Killajb

Very appreciative for all of the feedback thus far. The thought of possible design theft isn't comforting to say the least... Add to that, echoing sentiments of build issues (dodgy belt tensioner adjustment, rear drive axles being too short, front body mount needing to be raised with extra washers, not enough shims to keep the ball diff seated in the transmission case without excess play and ongoing assembly manual issues) and I'm starting to feel like this will be a hard pass for me this time. I absolutely love the original RC10. Had a few A stamp chassis that I unfortunately moved on many many years ago, but the driving experience was uniquely "right". I thought I may as well opt(see what I did there?) for the all-singing and all-dancing 4WD version since the they are both quite expensive when compared to the Turbo Optima where I am able to purchase them. Alas, perhaps not. The Turbo Optima gold edition has spoiled me apparently. I just cannot fathom spending nearly twice that amount for a build that will possibly induce profanity and frustration, only to wind up with a car that won't perform up to par with the nearly half the cost, most likely far more enjoyable to build and better performing car.

I opted for the belt for my build.

I'm interested in the general opinions overall when it comes to both models. I do have an Optima re-release. To date, it is the most enjoyable RC I have had the pleasure of putting together (which says something since I've purchased over 200 NIB kits and assembled them). Agreed with your opinion as well on the Optima's performance feedback. Very smooth and accurate to drive, and "feels" like one solid unit when driving it. I (fortunately) haven't crashed mine (and hopefully won't) to test the durability of it. Where I am located, one could purchase 2 Optima re-re's for what it would cost to buy one RC10 4WD. I've seen feedback on the RC10 4WD on YouTube, but wanted to hear from anyone here who may have a different experience to share. Worth mentioning, I also have the Turbo Optima Mid and still prefer the Optima Gold over it.

After reading through the thread about builder's opinions on all the RC10's coming out, I wanted to pose a comparison: RC10 4WD vs Optima (gold re-release) - Both are of course 4WD - Both have the motor mounted at the rear of the chassis - Both are belt driven (assuming you opted for the belt drive option on the Optima) Aside from that, can anyone provide some more insight? I have my opinions, but really want to hear a general consensus on this.

Felt the same way and went that route myself. I hesitated because I have the extended shock tower mods, sway bars and re-located front camber links which meant I had to remove more material in the front of the plastic shell to be able to clear everything.. but it all worked out in the end.

