Axial Racing is keeping the scale train moving with the release of the Wraith 1.9″ from Horizon Hobby. They have gone above and beyond when it comes to listening to the fans on this one, so lets take more in depth look and see if they succeeded to make those fans happy.
From: Axial Racing
Direct Link: Axial Wraith 1.9″ – RTR , Horizon Hobby
Unboxing Pictures: BSRC Unboxes The Axial Racing Wraith 1.9″
Review By: Jeremy
Specs:
RTR or Kit: RTR
Age: 14+
2wd or 4wd: 4wd
Shaft or Belt: Shaft
Electric or Gas: Electric
Waterproof: Yes, water resistant
Scale: 1/10th
Length: 17.8″
Width: 8.8″”
Wheelbase: 12.0″
Ground Clearance 2.7″
Weight: 4.65 lbs
Motor: Brushed 35 turn
Speed Controller: Dynamite AE-5L ESC
Low Voltage Cut-off: Yes
Radio: Spektrum STX2
Differential: Locked
Shocks: Threaded, plastic bodies and caps, oil filled
Servo Saver: none
Screws: Metric, hex
Spur/Pinion Pitch: 32 pitch
Bearings: Yes
Tires: Licensed Nitto Trail Grappler M/T
Battery: All batteries needed to run are included w/ charger
Part Number: #AXI90074T1 (Orange) AXI90074T2 (Black)
Warranty: “Horizon Hobby warranties the product to be free of defects at the date of purchase.”
Top Speed: 5mph, down hill, in the wind.
Street Price: $369
What’s Needed To Complete: You’ll need a battery for the truck and a charger.
Test Drivers: Jeremy, Greg Holmen,
Set-up Notes: We didn’t touch a thing on the truck before we hit the trails. Stock setup all the way.
Driving: At first it felt a little top heavy right off the bat, but as the stock shocks start to wear in, it felt much better. It seemed like the truck had a bit of a break in period, after a bunch of runs it really came around to handle pretty nicely on those side hills and steep inclines.
The flex across all four shocks really show in the big stuff. The adjustable shocks come into play depending on your terrain, you may need to even stiffen things up a little bit to meet your liking. No need to worry about being stuck on the trail without the ability to make small adjustments which is a nice touch.
Tires: The first generation Wraith was a bigger vehicle, but even then the 2.2″ tire seemed a little large for the scale appearance. The Wraith 1.9 with the Nitto Trail Grappler M/T 1.9″ Tires really offers an amazing scale look and feel.
Power: The 35T motor is a solid motor giving you some decent wheel speed with some good low end torque to get you up those big climbs. For fun, you pull off a wicked backwards wheelie while steering on the fronts. Warning to you diehards, this will eat up your front bumper.
Radio: The Spektrum STX2 that comes with the Axial has a good amount of adjustments. The throttle trim adjustment lets you turn it way down so you can hand the controller over to the total noob without much worry.
Broken Parts: After much use and abuse, we haven’t broken a single part on the truck. Some of them may not look so great, but they are all in one piece.
Misc Notes:
Lets talk lights. The stock lights do a great job of lighting up the path a good 15 feet in front of you, but they are more scale than super bright. They look like you would expect the truck to look without blinding everyone near it.
The new location of the battery tray is a HUGE plus. It’s in a great position for weight and balance, and it’s easy access through a hinged hood which looks awesome. It really keeps the scale appearance going. While moving the tray up front, Axial also made it possible to allow for a full size 2S Lipo. (Even a 3S soft case) No need to be searching for those shorty packs.
The scale V8 receiver box is a great touch along with the radiator and grill.
Axial has designed a new lower chassis on the Wraith 1.9, and this new design lets them use the AR44 axles along with their 3 gear transmission from the SCX10-II. Another advantage of the design change is it allowed for the smaller width and size of the drive line while reducing some weight. So some great improvements all around.
The interior is decent for a RTR, but nothing crazy.
Best Mod: Best mod is probably an upgraded steering servo. If your a noob, you are probably going to be fine with it, but of course we always want more power, and some more torque in the steering would be a big benefit. Don’t forget to add a BSRC sticker.
Summary:
A = Outstanding/Best in Class, B = Above Average, C = Average, D = Below Average, F = Horrific
Time To Bash: B Charge some batteries, put some in the controller, and you are good to go.
Workability: B Surprisingly enough, even with the battery moved up front, it’s easy to work on. They also had a generous amount of spare parts in the box to help you get back on the trail quicker.
Car Show Rating: B The Axial Wraith has a good looking body, and a nice scale look over all, but the molded driver in the interior brings that rating down a little since the first Wraith did allow you to use whatever guy you wanted. As the body gets scratched, the silver paint on the inside comes through, and makes it look like a nicely worn trail vehicle and not just some plastic toy truck. (Yep, we are picky, but that’s how this scale stuff works!)
Bash-A-Bility: B+ When it comes to this part of the test, it is always a little nerve racking, us scale guys don’t like hucking our pretty trucks off the sides of cliffs onto the rocks below, but we did what we had to do! The Wraith just kept coming back for more, we didn’t break a thing. Now it’s not a ‘basher’ vehicle, but it does take a beating.
Fun Factor: B+ Still having a good time with the truck, it has become one of the go-to vehicles in the office knowing we aren’t going to have to do anything to get it up and running. Just grab, toss it in the truck and have fun on the trail.
Handling: B The truck handles quite well, even with the plastic links, there wasn’t any binding or twisting to cause any issues. The tires grabbed well, even in the wet and muddy stuff. Axial has earned that ‘smooth driver’ reputation with this one.
Value: B At $369, it’s a good RTR that leaves some room for upgrades. It’s got some competition in that price range, but so does everyone else.
Parts Availability: C As it’s still a new vehicle, there aren’t a lot of parts available, and a few of the ones we tried to look for were on back order.
BigSquid Rating: B Axial fans should be pleased with the new direction Axial has taken with the Wraith. The better scale appearance over all with the 1.9″ along with keeping the ability to hit the rocks that the 2.2″ had. If you are thinking about picking up a 1.9″ this should be towards the top of your list.
