Jalopnik: R/c

Hummer H3 R/C Car, Just Because They Could

Wes Siler — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:15:00 EDT

Hummer UK have converted this H3 to remote control. Intended for off road use only, it can traverse 16-inch vertical walls, 40% side slopes and two feet of water, all while you stay level and dry, presumably from the comfort of a lawn chair.

The lads and ladettes over at Hummer UK are all about the crazy marketing stunts, having put the first H3 imported into the tiny island nation into a gigantic toy box. This R/C conversion was carried about by Cranfield Universty and continues the Big Boy's Toy marketing theme. It's interesting to see the vehicle being marketing solely on its recreational image, but the company does note that a diesel H3 will be available "within three years."

What's The Best Model Car You've Ever Built?

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:45:00 EST

Those without children but with normal adult lives may be unaware that we've reached LEGO's 50th Anniversary. And while we're not moved by the Speed Racer Legos, we remember back in our day creating some monster brick rides complete with jet engines, millions of lights, dozens of wheels and Road Warrior-esque weaponry. We also remember making a few sincere attempts at scale modeling, though with results we were never happy with.

It wasn't until a couple of years ago when we got an XMOD Mustang kit that we built something we were really proud of, a Black & Blue Dirt Track Special. It's a reminder that if you can't live your dreams full size, at least you can in scale. Here's your chance to completely geek out. What's the best model car, lego car, R/C car, slot car or power wheels you've ever built?

Rich? Lazy? The Remote-Controlled Golf Caddie is For You

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:15:00 EST

How do you know when you've given up on life? You consider buying an r/c caddie for carrying your golf bags. While it may be good for those who are too cheap to get a golf cart or too old to carry heavy objects, this thing is just five kinds of ridiculous. That being said, at $2,000 perhaps this isn't an unnecessary golfing accessory. Perhaps it's a cheaper Segway? Remote-Controlled Keg? What would you do with this compact, off-roading R/C car? [Stewart Golf via Oobject]

Holiday Gift Guide: Hydrogen Power Kit for your R/C Car

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 13:45:00 EST

We're hoping to appeal to both the weekend R/C racers and the alternafuel fans on the site with this choice. Horizon Fuel Cell technologies offers a hydrogen fuel cell power supply for your R/C car that incorporates on board hydrogen fuel canisters! Even better, the kit is designed to fit in the battery compartment of the venerable Tamiya TT-01 chassis. This means we can live the dream of owning a hydrogen-powered Ford Escort Cosworth Rally Car. The kit promises top speed near 20 mph, quick acceleration and charges that last nearly an hour. It's a significant cost savings over the $600 monthly lease for the Clarity FCX. Product information below the jump:

Horizon built on its expertise in small-size fuel cell power systems to create a unique hydrogen fuel cell upgrade kit called the H-cell, designed for well-known battery powered model RC hobby cars you can buy in your local hobby store.

Designed to fit into the original 7.2V NiCad battery slot located on Tamiya TT-01 car chassis, the fuel cell power unit is designed as a futuristic power source using light emitting air cooling fans.

The new power source combines an ultra-compact air-cooled PEM fuel cell system with a scaled down fuel storage unit that includes a rack of 3 metal hydride canisters each including 10 liters of solid-state (low pressure) hydrogen gas. [Horizon Fuel Cell]

The Smart Eyes Robot Spycam is Watching You

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:00:00 EST

Who hasn't thought of pairing an off-the-shelf R/C Focus Rally Car with a camera phone? Designed for surveillance purposes, the R/C car uses a camera phone hooked up to the on-board electronics, allowing the user to pilot the vehicle from their very own phone. With this setup you could see what's going on in your neighborhood from the comfort of a cafe in Vienna. Or the other way around.

