Gas Powered RC Cars

The first thing you need to know about gas powered RC cars is that they are not powered by gasoline. Actually, the first thing you need to know about them is that they’re pretty awesome, but the gasoline thing is definitely a close second in importance.

When people talk about gas powered RC cars, what they are generally referring to are the popular Nitro cars. Where your typical radio controlled car is powered by a 7.2 volt battery pack, your Nitro cars are powered by a gas mix that includes alcohol, nitro-methane and oil.
 
The biggest difference between these and the electric RC cars is speed. The gas powered RC cars can reach speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. That’s not a typo, they really can go that fast. When looking for maximum speed, you’re going to looking at Nitro cars.

They also have the advantage of being easier to refuel on the fly than electric cars, so if you’re doing an all day event, this can be a significant advantage. They also mimic the experience of driving a real car more closely that the electric models do.

They are not completely superior to electric RC cars, though. For one thing, electric cars maintain an absolutely steady output of torque, meaning that they maintain speed through turns better than a gas powered car can.

The engines in gas powered cars, being actually engines and not just electric motors, require a lot more maintenance than electric cars, needing maintenance more on par with a full sized auto, although not nearly as expensive.

They can be more expensive to buy, as well, although the cost difference isn’t as huge as you might imagine. They can also cost more to run, since batteries are rechargeable and are a more infrequent expense.

If you’re debating between an electric powered RC car and a gas powered RC car, it’s going to come down to what you intend to do with it. If you’re interested in indoor racing and don’t want to be working on the car a lot, then electric is the way to go.

On the other hand, if you like tweaking things to make them work better and want to go as fast as humanly possible, there really isn’t any other option than going with a gas powered RC car.