THE Cub Report – The Traxxas TRX-4 Cometh

Well hello there friend, thanks for stopping by to check out BigSquidRC. While you are here, you might as well check out this week’s Cub Report. So here we go…

And the biggest news from last week goes to… Traxxas releasing what was essentially all the juicy details on the upcoming TRX-4 Scale and Trail Crawler. Up until 9 am CST on Saturday, consumers were doing a lot of speculation, but thanks to the release of most of the truck’s details, now we can really start doing some bench racing.

So… is it going to be a big seller? I think the real question is, will it be another T-Maxx? This isn’t some old chassis with a new body on top, the TRX-4 was designed from the ground up to change the game, and with scaling being as hot as it is right now, it is going to be a massive sales floor darling.

It has been a long time since we have experienced a true block buster in the rc world, but the Traxxas scaler has the components to be a huge hit, and perhaps even more importantly, is its release date. The Traxxas will be dropping with perfect late spring timing, as well as at a time when some of its stiffest competition is faltering. As the old saying goes, “Timing is everything!” and the TRX-4 is going to be hitting hobby shops at just about the perfect time.

And ya, I know, some of the scaler snob crowd is saying “It’s a half inch too long!” and “The components are laid out weird!” and “Portal axles are NOT scale!!!”, but a whole lot of the scaling crowd is already praising it for how it looks as well as for its features. However, like everything Traxxas, I doubt it was designed to please the scaler snobs, more likely it was designed to do well with the hardcore guys but to really blow away the everyday hobbyist. You know, the guy that already owns 2 Slashes, a Stampede, and a Rustler. Plus, it just looks sweet, something that makes it darn easy to cut the check for a first time buyer.

Oh ya, all those features. In an environment where an extra 1/4″ of clearance makes all the difference between clearing an obstacle or getting stuck like a noobie, the portal axles on the Traxxas are going to seriously help it in real world conditions. Its slightly larger form factor should also help it out on the trail. Then there was the surprise of cruise control, something that I know I will personally use. It gets old real quick holding a throttle WFO for 5 minute stretches at a time, big props to Traxxas for thinking outside the box and putting in a cruise control. And then there is the two speed tranny, the remote locking diffs, etc, etc, etc. It is obvious that the Traxxas crew spent a lot of time designing a machine to totally change the class, it certainly was not a band-aid release or something cobbled together in an attempt to make a few quick bucks on the scaler craze.

Everything I’ve written above is so dern rosy, but are things that need to be said. Sure, the truck will have its downsides, but with the state the industry is now in, it just might turn out to be one of the most important trucks of the decade. And per the past, once Traxxas jumps in you can probably expect some other big names to jump in as well (Hello Associated, this is your official written invitation, please don’t be 10 years late to the party as usual). It might take a couple more years, but others will suddenly be jumping in to cash in on the scale revolution. Btw, all you scale fanatics, whether you like or hate the TRX-4 need to shoot Traxxas an email thanking them for creating the TRX-4. Why is that? Because Traxxas is the elephant in pretty much any room, a fact that allows the TRX-4 to cement scaling/crawling as a long term part of the hobby. That segment (scaling/crawling) could have easily faded away to black in the next couple of years, instead it is going to expand to heights that simply could not have been possible without their resources and involvement.

So ya, I am waiting on mine to show up (just like many of you that are on pre-order lists), and I don’t even like crawling, but the TRX-4 is just that cool. Until next week, get out and support your local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can.

YOUR Cub Reporter