible and easy. Can be used everyday , anytime. Can be put in a backpack and carried everywhere - so unlimited terrain types to try on. Can be taken out of station also with ease!  

Any views on this?

EDIT: Poll added

With enough of these bad boys,we can have a class.Also,they're quite cheap.If Indian stores start carrying them,it would be awesome.Overseas,there are classes specifically made for Tamiya MO5's.They're basically FWD or RWD minis.These classes are VERY limited in terms of motors.You can't just stick a CC Mamba Micro Pro 7700/9000 kv or get an ESC with timing,boost,turbo and run a 17.5t motor like a 12.5t motor. And these mini classes are LOTS of fun.Check out some vids from youtube.Also,the true spirit of RC is seen here.It's not about who has the fastest car,it's about who is the best driver.And while some are really anal about these cars,most of the people do this just for FUN.And that is what RC is all about.I've seen some guys fighting over minor issues.(no names here).In classes like these,people realize that these are just model cars that we are playing with.Yes,playing.Take a look at this.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49KE4OZVnQ8&feature=player_profilepage
There is one thing though.This video has reduced my elitist behaviour.But it exists.RC's are not "toys" in the sense that people see them.They are toys for the big boys.  So I will never give the "toy" grade cars the same amount of respect as I give to my slash.But,I DO NOT hate them.This(that we race model cars) is something people fail to realize.They get too serious.....A mini class is the right medicine for this.This is a great way to get kids into the hobby as well.And it is going to be a great stress buster for the big guys.You might say,our other cars are stress busters.When one gets too serious about racing them,something is bound to go wrong.If we get a class here and it is highly limited,it would be the best way to find good drivers and can help everybody brush their skills up.The hobby grade mini RC's will help us do this.(btw I just posted this video to show how people think about RC's.The Jang has a valid point here.It's got no direct relation to what is being discussed here but will highlight what I've written and the necessity of a class for minis)

And this is the kind of fun people have.


Boy,this turned into a rant pretty fast.But this rant is related to the topic.This class is going to be great if we can kick it off.

If our hobby shops see a class in it,there is hope......

Wow that was HUGE! Its true, minis would make a great class here. Lot more affordable.
Quite cheap to get into, provided lhs's carry them. Else spares is a pita.
Gandhar, you can get any brushless 370 sized cans from losi. Castle, etc. No problem in getting motors and esc's. Even servos like the hitec hs 65 are available in india.

Quote from: Divyam on June 12, 2011, 07:59:22 AM
Gandhar, you can get any brushless 370 sized cans from losi. Castle, etc. No problem in getting motors and esc's. Even servos like the hitec hs 65 are available in india.

when I spoke of power systems,I meant limiting them.Say to 17.5t bl motors.You don't want a power system like I've mentioned in an MO5.   You'd need a gyro to control it.

People do use mamba  and novak systems on mini's too. You can find it on rc-tech.
The reason i started the thread is this- in RcBazaar the entry level 450 sized helis didnt seem expensive at all - spares are very cheap too. Even a liter of milk is costlier than some spares

So if we had a LHS selling entry level rc cars - electric minis - the cars and spares would be very cheap. So we can have more fun and break more parts without worrying too much

The big bonus is that these little machines can be carried anywhere! Just love the thought of having my rc everywhere

I would also like to see cars being sold without the radio (as an option). It will make things a lot cheaper - no point having one radio for every car + its not easy to sell a car radio because all cars come with radios

I hope ThrottleRC can sell TRX cars like mini slash and MERV without the radio - at least as a pre-order or something.

I don't think ThrottleRC can do that, because the cars probably come straight from US. I don't think they can remove the Radio from the box

I agree with divyam.

First of all,we need a class to race them here.They can't hold up to the rigors of pitstop.

Yop but a carpet track should not be too hard to set up right? And it wont take up too much space either.

Really hope some LSH comes up with Reciever-ready cars.

