So, you’ve made the decision to invest in a remote control car. Whether you are just stepping foot into the RC world or you’ve owned a few models in your childhood, you’re now faced with a decision: Do you choose gas remote control cars or nitro RC cars?
Wait, aren’t they the same thing?
For those that don’t know the difference between the two or if you’re one who uses the terms interchangeably, gas remote control cars are powered by a mixture of oil and traditional fuel whereas nitro RC cars run using a combination of oil, nitromethane and methanol. While there are many other factors to consider if you’re thinking about purchasing an RC vehicle such as cost and design, here are some ways that gas remote control cars outshine nitro RC cars and as well as some reasons why choosing a nitro RC car could in fact be a better choice in some cases.
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1. Gas remote control car engines are often more powerful.
Because the engines in gas remote control cars like the HPI Racing 10610 Baja 5B SS Kit are often more powerful, they are traditionally used in larger models than nitro RC cars such as monster trucks or large off-road buggies. Also, many larger “real life” replicas will often run off of gas due to the sheer power of the engine. More power allows the car to generate more torque so the gas remote control cars can handle off-road courses and push through more obstacles than their nitro RC counterparts. On the other hand, nitro cars will most likely be smaller, giving them a speed advantage. Many models can top 80 miles per hour or more. If you know for a fact that you will be racing and are simply looking for a fast car, then you will most likely benefit more from a nitro RC car. Be careful not to confuse speed with power; the torque in a gas-powered car will be greater than that of a nitro RC vehicle, but the latter will generally move quicker and with greater agility than the former.
2. The gasoline and oil mixture that powers gas engines is cheaper.
Gas-powered cars run on a gasoline and oil mixture while nitro cars are fueled by nitromethane. It goes without saying that gasoline is the cheaper of the two. Gasoline will run you however much it is going for at your local gas station, but nitro fuel like the Torco RC Fuel 20% Nitro Car & Truck Gallon may cost you 30 to 45 dollars per gallon.
3. The engines in gas remote control cars require less maintenance.
As you may or may not know, the engines in nitro cars may be testy depending on how well you tune the car, the temperature outside, the fuel grade, humidity, the age of the engine and other factors. These cars require more tuning in general, like replacing components more often due to wear and cleaning the chassis and air filter. If you’re unsure about the care of your nitro RC engine, you might want to consider investing in a guide such as the Ultimate Nitro Engine Guide for Radio-Control Vehicles to maximize your engine’s power potential.
4. The engines in gas remote control cars will last longer.
By their nature, nitro engines like theTraxxas 5407 3.3 TRX Engine, IPS Shaft with Pull Start will wear out faster than those of gas-powered cars.
5. Nitro cars still have several advantages.
While gas-powered cars have several perks over nitro RC cars, it is important to be aware that the latter still comes in ahead in several ways. First, because gas RC cars are typically larger, they need a lot more space to comfortably and safely use them, so consider where you will be running them before you purchase one. Nitro RC cars, on the other hand, can be used nearly anywhere, although you will still need to keep in mind that these cars can be noisy and emit hazardous fumes, so you will be limited to outdoor use only and not during early morning or late night hours. Also, as a general rule, gas-powered RC cars often struggle to reach the same top high-end speeds as nitro RC cars due to their sheer size. Because nitro cars such as theTraxxas 4807 1/10 Nitro 4-Tec 3.3 RTR are smaller than gas remote control cars, you will find that these vehicles have an advantage and may be more suitable for racing or competitions in which you need agility and quick pick-up speed.
Gas Remote Control Cars or Nitro RC Cars!
While most RC car fanatics have had the opportunity to test each type of RC vehicle and may favor one fuel type over the other, if you’re just starting out, it’s important to compare the benefits and drawbacks of both gas remote control cars and nitro RC cars before making a decision. Since there are plenty of expensive, high-performance RC vehicles trucks with their own advantages on the market as well. Making a choice will ultimately be a matter of personal preference, but you must also think about the level of commitment you are willing to devote to the hobby as nitro RC cars will require more care and maintenance than gas remote control cars, while gas-powered vehicles will often come with a higher upfront cost. And indeed if you are concerned about the effort required to run either of these types of cars then you may even want to consider investigating electric RC cars which are much simpler to run and maintain while still providing a lot of the same types of great benefits.
I would like to buy 1
Hi Clarence,
Thanks for stopping by. You should go for it then! They are definitely amazing machines!
Thanks
David
Gas
i have nitro and electric 1/10 and 1/8 scale but by the look of many videos i have seen the Losi5ive-T and the Losi mini and the Losi desert buggy are the best all 1/5 scale and will be the next cars i wil buy
Hi Casey,
Thanks for stopping by! That sounds like a pretty good plan to me too 🙂
David – My RCtopia
What would be the best kind of truck to buy for my 10year old grandson? He is very mechanically inclined. Do the gas trucks let smoke out?
Hi Laura,
Thanks for getting in touch! For your 10 year old grandson you might actually be better to start off with an electric powered Truck. There is still a lot of mechanical fiddling he can do if he wants but the electric powered models have the advantage of being less noisey, cleaner to run and a bit easier for a beginner to get to grips with. Gas and RC trucks can also be easier to damage if you get the set up wrong.
If you’re looking for a very well priced starter option something like the Maisto Rock Crawler (https://www.amazon.com/Maisto-3-Channel-Crawler-Control-Vehicle/dp/B003ML36HI?tag=myrc-text3-20) could be a good way to go. There don’t tend to be as many lower priced RC Trucks on the market as RC Cars for some reason so if you did want to go with a truck you might have to pay a bit more. Have a look through some of the other options we’re also reviewed on these pages https://www.myrctopia.com/brcta/ , https://www.myrctopia.com/crwlr/ , https://www.myrctopia.com/trygg/ and see if anything grabs your interest.
Hope that helps!
David – My RCtopia