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The TCX is Hot Bodies latest and greatest addition to their Touring Car lineup. Based off of the Championship-winning TC platform, the TCX takes the next step by redesigning certain areas of the car to optimize performance. Being an on-road geek at heart (and loving my HB TC), I was excited to drive the ‘next generation’ and see if all the hype was warranted.
AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Hot Bodies
WHO IT’S FOR: Intermediate to Advanced
HOW MUCH: $470
PART NUMBER: 68700
BUILD TYPE: Kit
VEHICLE TYPE: 1/10 4WD electric on-road touring car kit
FACTS
-The TCX features a fully symmetrical, one-piece top deck. This design ensures equal flex over the entire car from left to right, front to back. It is also fully adjustable, having four different setting from soft to hard. Adjusting this is as easy as adding or removing screws in the top deck.
-The front and rear bulkheads are 3mm narrower than any of the previous HB cars. This allows for a long top link which helps the car drive through the corners.
-The suspension is pulled from the HB TC. The smart, reversible lower a-arms are carried over as are the droop screw and turnbuckles. The same suspension tuning options are available on the TCX, too.
-The drive belts have been reversed so they run down the right side of the car instead of the left. This re-design allows the motor and electronics to be moved closer to the center of the chassis, improving balance and weight distribution.
-The TCX comes equipped with a front locked spool and a rear ball differential. The spool is lightweight, 3-piece design that eliminates any front differential action, enhancing braking action and increasing front drive. This is pretty much standard in the industry.
ITEMS NEEDED & USED
• Hot Bodies Subaru Impreza Type A Body- 61737
• Tekin Redline 17.5 Brushless Motor-TT2251
• Solaris Pre-mounted Tires-S-TSHGS3W
• Thunder Power 65C 5300mAh Pro Race LiPo Battery, TP5300-2SPR65
• Airtronics M11x-AIR90480
• Hot Bodies DSJ-1SS Digital Servo-67991
PROS
• LiPo ready chassis
• Clean, lightweight design
• Includes a Spool (locked diff) in the front, ball differential in the rear
• Precision aluminum parts wrapped in high-quality carbon fiber
• Motor moved 4.5mm closer to the center of the chassis for better weight distribution
• Fully symmetrical top deck has multiple chassis flex options built in
• Full range of tuning options
CONS
• Narrower chassis makes mounting the electronics a bit tricky
• Servo saver built into the servo horn
ON THE TRACK
STEERING Neutral
The steering on the TCX is very predictable. The kit setting is good but could be a bit more aggressive for me. Using what I learned from my HB TC, I made a few adjustments and wah-lah, the TCX was carving its way around the track like a sharp knife through a Thanksgiving turkey.
ACCELERATION Excellent
Like any on-road car, acceleration is not just about power but a complete combination of the entire car. The suspension has to be spot-on, belts nice and tight (no skipping), gearing correct and absolutely no tweak in the chassis. Out of the box, the TCX covers all these bases, allowing the Thunder Power/HPI Q-Base/Tekin power package to do its thing…which it does VERY well.
BRAKING Very Good
This is my first outing with HPI’s Q-Base ESC. It does a fantastic job in the brakes department and, while it does seem to run a bit warm, the included fan unit keeps the heat in check. While the TCX tracks nice and straight under hard braking, the front spool causes a slight push. Unfortunately, this is an inherent trait of the spool.
SUSPENSION Excellent
Wonderful. Fabulous. Silky smooth. Extremely tuneable. All are very good descriptions of the TCX suspension. The TCX includes ‘fine tuning’ adjustments; holes very close together on the towers to ‘fine tune’ the setting. The suspension arms are also reversible, with staggered holes for more adjustment.
DURABILITY Excellent
I had a chance to run about 50 hard laps around the test track. The only issue I had was the servo saver that is integrated into the servo horn. Somehow, the internal spring popped out of position and caused the steering to be erratic. I popped it back into place and it held the rest of the day. In my opinion this is an odd inclusion for a high-level TC.
THE LAST WORD
The TCX is impressively fast around the track. It’s easy to work on, responds well to tuning changes and its crisp handling instills quite a bit of confidence the more you drive it. It’s no wonder Factory HB driver Atsushi Hara has won quite a few races with it already. Well, that and the fact that he’s a heck of a driver. But besides that, it’s definitely worth a look if you are in the market for a new, top-of-the-line Touring Car.
LINKS
HPI, hpiracing.com, (949) 753-1099
Hot Bodies, hotbodiesonline.com, (949) 753-1099
Tekin, teamtekin.com, (208) 634-5559
Thunder Power, thunderpowerrc.com, (702) 228-8883
Airtronics, airtronics.net, (714) 964-0827
Solaris, distributed by TOP Racing, topracingusa.com, (650) 583-8898
Hey Tony. I read your review on the TCX becasue I am recently getting back into On-road TC Racing. I have been an offroader for about 8 years now and it has come to my head that I need to race onroad. So as a Hotbodies guy I decided to pick myself up a TCX. I was just wondering since you ran the TC and the TCX that if you are able to give me some building tips and maybe if you have a set-up sheet that would be amazing.
I will be racing in the winter on carpet and in the summer on ashpalt.
Hey Giancarlo.
The TCX goes together really well thanks to it’s pretty simple design. Build it straight from the box and give it a go. The only major changes I’ve done to mine are the rear toe block (from the kit 3.0 to a 1.5) and sliding 2mm spacers under each arm mount. Other than that, it’s basically stock!
Let me know how it works for you!