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Traxxas XO-1: A radio-controlled supercar

Traxxas says its XO-1 is the fastest R/C car in the world.

Antuan Goodwin Reviews Editor / Cars
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
Expertise Reviewing cars and car technology since 2008 focusing on electrification, driver assistance and infotainment Credentials
  • North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
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Antuan Goodwin
2 min read
Traxxas

The car pictured above does 0-60 mph in a scant 2.3 seconds, goes on to hit 100 mph in just under five ticks, and only costs $1,100.

No, that last bit is not a typo, because the Traxxas XO-1 only measures 27 inches from nose to tail. This is not a passenger car, but it's also not a toy. It's a remote-controlled scale race car and Traxxas says that it's the fastest in the world.

Traxxas/Castle Mamba Monster Extreme brushless motor
The XO-1's high-output motor pulls power from 2 lithium polymer batteries. Traxxas

The Traxxas XO-1 may be small, but the speeds quoted above are full-scale. The R/C car achieves such speed thanks in part to its sleek body, which hides an aluminum chassis frame, a new high-output version of the Traxxas/Castle Mamba Monster Extreme brushless motor powered by a pair of Power Cell 3S 5000mAh lithium-polymer batteries, and a heavy-duty all-wheel drive-power train with an extruded aluminum center driveshaft. Beneath the car is a computer-designed undertray that integrates a front splitter and canards, a smooth undertray, and a rear diffuser, all of which work together to minimize drag and generate downforce as the XO-1 approaches (and possibly exceeds) 100 mph.

Even the new wireless controller is pretty high-tech hardware. The TQi 2.4GHz Intelligent Radio System features an internal antenna, a five-channel receiver, and an accessory docking base where you can connect an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. When running the Traxxas Link App, the connected iPhone enables users to monitor the TQi's three telemetry ports and store drive profiles and preferences for up to 30 Traxxas vehicles.

Traxxas states that "the XO-1 is not a toy and is intended for use by experts only" and requires the use of high-speed gearing and high downforce splitter hardware (included) and the Traxxas Link Application running on an iPhone or iPod Touch (not included) to unlock the XO-1's 100+ mph top speed. This leaves Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry users in the dust, but I think that if you've got $1,099.99 to drop on a "not a toy," then you can probably spend an extra $199 on an 8GB iPod Touch.

Check out the video below to see the Traxxas XO-1 in action.