What's one question everyone asks about an RC car or truck? "How fast does it go?", of course.
It's easy to make a car or truck travel at a high speed; simply throw a big motor and huge battery
into a vehicle and, voila, you’re there. This is an impractical approach, however. A vehicle with
this sort of engineering probably won't handle well, will have limited durability, or will be so
expensive to get up and running that it becomes impractical. The Speed-T from Losi tackles
these obstacles in a number of innovative ways to create a package that anyone can enjoy easily.
Anyone can strap a brushless motor into a vehicle and
call it a day. Not so with the Speed-T. A lot of thought
and engineering has gone into this new truck. The
engineers at Losi used the XXX-T CR—one of the
most-proven racing platforms on the market—as their
basis for the Speed-T. This chassis has been
successful in its many incarnations, whether it was
winning National Championships or serving as the
basis for one of the best RTRs on the market. The
suspension itself has been refined and optimized to
best handle the extreme power and speeds that the
Speed-T will be reaching.
When traveling at high speeds, a high center of gravity
(CG) can cause excessive chassis roll and hamper the
overall performance. The Speed-T features a lowered
CG to enhance its stability and make it feel more
sure-footed at speed. To help lower the truck, all-new
front and rear shock towers were developed.
Dampening is provided by new blue-anodized
threaded body shocks. These shocks feature shorter,
threaded bodies to assist in lowering the ride height
and stance of the Speed-T.
To improve the durability
and precision, the front and rear suspension mounts
are made out of aluminum. The Speed-T is more than
capable of pulling the front tires off the ground when
you hit the gas. While definitely cool, this could pose a
problem if you try to take a corner and the wheels are
in the air. The truck is just going to keep going straight.
This potential problem has been solved with a cleverly
designed wheelie bar that has been outfitted to the
motor guard. If need be, you can easily remove it for
off-road running.
Brushless motors provide exceptional torque and top speed, and Losi’s Xcelorin™ series of brushless gear
was the perfect choice for the Speed-T. Beyond the
obvious benefits of brushless technology, brushless
motors make it easier to get into RC without requiring
some mumbo-jumbo black book of motor secrets to get
the speed out of the motor that you desire. The
Speed-T comes with the 4800Kv variety of Xcelorin
motor bolted to the motor plate. The motor comes
equipped with dual shielded ball bearings that support
the rotor. The power wires all use thick-gauge wire and
gold-plated connectors for maximum current flow and efficiency. But all that power wouldn't be
much good if you couldn't properly deliver it to the ground and ended up just smokin' your tires.
The ESC that the Speed-T comes equipped with provides exceptionally smooth
power delivery throughout the entire throttle curve. The result is that more power gets from the
wheels to the ground efficiently with minimal wasted energy. Speaking of efficiency, the Xcelorin
speed controller includes preinstalled low-loss EC3 connectors that won’t melt or distort, as
lesser connectors can under extreme current flow. The speed controller is set up with a number
of great features right out of the box to take the performance even further. The preprogrammed
drive profiles let you determine the throttle curve and responsiveness to unlock the true potential
of the Xcelorin brushless system. It only takes a few minutes to select from Beginner, Sport and
High Performance profiles. For those of you who really want to further tune the speed control's
potential, the Speed-T includes a Quick Programming Card. With this amazing little card, you
can program the speed control's voltage cutoff for Ni-MH batteries, as well as 2-cell and 3-cell
Li-Po batteries, adjust the motor timing, vehicle speed, drag brake and much more. Best of all,
you won’t need a Ph.D in ESC programming to do it.
A truck this fast needs a radio system just as fast and
reliable, and the Speed-T comes equipped with a
phenomenal one. Losi has equipped the Speed-T with
their awesome MTX Pro transmitter with Spektrum
2.4GHz DSM technology and receiver. The MTX Pro
eliminates the need for crystals and provides
exceptional control and responsiveness. The MTX Pro
includes tuning options normally reserved for more
expensive and complex radios. While some radios in
its class may offer basic endpoint adjustments for
throttle and steering, the MTX Pro takes that one step
further. The endpoints have been broken out between
each axis providing separate endpoint adjustment for
left and right wheel movements, as well as throttle and
brake trigger movements. This sort of fine-tuning
allows you to get the Speed-T dialed in to suit your
exact driving style. Rounding out the electronics
package in the Speed-T is the steering servo.
With any vehicle, having a precise and reliable servo will help you feel more in control and help
the truck track straighter at speed. Losi didn’t skimp here, as the Speed-T includes a digital
steering servo. Only a digital steering servo could provide the speed and torque that a 65 mph
truck needs while also providing top-notch resolution.
Anyone who follows full-scale motorsports
will understand the effect that
aerodynamics can play on a vehicle’s
performance and handling. The Speed-T
features an aggressively styled and
slammed body that performs well and looks
awesome. The low-profile body reduces
aerodynamic drag by wrapping around key
chassis components such as the front and
rear shock towers, providing a low
drag design that cuts through the air.
Getting the power to the ground is
crucial to handling. The street-style
Road Weapon tires provide
exceptional grip on asphalt and
concrete. The Road Weapons come
premounted to all new chrome
Spokz street-style wheels. In the
event that you’d like to take your
Speed-T off-road, the Speed-T is
fully compatible with all existing
XXX-T wheels and tires.
It's called the Speed-T for a reason, as it's been
designed to go fast right from the box. The
Speed-T is incredibly versatile, thanks to the
ability to use four different battery configurations.
Unlocking the Speed-T's true potential and taking
it from mild to wild is as easy as swapping battery
packs. With a standard 6-cell battery pack, you
can expect to reach 40 mph or up to 45 mph with
a 7-cell. You can even use the latest generation
of Li-Po batteries with the Speed-T. A 2-cell Li-Po
battery should push the 50 mph barrier, while the
3-cell Li-Po will exceed that and approach
65 mph.
Whether you’re looking to set your own personal land-speed records or just looking for a fast, fun
and reliable truck, the Speed-T should be high on your list. From the Xcelorin brushless system,
MTX Pro radio with Spektrum technology, superior chassis performance and more, the Speed-T
delivers everything you could want and more.