Favorites: DT-02 Nissan Truck Oil dampers, ball diff option with larger street rover wheels and 2.2 tires with softer compound than the stock rubber on a blitzer. Just pure joyful to drive. The raised center of gravity and larger tires give just enough body roll and front grip to allow this rig to whip the back end around at full steering lock just after releasing the "go trigger". I'm sure the relatively short wheelbase helps as well, but it is also very stable at full sprint (with a GT tuned motor and stock gearing). Jumps over moderate heights and off of curbs with good balance. No, it's not a skate park basher but quite durable for what I enjoy it for. BBX Very enjoyable in on a trail or in medium-grip conditions. 10.5 brushless with big bore dampers and aftermarket sway bar. Jumps very well and handles uneven surfaces with ease and very fun to drive. Can traction roll on high traction surfaces at higher speeds, even with the rear sway bar addition but otherwise just a lot of fun. Smooth, quiet drivetrain and predictable handling. TD4 Super Avante Smooth and capable, if not the athlete some wish it was. 10.5 brushless, big bore dampers and modified steering servo mount. I enjoy driving it because of its control and quiet operation. It does what I want it to do; jumps level, lands straight and then scoots out of its own way nicely. I can feel the difference in ability of this compared to say.. a highly modified DF-03. Just a nice upper-mid level 4wd buggy and drives like it. Sure, it can't compare to my Yokomo YZ4 or Schumacher SX3 and probably doesn't belong on the track with the likes of those but for what it is I really like it and enjoy driving it. DF-03 since it was mentioned prior. Pretty much every option available for this guy: One way front bearing, slipper clutch, ceramic diff balls, carbon shock towers F/R, alloy dampers.. heck what else did I throw at it..? Guess that's all I can remember. And I love it! It wails like a banshee (HW 1060 and 19t brushed mod motor) at full tilt, maybe a something about the molded drivetrain gears because turning things by hand and all is very smooth. Handles nice, jumps and lands fairly well though I wouldn't try to win any races with it. Just a fun rig to take out and rip up and down the street with or take to an open area where I know I can stretch it out a bit. Motor gets a little toasty because of the mid-mounted location, even with a cooling fan slapped on top of it. Agrios aka Big Mama. Wifey determined her gender based on the original wheels and tires when compared to the Bullhead "we" already have. Still rocking the stock silver cans but being persuaded by 3s via a HW880 esc. Dampers were upgraded with essentially 3Racing Cactus Pro rear dampers (8 total) and really made it her plush and capable monster. Finally, some reassignment surgery in the form of wheel adapters and clod wheels/tires (but she's still a she: wifey's call). Quite the macho mama now too. The stock silver cans really wake up on 3s and seem to handle the task of bashing, wheelie starts, hill climbs and hauling all that mass in flat-out squat down sprints just fine. Threw a couple of cooling fans over the lot to keep temps in check. Haven't broken anything yet despite tumbling down a large hill, landing on the lid from attempted backflips or mis-judging an approach to a jump and spiraling into the weeds. Definitely our go-to basher for varied terrain because fun is all but assured and we are always able to drive back home (as opposed to me having to carry it) Bullhead Were it not for the servo-on-axle conversion and oil dampers I would have put this guy on the least favorite list. Bone stock, driving this thing was a major disappointment. Like trying to walk an overweight toddler on a leash, control of any sort to go in a straight line was by a prayer. Meanwhile, you get all of this plastic clacking about as the pogo shocks just seem to want to shake the body off of the chassis with any chassis disturbance. Well, all of that is resolved with oil dampers and a servo steering the front axle. The rear steering (or what was hoped of it) was locked. Sure, the turning radius is larger but the payoff in steering control is by far worth it. With just this mod alone, I had what felt like a hobby-grade vehicle that rattled and bounced around a lot. Adding the very expensive and not-quite-worth the price Tamiya dampers (8 in total) with reservoirs completed the maturity of this ride. It now drives like a true monster truck. The shaky rattles are gone, truck squats under full power and jumps with authority. Landings are manageable, especially compared to what it was before. Much much much more fun to drive, the fact that it is fun to drive at all being a marked improvement. Monster Beetle & Blackfoot I'm grouping these two together since they are essentially the same chassis, even though I took a different approach to modifications on each because essentially they reward with a very similar level of enjoyment when driving them. The Monster Beetle has a MIP diff, 21.5T brushless combo but is otherwise stock. The Blackfoot has the chassis brace by @Xeostar , a Superstock BZ/HW 1080, aeration dampers and alloy front steering knuckles with the steering link mounting points raised to eliminate some of the bump steer. Both are fun to drive in grassy terrain. I keep a little more aware of the Blackfoot's motor temps on warmer days. The Beetle can run until the battery cutoff without worry. Both could give you a traction roll scare if you get going fast enough on a high traction surface. Both are a joy to drive/watch lumbering about in their element; chugging up grassy hills or sloshing through loose dirt. Least Favorites: MF01x Purchased as a rally beetle kit, but used as a "Cal look" street beetle. I was just never impressed with this chassis. I'm not quite sure why, maybe the smaller m-sized wheels on the MF01x chassis left some of the charm out. I put oil dampers and with a HW 1080/ 16t brushed motor and still didn't find things any more enjoyable. Would love to hear any helpful hints, but otherwise this car is relegated to shelf queen duty. DF-02 I feel bad for putting this guy here, but alas I did anyway. To be fair, it was one of my least favorite cars to drive because I couldn't seem to get the slop out of it. Purchased as an XB Rising Storm kit, I went with every conceivable hop-up one could find short of alloy suspension arms. I do like driving it now, but because of the hassle I went through, I had to put it here in retrospect. Sorry fella, we're on good terms now and I'll never get rid of you. Honorable Mention: Grasshopper This car is quite enigmatic in that it seems that I don't fancy driving it bone stock because I have so many higher expectations for the chassis. It looks so nice and scale, it just feels like it should be able to do more. Of course back in the 80s this was the epitome of driving pleasure and I often have to remind myself of that. Still, with so many more modern and capable options it is (as they say) what it is. I enjoy looking at it more than I do driving it. I have 3 and any range of hop-up options short of just going all Hornet EVO on the thing won't help in the "fun-to-drive" factor much.

Would love to know your choice of color sir..

I'm right there with you on this one @BuggyDad. I've always been impressed with my TD4 and would enjoy driving it more if it weren't soon to be a rarity with astronomical replacement part prices.

Amazing @GToddC5!! I think Tamiya missed the boat with marketing this DT-04 chassis and should have opted for the 2025 Striker route. Carrying that thought process onto the original post, a Sonic Fighter could have followed shortly thereafter.

I'm excited about this release and hope to be able to get my hands on one. I haven't been able to get any of the other RC10 re-re's as of yet locally before they are all snagged. If I can't score this one, maybe some of the other re-releases would be more available as well. I don't plan on racing it, just enjoying it

Very much appreciated @Murmel! Ordered and now awaiting.. @OldSchoolRC1, if all else fails I might consider going the parallel 2s route, however I'm a bit leery of setting things ablaze so it would be a last resort at best.

Oof! Your comment posted just as I was reading the website and realizing the same thing. Sorry to hear that you are stuck in the same boat. I don't want to modify my car, nor will I use NiMh, so the search shalll continue..