RC Cars & Trucks: Crawlers, Bashers, Drift & Touring Cars
HeliDirect carries a broad selection of hobby RC cars and trucks for adults, beginners, and experienced hobbyists. If you are looking for a remote control car for adults, choosing a hobby-grade model gives you access to replaceable electronics, spare parts, and upgrades as your skills grow. Whether you are choosing an entry-level electric model or sourcing parts for a custom 1/10 build, the catalog includes crawlers, bashers, drift cars, touring and racing platforms, plus compatible electronics, radio systems, batteries, and replacement or upgrade parts.
Electric RC cars make up a large part of the selection and are generally clean, quiet, and straightforward to maintain compared with fuel-powered models. Use the sections below to compare driving style, scale, build type, and electronics before choosing a vehicle.
Shop RC Cars by Driving Style
Before you buy RC cars online, choosing the right driving style is one of the most important decisions. Each type is built around a specific terrain, skill level, and driving objective, so comparing how and where you plan to drive will help you choose the right remote control car.
RC Crawlers
RC crawlers are built for slow, technical driving - navigating rocks, roots, steep grades, and rough terrain with precision rather than speed. If you want a remote-controlled car that behaves like a real trail truck, this is your category. Most hobby crawlers use 4WD or multi-axle drivetrains, low gear ratios for torque, suspension articulation to keep the tires planted on uneven terrain, and tunable electronics for precise low-speed throttle control. Top brands: HobbyPlus, Axial, Rlaarlo, MJX, REDCAT
Price and availability can change; use the linked product pages for the latest pricing and package details.
Bashers & Off-Road RC Trucks
Bashers are built for speed, durability, jumps, impacts, and all-terrain driving on dirt, grass, gravel, and rough outdoor ground. They are often approachable for newcomers because RTR versions are widely available and the driving style is less setup-sensitive than dedicated racing. Top brands: Arrma, MJX, Rlaarlo, REDCAT, Losi. Common basher and off-road vehicle types include:
- Monster Trucks - oversized trucks for jumps and rough terrain.
- Short Course Trucks (SCT) - Baja-style racing trucks for dirt tracks.
Drift RC Cars
Drift RC cars are about technique, control, and style. These cars use hard-compound drift tires or drift rings to reduce traction and hold controlled slides. Many modern competition drift chassis use rear-wheel drive with gyro-assisted counter-steer, while all-wheel-drive drift platforms are also available. Drift cars perform best on smooth, predictable surfaces such as polished concrete, gym floors, or dedicated drift tracks. Top brands: Turbo Racing, DriftArt, SUPER-G, Atomic
Touring Cars
Touring cars are built for high-speed on-road handling and lap-time consistency. 1/10 is the most common touring-car scale, while smaller and larger on-road platforms also exist. Touring cars reward precise setup, smooth driving, and careful tuning of tires, suspension, gearing, and electronics. Touring and kit-level track cars often require more setup and tuning knowledge than typical RTR crawlers or bashers, so they are generally better suited to intermediate or experienced drivers. Top brands: Losi, XBility ONE.
MINI-Z & 1/27-1/28 Scale Racing
Kyosho MINI-Z and performance-oriented 1/27-1/28 scale cars are popular for compact on-road and track racing. Some Readyset-style vehicles are approachable for newer drivers, while competition chassis are better suited to intermediate or advanced hobbyists because they may require separate electronics, setup, and tuning.
Many competition-grade 1/27-1/28 scale platforms are sold as chassis kits without electronics, and body inclusion varies by manufacturer.
Organized racing normally requires access to a suitable indoor or outdoor track or club venue.
Popular brands available from HeliDirect include Atomic Racing, MWX Racing, XBility, GL Racing, Reflex Racing, RTRC, Kyosho Mini-Z
Shop RC Cars by Scale
Scale describes a model's approximate size relative to its full-size counterpart. It affects portability, terrain capability, parts availability, and price. For this guide, we group common sizes as Micro, Mini, Standard, and Large Scale to make comparison easier; these are practical shopping categories rather than universal industry standards.
Micro RC Cars - 1/76 to 1/20 Scale
Micro RC cars are compact enough for indoor driving and tight spaces while still offering genuine hobby performance and upgrade paths across several driving styles. At the smallest 1/76 end, some RTR models can start around $30-$60, while larger or higher-performance micro platforms cost more.
- 1/76 - Turbo Racing
- 1/32 - Redcat
- 1/30 - Axial, Furitek
- 1/28 - Losi, Xbility RC
- 1/27 - GL Racing
- 1/24 - HobbyPlus, Axial, Losi
- 1/20 - MJX
Mini RC Cars - 1/18 to 1/12 Scale
Mini RC cars bridge micro portability and standard-scale performance. Many 1/18 RTR vehicles fall roughly between $100 and $250 depending on drivetrain, electronics, materials, and included accessories.
