The most anticipated vehicle release from Redcat Racing of all time has to be the Gen8 International Scout II. When the Redcat Racing crew announced the upcoming release of the Gen8, the scale crawler world was taken back. Banking on the success of the Gen 7, Redcat listened to the fans and made substantial changes to the Gen8; and by substantial we mean a whole renovation if you will. So, will the Gen8 live up to all its hype? Well keep reading because the full Big Squid RC Gen8 review starts now!
From: Redcat Racing
Direct link: Redcat Racing Gen8 International Scout II
Unboxing pictures: Unboxing the Redcat Racing Gen8 international Scout II
Review By: Jeremy Griffith
Photography By: Jeremy Griffith
Test Drivers: Jeremy Griffith, Greg Holman, Karl Klein, Alberto Cantu, Brian Cannady, Kevin Hochevar, Frankie Jarmasek
Specs:
RTR or Kit: RTR
Ages: 14+
2wd or 4wd: 4WD
Shaft or Belt: Shaft
Electric or Gas: Electric
Waterproof: Water Resistant
Scale: 1:10
Length: 571mm
Width: 249mm
Wheelbase: Out the box 324mm (312 – 336 Adjustable)
Weight: 6.9 Lbs (3130 Grams)
Motor: 17T RC550 Brushed Motor
Speed Controller: 40a Brushed Waterproof ESC
Low voltage cut off: yes
Radio: 2.4GHz Radio
Differential: locked
Driveshafts: Metal U-Joint, Plastic splined.
Shocks: Aluminum Body oil filled shocks
Servo Saver: No
Screws: Hex
Spur/Pinion Pitch: 32P
Bearings: yes
Tires: 1.9 Interco Super Swamper
Battery: will be needed
Part Number: RER11290
Bashing Specs:
Wheelie on demand: Only when you do the Reverse to full forward trick
Backflip off ramps: No
Stability control: No
Sound module: No, but that would have been awesome!
Self-Righting: No
FPV: No
Run Time (measured by BSRC 35 mins on a 2s 2000mah lipo): 40 minutes
Top Speed: It’s a peppy 5 mph
Street Price: $299.99
Primary Competition: Axial Racing, Vaterra, RC4WD, but out of all of those heavy hitters the Traxxas TRx4 Sport is the Gen8s main competition.
Need to complete: To get this rig running you are going to need a few things. 4 AA batteries for the remote, a charger and battery for the rig itself. I would suggest a good 2s lipo but for the beginners I would go with any 7cell NIMH hump back.
Build Quality: After the Big Squid Scale RC crew went through the Gen8 with a fine-tooth comb all that was discovered was a loose wheel nut. Other than the loose nut the Gen8 was in tip top shape out of the box.
Test Venues: Delwood Park IL, Juicebox Off-Road Park, Crawler Canyon RC Park, Forest Park IL Beach
Turning: As with all RTR rigs, the servos tend to be one of the weakest links. The Gen8 is no different in the weak servo department. But unlike Gen 7, the Gen8’s steering geometry is dialed in. If you are just doing some trial running then you most likely won’t event notice the weak servo. But when it comes to a challenging terrain, like rugged rocks or trying to make it through comp gates, you will notice the slight lack of power from the stock servo. Very surprising is the stock metal servo horn, so when you
eventually replace the servo, there will be no need to upgrade the servo horn.
Crawling: This is the main purpose of the Gen8. We started off the testing in Juicebox off-Road Park and the Gen8 made light work of the scale trails and obstacles. Having the portal axles on the Gen8 lets this rig get over almost anything in its path without needing to have bigger tires and also gets rid of the pesky torque twist some RTR rigs tend to have. The stock shocks are some the best we have seen on a RTR. Not too stiff and not to soft, just the right amount of oil for the desired rebound you would want. The shocks also have the adjustable spindle if you are looking for a stiffer ride. When it comes to flex, the Gen8 will impress even the harshest of critics. Redcat also gives you the opportunity to set up the Gen8 to fit your personal driving style by having 9 mounting holes so you can adjust the suspension. Now, for the belly bulge we have been hearing people talk about. The divorced transfer case is the cause for the little bulge on the skid plate. I’m sorry but I can deal with a little ¼ inch or so bulge on the skid plate to have a divorced transfer case. Will it hang up while doing some hardcore crawling? Yes, it might hinder you slightly, but nothing a little harder pull of the trigger can’t fix. You know us, let it eat!
On-Road: As great as the Gen8 Scout looks on the road I wouldn’t spend a whole lot of time being a pavement pounder with it. The Gen8 was made and designed for off-road work so why waste all that hard work that Redcat has done by running the Gen8 in your driveway.
Grass: Ahh the scale prairie as I like to call it. The Gen8 drives and handles great running through some Grass. But like any RC vehicle I would avoid playing in the scale prairie for too long. Motors have a tendency to get hotter than normal if the grass is too high; the best use of grass is as a tire cleaner.
Tires: I have mixed feelings about the tires on the Gen8. The 1.9 Irok super swampers are the same tires that were on the Gen 7, not a big deal, I know. The first long test run we just could not get the tires to hook up. Basically, lots of wheel spin but no forward progress. Granted the first test run was on a terrain that consisted of water, moss, mud and slippery rocks. As the testing continued the tires got better and better. And by the time we took the Gen8 to Crawler Canyon RC Park we were surprised at
how much the tires had come around since day one. Give the tires some time to break in from their out of the box stiffness. Once the 1.9 Irok super swampers are broken in they are not bad tires to have in your crawling inventory.
