THE Cub Report, Version- Bash Vehicle Of The Year Finalists

Hello there everyone, I trust that you had a most splendid Christmas. Like most hobbyists, I hope you got to unwrap at least one rc oriented gift, but if not, hopefully it was because your rc garage was already full.

As we enter the last week of 2015, things start getting tense around the BSRC offices. The last week of 2015 means we are busy picking (read arguing over) a Bash Vehicle Of The Year. Like previous years, 2015 had a bunch of great releases aimed at the basher market, but unlike previous years, we didn’t have one crystal clear top of the heap. In 2014 the Pro-Line PRO-MT clearly stood out from all the other vehicles we tested, making it easy to pick a winner. That isn’t the case this year as there are several cars/trucks that are outstanding in their own way and are more than deserving of taking the coveted title.

Btw… only vehicles that we have actually reviewed get into the mix for this one, and there is no industry politics (or checks getting cut) to affect the eventual winner. The winner is determined solely by our test drivers, they are the guys in the field that have been testing day in and day out all year long. Without further ado, these are the vehicles that I saw stand out from the field in 2015 (in no particular order). Oh and… our announcement of who takes home the crown will go live around noon’ish CST this Thursday.

ECX AMP Desert Buggy- The AMP DB is a strong contender. Why? Because it is arguably the perfect starter bash-mobile. It has an ultra-low price point and was one of the toughest vehicles we’ve ever tested. Its modest brushed power system keeps the price down while being uber noob friendly, but its relatively slow speed doesn’t impress seasoned drivers. Any which way, it is one of our “go to” vehicles because it seems to never be broken.

Thunder Tiger Bushmaster- The Bushmaster made a strong impression on our test crew. It is basically a gnarly brushless powered 8th scale buggy that comes with a nicely scaled roll bar and an ESS-One engine sound module. Our test unit took a lot of abuse without breaking down, while its sound module and scale’ish looks had everyone at the track coming over to check it out.

Losi 5IVE MINI WRC- As large scale becomes more and more mainstream, the 5IVE MINI blew us away with its handling and nice power output. It is the only gas (or nitro for that matter) powered vehicle in our final list, and for true realism, nothing beats a fuel burner. Its large body was nicely detailed and we had a blast just running over (and through) everything at the local bash spot. The 5IVE is a beast, but one that also has some scale realism, something that today’s consumers are all about.

Traxxas X-Maxx- At one point we didn’t know if the X-Maxx was going to make the field for 2015, but it started shipping just in time. If you remotely follow any of the rc sites, I don’t have to tell you anything about the X-Maxx. It’s big, it’s a beast, and it carries the legendary Traxxas name. When it comes to performance its suspension is very well done, unfortunately its 30 something MPH feels a bit lacking for the type of vehicle that it is. However… the X-Maxx just might be the most important vehicle released since the Slash, instantly making it a runner for our Bash Vehicle Of The Year.

ARRMA Senton- The Senton is a straight up animal. It is basically a very durable 8th scale buggy with a good looking short course body on top, a very cool combo that makes for a great basher. It is smoke’n quick out of the box and we bashed it like it owed us money and found that it rarely broke a part. The Senton handles like a champ in both the back yard and on the track, and is still one of our favorite vehicles to grab when we go out bashing at the office.

Team Durango DEX8T- Yes I know, Durango products are all about racing, but in the case of the DEX8T, it makes for a gnar-core basher too. 8th scale truggies have the size needed to ignore bumps out on the track and the size/power needed to break low Earth orbit while bashing at the local skate park. We had a crazy amount of fun with the DEX8T, it was probably the best overall handling vehicle of the year and its durability didn’t disappoint either.

So there ya have it folks, one of the vehicles listed above is going to get the nod. Which one will it be? You’ll find that out this Thursday right here on our main page. Until then, have fun, go fast, break lots of stuff, and support your local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can.

YOUR Cub Reporter