The Tyco Super Fast Traxx is a radio controlled vehicle manufactured by Taiyo (Japan) and released into the US, UK, and other markets worldwide in 1992.
A successor to the Fast Traxx, the Super Fast Traxx is a mammoth at 1/10 scale, 25% larger and faster than the original, one of the largest R/C vehicles ever produced by Taiyo/Tyco, only bested by the giant 1/8 scale ‘Super Typhoon’.
This vehicle is so unique that even after cataloging 300+ vehicles, this one car still required a new battery and new motor type added to our site database to accomodate it.
Heritage
There were many Fast Traxx releases, here are some of them:
Hobby Grade Battery
Having heard of the Super Fast Traxx some time ago, I became intrigued but ultimately disappointed when I learned it was powered only by 7.2V, assuming it was an 6xAA 7.2V flex pack. This was a mistake that I would only recognize some years later when I finally saw exactly what that 7.2V battery was.
For the uninitiated, the battery shown above is a 7.2V Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable battery pack typically associated with hobby grade cars of the era, and still sold and used today.
It’s not the raw voltage it can produce that make it better than the usual toy grade packs (7.2V is milder than the 9.6V turbo packs), but the current and capacity produced by the 6x Sub-C batteries ensures the larger motor can push the larger chassis along at a similar pace to the original, if not better.
Anyone who has driven a standard 1/10 Tamiya such as a Lunch Box or a Wild Willy knows that these batteries pack plenty of go, even for heavier models.
It wasn’t until the early 2000s when lithium polymer 2S and 3S hard case batteries came around that these heavier Sub-C packs stepped down from top dog position, but continue to be a common site at hobby stores across the globe due to their low cost and improved safety, especially in the newer NiMh format.
Features and Performance
The Super Fast Traxx finally takes the crown for largest motor used in a Taiyo / Tyco electric vehicle, with it’s whopping Dual Mabuchi 380 size motors, one for each track.
Now that is a proper “hobby grade” R/C motor folks, the same used in smaller Tamiya radio controlled cars! Coupled with its hobby grade 7.2v Sub-C battery pack, the top speed is 25% faster than the original (25km/h or 15mph) despite the vehicle itself being 25% larger.
That’s about as fast as a Turbo Hopper / Jet Hopper, though the Fast Traxx has never been about speed as much as a pure unstoppable all-terrain force. It’s designed to go in a straight line over whatever gets in the way, and do it in style, corners be damned!
Even so, is there any Taiyo/Tyco more deserving of a Brushless/Lipo upgrade? We think not!
Recommendation
Get one if you can afford it and it’s in decent condition. If you have one, keep it. Your future self will thank you.
Thank you to Jeramiah C. for providing photos of his shockingly good Super Fast Traxx and Super Turbo battery pack.
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