- 1/18 - HobbyPlus, MJX
- 1/16 - MJX, ARRMA
- 1/14 - MJX, Rlaarlo
- 1/12 - CEN Racing, Associated, Rlaarlo, MJX, Losi
Standard RC Cars - 1/10 Scale
1/10 scale is one of the most common and widely supported sizes in hobby RC, with a broad selection of vehicles, replacement parts, tires, electronics, and upgrades. It is a strong choice for buyers who plan to tune or customize over time.
- 1/10 - Rlaarlo, MJX, CEN Racing
Large-Scale RC Cars - 1/8 to 1/7 Scale
Large-scale RC cars deliver the presence, power, and driving experience that smaller classes cannot match. They are best suited to experienced drivers with sufficient outdoor space and appropriate battery, charging, and safety equipment.
- 1/8 MJX, Rlaarlo, CEN Racing
- 1/7 MJX, Rlaarlo, CEN Racing
Shop by Build Type
RTR RC Cars - Ready to Run
RTR (Ready-to-Run) RC cars come fully assembled with the motor, ESC, steering servo, receiver, and radio system already installed, so no mechanical assembly or electronics setup is normally required; however, the included accessories vary by model, so always check the individual product listing to confirm whether the drive battery, charger, and transmitter batteries are included or need to be purchased separately.
RTR is usually the simplest starting point for first-time buyers, gift buyers, and drivers who prefer factory assembly; once you confirm the required battery and charging equipment, you can focus on driving and upgrading later.
RTR brands: Arrma, Axial, CEN Racing, HobbyPlus, Turbo Racing, Rlaarlo, Redcat, Losi, MJX, HPI Racing, Kyosho, FMS, WLtoys.
RC Kits & Custom Builds
RC kits vary widely by manufacturer and platform. Some provide a complete mechanical chassis but require electronics, radio gear, battery, charger, body, wheels, or tires; always verify the included-items list before buying.
- RC Kits - generally supply the core chassis and mechanical components, with required electronics and finishing components varying by model. Brands: Atomic, Reflex, Team Associated, NexTracing, G-Force, Kyosho.
- Rollers - preassembled rolling chassis that typically include wheels and tires and may include a body, but usually require electronics and radio gear. Contents vary by model.
- Assembly Kits - unassembled mechanical kits you build from components; electronics, radio gear, battery, and charger are commonly purchased separately. Tamiya and Kyosho are known for detailed scale-oriented assembly kits.
RC Car Electronics
Electronics are the control and power system of a hobby-grade RC vehicle. Unlike toy-grade cars, many hobby RC platforms allow individual components to be replaced or upgraded to change throttle response, steering precision, power delivery, efficiency, and tuning flexibility. Whether you are building from a kit or upgrading an RTR model, component compatibility matters as much as outright performance.
- Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs): The ESC manages power flow from the battery to the motor. Advanced ESCs from brands like Furitek can offer features such as Bluetooth tuning, adjustable throttle response, drag brake, and low-speed control depending on the model.
- Motors: From high-torque brushed motors for torque-focused applications to higher-RPM brushless motors for speed, motor choice affects speed, torque, efficiency, and throttle feel. Furitek specializes in compact micro/mini RC power systems designed for smooth low-speed control.
- Servos: Steering speed and torque depend on your servo. HeliDirect highlights TORQ for high-performance steering and Furitek for specialized micro-crawler applications.
- Gyros: Common in drift cars and available on some high-speed setups, a gyro can provide counter-steer or stability assistance. It is not required for every drift or basher platform, so check the vehicle and receiver setup.
- Batteries & Accessories: Choose batteries by the voltage, connector, physical dimensions, and capacity specified for your vehicle. HeliDirect also carries PULSE batteries, mechanical upgrades from Injora and Meus, and custom bodies from radianZ.
Radio Systems for RC Cars
- DumboRC: Value-priced radios with hobby-grade performance. The DDF-350 VIP series is ideal for mini-Z, touring, and crawlers; gyro-integrated receivers are available for drift setups. Shop DumboRC
- FlySky: Flagship surface radios (Noble NB4+/NB4 Pro+) offering 18-channel AFHDS 3, IPS touchscreens, and sub-3ms latency. Shop FlySky
- RadioMaster: The MT12 features EdgeTX firmware, providing ultra-low latency ELRS or a flexible 4-in-1 multi-protocol module. Shop RadioMaster
- Furitek: Specialized micro/mini crawling systems. The Avatar TX 4WS offers rear-steer control and Bluetooth updates, while the MicroFlex 4WS combo is perfect for SCX24 and 1/18 crawlers. Shop Furitek