Taking this slightly OT, mini cars would be great fun IF our lhs decide to carry them. I really don't think they have any such plans because the RC scene in india is not as mature as abroad. People generally prefer to stay at home and seldom it the track. Participating in races is a longshot. I've always felt that in any hobby its about meeting people and improving your skills at it, probably the only exception here is photography/stamp collection etc.
When i race at the track i've felt i improve a lot (esp if you decide to time your laps). Buying this as a second RC car for fun will be a great idea we'll have to wait a lot more to see 1/18 scale being introduces as a class in any race in India

I think 1/18 racing will be possible since it doesn't take a lot of space.We can have it in the city.The distance to pitstop is a problem(at least for me ).If a track is made more accessible,things will improve.

An indoor carpet track is a GREAT idea. Wouldn't take up much space as Rajath said, and would help in keeping costs down.
Shashank, I try to come to the track as much as I can, but there's only one limiting factor. Transport.

Both Gandhar and I would hit the track every Saturday and Sunday, provided we had transport.

This is where I like the plane guys. They meet up almost every Sunday at Hoskote.  That requires dedication to the hobby.

That's why LSH should provide these on Pre-order. Im sure it will raise interest! Many stay away because of cost, so a mini will be a great starting point. Well i would buy one

@Divyam & Gandhar: hey! It was no personal attack on any of you guys i wrote what's the current scenario at the track. No offense meant to anyone. I agree with both of you the track is just too far AND transport is a big problem for me also, my truck wont fit any backpack so have to wait for dad's car to be free.

I guess the only aspect where the XXT is better than slash and revo - fits in backpack

So what are the options for a buyer in India?
1: Mini - E-Revo @ 18.5k+tax
2: Mini - Slash @ 15k+tax
3. CEN MG 16 RTR @ 8950 ( + tax i guess)

Any other options?

@Shashank:No offence taken .The situation is true.We need to get a more accessible track.Let's see.....

But it cant be helped i feel. In Mumbai also the track is far from the city if i'm not mistaken, Chennai i have no idea. No other metro has a track i guess. What we've got is the best i feel, its very very tough to get a huge piece of land within the city. Just that all of us need to buy cars

The mini revo and slash are 1/16th scale, so should be good fun indoors/backyard etc. At the track it'll probably get runover by other bigger cars if they race together

None taken, Shashank.
The problem isn't cars. There is always 1 car free. The problem is drivers.
Dad won't drive that far.
Bro has own plans.

I have to wait till I become 18. Then I'll try and come by bike

Haha, would love to see Mini Slash vs 1/10 Slash   and Mini Revo vs 1/8 Revo

A mini will most probably be my next but - not in the near future but. Hope someone gets AE dealership. RC18T2 brushless is what i want

Small scale cars are extremely good fun, the demand for them in Mumbai is thru the roof. almost every single serious hobbyists has one of them. leading the pack is the Trx Merv. Fantastic car for the price.

Team Losi offers the BND option, most of the small scales cost about 20-30 usd less in the small scale space. For TRX you can always give the dealer the radio as a buyback to make it more affordable.

Carpet tracks are not as easy as they to setup as they look. It costs about Rs 350/- per sq ft including the base. But it does last for 5-7 years if maintained properly. The right material for it is Ozite.

Large offroad tracks are usually out of the city due to the soaring property prices. lets take our panvel track for eq. it takes about 45 mins to an hour to get there and it is still considered close to the city. The current land value where the track is built is valued at 40cr. if I had to buy a place within the city im looking at atleast 100-200cr which is not feasible. So tracks are built for the love of the hobby and nothing else, its a financial nightmare which you can never justify.

that being said we are willing to spend any amount of the money on the infra of a track if we are offered a place within Mumbai. that will include onroad outdoor for 1/8 and 1/5 scale, offroad outdoor for 1/8 and 1/5 scale. indoor carpet on and off road. If anyone is interested please contact us.

Thanks for the info Sid. True that all the hassles involved make it possible only for a dedicated RC guy to manage a track.
Glad to know that minis are popular in mumbai - hope it becomes popular here too