Power: The Gen8 Scout packs a 17T 550 motor. I love to have the wheel speed when I need it, who doesn’t, right? There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck on a hill climb or in a mud hole and knowing that if you just had a little more punch out of your motor you would be all good. The Gen8s 17T not only gives the needed wheel speed but also delivers some powerful torque. Even if the stock motor takes a dive I think I would just replace it with another 17T 550. As far as your battery choices go I would definitely go with a 2s 5,000mAh. If you want to go crazy the ESC can take a 3s, but I think we all know what happens when you put a 3s in a crawler, broker parts.
Radio: Nothing ground breaking with the stock remote. The Gen8 comes with a standard Redcat 2.4GHz. During one of the testing sessions the Gen8 remote was accidentally dropped down a 15ft cliff and happened to tumble right into a creek. We thought for sure that the radio was done for but after cleaning the mud off it still worked and is still working. Now we are not saying the Redcat 2.4GHz is meant to or can even handle that kind of abuse; just thought we would let you know about it.
Broken parts: When we got the Gen8 out for its test runs, I was trying to guess what parts we were going to break. Not a slight to the quality of the Gen8 but we are Big Squid and it is kind of cold at the northern office. Cold weather makes plastic parts very brittle no matter where they are on the rig. All and all we ran many multiple packs through the Gen8 and we only broke 1 thing. A cracked D ring on the bumper. We did loose a screw also, fell out of the servo link. By no means were we gentile with the Gen8. We sent it down some stairs, launched off of a scale cliff, almost lost it in a very fast moving creek and it still held up. We even took it to Crawler Canyon RC Park where rigs basically go to die. It may not look the prettiest after that but it’s still running.
Best Mod: Hands down the best mods for the Gen8 would have to be the servo and down the road some other tires. That is really all the Gen8 needs. With a good enough servo it would be unstoppable.
Misc Notes:
We knew the Gen8 was going to be a good rig but I don’t think anyone thought it was going to be as good as it actually is. For starters, the licensed International Scout II body is drop dead gorgeous. The front grill and rear tail lights are set up for led lights to be installed. The rotating side mirrors are a nice touch too. The mirrors have the capability to swivel making it so there is a lot less of a chance of them breaking off. The body attaches to the chassis with hook and loop tape. My first thought about the tape was that the body is going to be constantly popping off, but once again Redcat proved me wrong. I would say 1 out 10 roll overs the body fell off. The Gen8 also has a nice little feature with the receiver box. I for one am notorious for not putting the cover back on the box once I have opened it up. The new Gen8 receiver box lets you access the receiver without opening the box; you can change the esc or servo on the fly. Moving on to the chassis, the adjustable wheel base opens your world up to more and different body options. Also, the motor being mounted to the front of the chassis helps with some much needed weight and having the divorced transfer case leaves a ton of room for you master builders to put in a full interior. One thing I do question is that the C channel chassis is not the full length of the rig. It doesn’t affect the performance of the rig, it’s just a little odd. Redcat has always been good about using metal links and the Gen8 is equipped with them, but this time around the Gen8 has some gnarly metal diff covers as well. We can’t forget about those portal axles. It’s all about that ground clearance in the crawler world and Redcat made sure to give the Gen8 some about 44.5mm to be exact. Top that off with some metal wheel hex’s and by jolly ladies and gentlemen you have got yourself a decent rig!
Summary:
A= outstanding/Best in class, B = Above Average, C =Average, D = Below Average, F = Horrific
Time to bash: B. Getting up and running is quick, the truck comes fully assembled. Put in the radio batteries, and install a fresh pack in the truck!
Workability: B. After a good once over in the Big Squid RC Scale shop we think the only real issue you might run into when working on this rig is getting to the divorced transfer case. You will have to remove the battery tray to access transfer case.
Car Show Rating: A. The Gen8 is a head turner, there is not doubt about that. Redcat took the road less traveled with choosing the International Scout II as a body. When everyone is a Jeep or a Ford, be a Scout I say. The one and only thing that we think should have been done differently with the body is the windows. Clear windows would just make this right pop off the scale chart.
Bash-A-Bility: A. We did everything short of setting this rig on fire and it held up great. From top to bottom, side to side, the Gen8 is an all around solid rig.
Fun Factor: B. I don’t know if I had more fun taking pictures or running it. Whatever you like to do the Gen8 won’t disappoint you. If you are looking to do some scale trailing or entering your local box stock comp you are going to have a blast with the Gen8.
Handling: B. The suspension out of the box is fantastic. And when you get the Gen8 to flex you really see its capability. During the testing we had the Gen8 on a lot of different terrains and it handled them all very well. With an upgraded servo and tires this rig will drive like a caddy on a cloud.
Value: A+. This one is a no brainer, lets break it down. Licensed body, portal axles, licensed tires, metal links, adjustable wheel base, adjustable shocks and it comes RTR. And you get all that for $299.99, not only is this an excellent entry level rig, but even the hardcore crawlers can’t deny the value of the Gen8.
Parts Availability: (N/A) Unlike the past, you can now find Redcat parts in your local hobby shops. Now given the freshness of the Gen8, it may take about a month or so, you should be able to find parts in shops. Also, Redcat has already released a hand full of 3D printed parts files!!
BigSquid Rating: B+. Redcat Racing has made massive improvements in the last 2 years. The success of the Gen 7 really made the crawler world take note. And now with the release of the Gen8 it will put Redcat Racing at the top of the food chain. People no long hear the name Redcat and think cheap hobby grade RC. They now hear the sound of a RC power house raising the bar and that’s just what they did with the Gen8 International Scout II. Take note, this crawler season is going to be filled with Redcats!
Enjoy the video below of some of the Redcat Gen8 Adventures we had!