Though the military uses vehicles like this for destroying bombs and surveying territory, this is a relatively cheap and simple solution for someone who needs to spy on others. We just hope that the designer keeps it away from this guy. [PhysOrg]

Jalopnik Holiday Gift Guide: XMODS R/C Race Cars

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:30:00 EST

If you're in the market for a small R/C car for you or someone you love, but you're not really willing to make the $200 investment in one of the larger gas-powered setups, we can easily recommend the XMODS R/C series from RadioShack. Powered by small electric motors, these kits come in under $30.00 and are exceptionally customizable.

We're currently pushing a RWD Mustang upgraded to the stage 2 motor kit with foam tires and a tighter suspension. If you're really insane, there's a company in Houston that offers Lithium-polymer-batt-powered super machines and a host of other aftermarket upgrades. It's a nice option if you don't have a garage but your hands need to tinker with something.

Jalopnik Holiday Gift Guide: Hoonage Now Available in RC Form

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:30:00 EST

If you love Rock'em Sock'em Robots and R/C cars, we've got the product for you: Stock Cars. It may be a boring and non-descriptive name, but these awesome little remote-controlled cars come complete with four passengers connected to ejection buttons within the doors. The first person to eject all of their opponents passengers wins! It's like real stock car racing, except the passengers can't throw their helmets at you after ejection. Details below the jump:

Product Details: * Two RC 4 wheel drive cars. * RC navigates the cars forward, backwards, left and right. * 1 driver and 3 passengers per car. * Crash into the side of your opponents? car to depress the sensors on the door. * 4 sensors per car, each correlating to a passenger/driver. * Requires 8 x AA Batteries (not included). * Suitable for ages 8 years+. * Size: 16 x 8 x 8cm (each car).

[IWantOneOfThose]

Radio Controlled House Leap

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:45:00 EDT

R/C cars are wonderful implements of mayhem when used correctly (The Dead Pool, anyone?) These nutters put a launch ramp together to see if they could get a car to clear a house. We do, however, worry about the sanity of the rooftop camera man. Good job not getting whackarooed by a nitro-powered, buzzing projectile. [via Fast RC]

Vintage Tamiya Lust, Sated

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:15:00 EDT

Somewhere around 1986, we got the bug to have a badass R/C car of our own. We scrimped. We saved. We scrounged, and we didn't buy an RC/10. Or an Optima. Somehow, we believed that the Tamiya Fox was obviously the coolest R/C money could buy, thus dooming us to a life of fetishizing Citroëns and Mantas. Regardless, that car frankly was pretty awesome to an eleven-year-old boy; we spent plenty of hours terrorizing motorists and wayward dogs with the torquey little buggy, which eventually ended up with a candy-apple red '67 GTO body, thus pre-dating our eight years of GM A-Body ownership by um, three years or so. Steve Finkbuilt has a slightly older fantasy — that of Tamiya's Sand Scorcher Baja Bug. And given that the car is from the company's pre-ABS-plastic era, it goes for far too much money for an econo tinkerer like himself. So, naturally, he built his own, using a venerable Grasshopper chassis as the basis. [Finkbuilt]

Hasbro to Expose Teens to Nitro Fumes

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 22:00:00 EDT

A week ago, we were hanging out with ex-pro-BMX racer and current nostalgia Fuel Funny Car driver Jeff Utterback and the Notorious S.P.E.N.C.E. at the tail end of a party. Utterback mentioned that he gets a lot of flak on message boards because he drives a Prius, with old-timers calling him a "leftist" and whatnot. He said, "I just say, 'Hey, I drive a Prius so I can afford more nitro,'" a fuel that retails for around 700 bucks a drum. Spence chimed in, "Why don't we just invade the world's largest nitromethane-producing country?"

Utterback: "That would be China."

Spence: "Yes! Let's invade China!"

If Hasbro's marketing muscle is any indication, the toymaker's new line of reasonably-priced nitro-powered R/C vehicles could have one of two effects: either Utterback'll have to convert his Prius into a plug-in, or he won't have to drive a Prius anymore.

Nitro fuel pumping up radio-controlled cars [CNET]