HPI Racing Savage X 4.6 RTR Monster Truck

Posted by Queen Bee 11:58AM, April 21st 2008 | Category: Toys

Product: HPI Racing Savage X 4.6 RTR Monster Truck Manufacturer: HPI Racing MSRP: $410 [ BizRate ] Introduction I’ve owned a couple of RC cars over the years, starting with the Team Associated RC10 1:10 Buggy that was all the rage in the early 90’s. After a break of about a decade, I decided to revisit the RC scene, but this time with a vehicle of a distinctly different pedigree. I was looking for something with substantial power and ready to run out of the box. After looking around and comparing prices and features, I decided to purchase the HPI Racing Savage X 4.6 Nitro Monster Truck, which can be had for about $400 . Historical Perspective Back in the olden days, if you wanted to get the best in RC you’d have to buy a kit and build it part-by-part. Otherwise you could always buy a Tyco, but the distinction between a kit car and an off-the-shelf car was night and day. While the kit building experience is definitely a learning experience and one of my own cherished memories, it undoubtedly relegated performance RC to the enthusiast crowd rather than the masses. The Savage X 4.6 The late 90’s saw the introduction of many pre-built so called “RTR” (ready to run) versions of the popular kit cars, and the Savage X 4.6 falls squarely into this category. All you need is batteries and fuel to get it running, and boy does it haul. I don’t have a radar gun to measure the speed, but HPI’s site claims that the Savage X 4.6 can achieve a top speed of over 45 mph. The F4.6 Big Block 4.6cc Engine delivers 2.9HP at 32k RPM, enough to propel the Savage at some ungodly and nearly uncontrollable speeds. The factory build of the Savage X 4.6 is extremely good. All of the components were properly secured and the Twin Vertical Plate Chassis was stiff enough that I couldn’t cause a noticeable deflection when trying to bend and twist it. Having a stiff chassis means that the suspension geometry is properly maintained under stress, allowing for better handling. On the subject of suspension & handling, that is clearly one of the areas where HPI cut costs in order to bring the price down to a more fathomable level. The 8 oil filled coil-over shocks are made from plastic, which is a far worse choice than what you want, which is hard anodized aluminum. HPI supplies a mind-boggling array of hop-up parts that includes aluminum versions of almost all of the plastic parts on the Savage. You could easily spend a couple hundred more on these upgrades. Usage The decision to brand the Savage X 4.6 as a RTR vehicle suggests that any RC newbie can buy one and get it running with few hassles. For the most part, the Savage delivers on this criterion, however there were instances where my previous experience in nitro RC got me out of a bind. For instance, there were times when starting the beast required a little manual intervention. The starter system is the easiest I’ve seen from an external starter, however it did not effectively prime the engine for a first start from empty fuel lines. No matter how many times I applied the starter there was not enough pressure in the fuel line to properly prime the carb. I ended up having to siphon fuel manually in order to fill the fuel line to the carb. It would help to have a primer pump or bulb, which you can pick up aftermarket. Once the Savage X 4.6 is tuned, it is a beast. The pickup has a little lag which is a characteristic of nitro RC, but once it gets going it wails and generally tears it up. Durability is one aspect of RC cars that can make or break your experience. On that front, the Savage is a clear winner. It took some serious bashing without any apparent damage. You can take jumps with abandon, and even cartwheel the truck wheel over wheel. The body will get dinged up, but the workings of the car are beefy enough that it handled everything I threw at it with aplomb. Check out the numerous YouTube videos of the Savage X 4.6 to get an idea of how this RC Monster Truck performs. While you’re at it, scope out the competition such as the Associated MGT and the Team Losi LST2 . Conclusion The HPI Savage X 4.6 is an excellent RTR nitro Monster Truck. Careful consideration has obviously been made in the design of the Savage, resulting in a vehicle that can take you from being an RC novice, to spending a couple more bills on the plethora of upgrade parts that are available. You’ll have a ton of fun along the way, with minimal downtime due to the nearly bulletproof construction of the Savage. Included with the Savage X 4.6 R/C Truck Transmitter Roto start System Body Removal Requires Glow starter Nitro Fuel Fuel Bottle Charger for Roto Start Charger Glow Starter 12 AA Batteries HPI racing Temp Gun (recommended) Image Gallery

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