Revell 1/25
'06 Mustang GT R/C Racing Car

Once again, Revell is doing some interesting market adjustments to synergize on what they do well along with new directions to (re)attract hobbyists back to the fun again. Revell's line of 1/24 and 1/25 scale car kits are among the most prolific line of plastic hobby kits on the market and are certainly the most prolific in the scale car hobby.

What would happen if they combined their 1/24 car line with the latest in radio control technology? The answer is RPMz. There are currently four offerings in the line so far:

1. NASCAR Chevy Monte Carlo
2. NASCAR Ford Taurus
3. 2006 Ford Mustang GT
4. Dodge Challenger Concept Car

Each car comes in a well-protected package that features the subject car, in this case the Mustang GT, a digital proportional controller, spare motor, alternate/spare tires, replacement gears, replacement motor, suspension upgrades, and even three traffic cones to provide a slalom course.

Each box is clearly marked with the RC channel loaded in the transmitter and receiver. This will allow you the option of obtaining more than one car operating on the same frequency, or to ensure that each car is on its on discrete frequency so some 'friendly' racing can happen without interference.

I pulled the car out, the body snaps off the chassis, and you install four AA batteries for power. The transmitter consumes another eight AA batteries. I learned several years ago that I'd be broke with all of the AA and AAA batteries we go through around here, so we went rechargeable. A company called Maha produces the Powerex line of rechargeable batteries that have 2700mAh of capacity, and they recharge fairly quickly as well. So around the Cybermodeler Labs, batteries are not a problem.

The car handled well on both carpet and hard floors. The steering was positive and the remote controller feels as solid as the Futaba on my other RC car. I imagine that younger drivers can readily put the car through its paces, but we have speed limits around the Lab due to the feline crossings that exist everywhere around here.

When you look at the engineering under the body shell, you can see that this isn't your usual Christmas RC car toy that has a very limited lifespan. Revell has built in the capability to rebuild and replace everything in the event of a catastrophic crash or just simply a blown tire or transmission. This really does look like my RC10 radio-controlled car scaled down and wearing a much nicer car body.

Of course there is the small matter of price. My RC10 was over $100.00. The motor and radio control gear were sold separately, so I had well over $250 in the project before I was done. And of course this was a kit, so then there was the assembly and painting time on top of that. The one major advantage of the RC10 is its ability to run outdoors as well as indoors.

The Revell RPMz car has an MSRP of under $80, and a street price of around $60, and this price includes the car, radio control gear, motor, spare motor, spare parts, and pre-assembled/ready-to-run (after you add batteries).

Conclusions

This is definitely not the over-priced, limited life radio-controlled cars that we've bought our kids in the past. While these cars are best operated indoors, they are intended to be maintainable and upgradeable. It never ceases to amaze me how technology can do more every year in smaller packages and lower prices!

If you are looking for a good Christmas present, this is definitely a good choice, but don't buy one. Buy at least two. You can't have a race without some competition. Dads and Moms, you need to prove to your kids that you're still in your game - get yourself a car too. Have some fun!

My sincere thanks to Revell for this review sample!