Posted: 5/14/22
Remote Control Cars for Adults
Most of us played with remote control cars when we were young. If you haven’t thought about them since and are looking for a hobby to enjoy today, you should give RC cars another look. Remote control cars for adults are easy to find and provide the same motorsports-style fun you had all those years ago — but in a bigger, better, and more realistic way.
The RC cars and trucks made by ARRMA®, Axial®, Losi®, and other Horizon Hobby® brands are good examples of RC cars for adults. These aren’t like the toy remote control models of your childhood, or even the toys children play with today. These are hobby quality RC cars. They’re larger, stronger, and more powerful, with greater capabilities and sophisticated engineering that’s designed to last for years.
Another difference you’ll like between RC toys for kids and hobby quality remote control cars for adults is that if anything breaks, you can fix it. Replacement parts and product support are as close as Horizon Hobby or your local RC hobby shop. Upgrade parts are also available. As your experience grows, you can use your technical ingenuity to boost your hobby quality RC model’s performance.
Adult RC car enthusiasts often gather at events to share their passion for the hobby, just like full-size motorsports fans get together to enjoy ATVs, dirt bikes, stock car racing, and more. RC is a great way to meet people of similar interests for friendship and fun. It’s time to revisit the radio control hobby today and see what it has for you now!
Big toys for big boys and girls
Let’s take a look at some examples of hobby quality remote control cars for adults that demonstrate what makes them so different from the department store toys you may remember. You can find many entry-level RC cars and trucks priced lower than these that are still very well made, but the remote control vehicles described below perfectly illustrate how serious hobby RC car manufacturers are about creating remote control vehicles that even the most mechanically savvy adults can appreciate.
Designed for realism and speed
If scale realism and high speeds make your adrenaline surge, check out the remote control cars and trucks from Losi. The Losi brand draws inspiration from all forms of full-scale racing. Losi partners with the world’s best full-scale automotive companies to capture the feel of real racing through replica bodies, wheels, tires, shocks, and more. They not only give you the best-handling RC car on the track, but also one that looks like the race car of your dreams.
The 1/10 scale Losi ’69 Camaro 22S Drag Car and ’68 Ford F100 22S Drag Truck are both meticulous recreations of the full-size autos, with officially licensed bodies and elaborate LED lighting systems. They also meet the rules and regulations for competing in No Prep Drag Races. That’s right — there are organized remote control drag racing competitions, like King of the Streets in Las Vega, Nevada, which you can enter with your remote control dragster and maybe win a cash prize!
If you’re interested in desert truck racing, the 1/6 scale Losi Super Baja Rey® 2.0 recreates the same excitement with its scale looks and insane speed. Topped off with a Brenthel Trophy Truck body, this remote control version measures almost three feet long. It packs every inch with authentic detail and aggressive off-road engineering.
For fans of short course racing, the Losi 5IVE-T® 2.0 brings the action to your backyard in massive 1/5 scale — over three feet long — complete with a gas-burning 2-stroke engine. Losi also equips this remote control racer with an extra-large 800cc fuel tank for long, uninterrupted run times.
Remote control for more than racing
Of course, not every remote control hobbyist has the need for speed. Axial demonstrates the versatility of remote control cars for adults with its 1/6 scale, 2.8 foot long, SCX6 Jeep® JLU Wrangler 4WD RC rock crawler.
Whether you're a fan of full-size Jeep vehicles, rock crawling, large-scale models, or all of the above, you'll be thrilled by the amount of realistic detail and high-performance functionality found here. The SCX6 Jeep JLU Wrangler comes expertly equipped for off-road adventuring with high-traction, 7" tall BFGoodrich® KM3 tires and a rugged two-speed transmission with high and low gears. Get ready to be amazed at the obstacles you can overcome!
Built to be fast and tough
The ARRMA brand lives up to its “Faster, Tougher” slogan with two remote control trucks built to handle big-time bashing.
If you enjoy arena-shaking full size monster trucks, you’ll love the 1/5 scale KRATON® 8S BLX 4WD. In optimum driving conditions with an optional pinion gear, this remote control monster is capable of speeds exceeding 55 miles per hour. An RC car that measures two-and-a-half feet long and can move that fast is definitely no toy!
The wheelie bar equipped, 1/5 scale OUTCAST™ 8S BLX 4WD stunt truck isn’t just fast. It defies gravity. ARRMA engineered the OUTCAST for long wheelies, tight donuts, aerial backflips and more — over all terrain, in all conditions.
How to choose the best remote control car for adults
As you can see, it’s a bit daunting to pick the right hobby quality remote control car from all the great ones available. Start by considering what interests you most. If there’s a full-size vehicle or motorsports category that you love, you can probably find it represented in an RC model. Just remember to stick with hobby grade vehicles for the best RC cars for adults. These will be RC cars and trucks that have replacement parts and upgrades available. They’re more durable than toys and have better performance.
Remote control rock crawlers are good choices for hobby newcomers of any age. Because they’re engineered for maneuverability and durability more than speed, they’re easier for inexperienced drivers to control. Plus, you can easily create a challenging course filled with obstacles to overcome. RC “basher” buggies and trucks deliver speed as well as durability. They’ll withstand quite a bit of abuse while you’re learning how to control your model.
Remote control car kits for adults are available if you like to tinker and build. So are ready-to-run (RTR) RC vehicles that arrive fully assembled. Adding to their convenience, RTR cars and trucks also include radios and most everything else you’ll need to start driving immediately (batteries may not be included, be sure to read the product description). Speaking of radios, “RC” in the adult hobby world most often stands for “radio control” rather than remote control. The meaning, however, is the same.
For more advice on choosing the best RC car or truck, you can also read the Best First RC Car for Beginners article on this blog.
Words by Wally Armstrong
Wally has been writing about the RC hobby since 1987, when he was hired by Hobbico as a Copywriter after completing his master’s degree in English in 1983 and teaching for several years. He managed the Hobbico copywriting team until 2018, when Horizon Hobby purchased the company and brought him on board as a Senior Copywriter. Wally especially enjoys getting a first look at new Horizon RC products from the Product Development teams – and having the privilege of sharing details about their innovations with RC hobby customers.
