American HardCORR – Traxxas Slash

Track test
For the initial test of our Traxxas Slash we went to a construction site nearby as it offered a variety of different surfaces. On track testing (and racing!) is planned for a bit later this year when the tracks open again after the winter season here in Northern Germany. With temperatures just above zero degree Celsius testing was a bit of a task but our proven test team was keen enough to put the Slash through its paces.

With a freshly charged pack and unchanged suspension set-up we instantly noticed how well Traxxas did with copying the behaviour of the real CORR racing trucks. On full throttle the Slash took off with a dirt rooster coming out under his body and wildly drifting away from the camera. The tyres offer a fair amount of traction on soft surfaces but especially on harder tracks and in cold weather they are a real challenge to drive. But, to be fair, that’s the fun part of driving a truck like the Slash. Good thing is that they still offer loads of site bite and therefore cornering is sharp and predictive. The usual understeer associated with 2WD trucks is limited even at high speed which results in precise handling. The site we ran the truck on was cluttered with all sorts of grooves, holes and natural jumps which gave our truck a real beating. Despite the low temperatures nothing broke so we look forward to some multi-car action when temperatures are up and a racing series kicks off in the North and West of Germany. Runtime with the 4000mAh LRP pack was more than fair as we achieved around 22 to 25 minutes per pack despite the ambient temperatures which normally heavily effect the performance of NiMH batteries. We definitely look forward to race the truck in competition and of course this will be covered here on Red RC – stay tuned.

Conclusion
The Traxxas Slash really is a nice truck. It comes with one of the best looking CORR truck bodies (ok, the new Associated SC10 body is even more tasty!) performs and handles well and takes a lot of beating. It comes with a very comprehensive package containing not only a good manual but also some wrenches, additional shock pistons and other stuff so the only things you need to get started are eight AA batteries for the transmitter and a six to seven cell racing pack with a Traxxas high-current connector. That’s what we call real Spec racing!

Specifications
Scale: 1/10
Chassis: plastic composite
Drivetrain: 2WD rear wheel drive
Differential: planetary gears/grease filled
Suspension – front: independent wishbones
Suspension – rear: independent wishbones
Shocks – front: plastic/oil filled/coil over spring
Shocks – rear: plastic/oil filled/coil over spring

Dimensions
Length: 565mm
Width: 300mm
Height: 200mm
Wheelbase: 340mm
Track – front: 256mm
Track – rear: 253mm
*Stock set-up with wheels as tested

Equipment
Car: Traxxas Slash [traxxas.com]
Battery: LRP VTEC 4000 Race Stickpack #77110[lrp.cc]
Charger: LRP Pulsar Competition 3 [lrp.cc]

Performance Tips
> For maximum performance out of the stock package we recommend the use of a good quality 7 cell race pack. Gearing should be adjusted according to the track size. The stock 18 teeth pinion offers a good mix of acceleration and speed. The included 23 teeth pinion should only be used for on road applications or on really flat offroad tracks with a hard surface.
> For those who plan to race the Traxxas truck we highly recommend the usage of Steve Slayden’s suspension set-up as described here.

Review by Sebastian Suerstedt