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When I get any vehicle for review, I have a whole process I go through prior to taking it out on its test run. I usually pull it out of the box, give it a thorough examination and then set it aside and start writing portions of this article. For instance, before moving on I typically write this intro, At a Glance, Pros and Cons, Items Used and most of the Bonus Content. All that can be done first while it’s still fresh in my head. With the HPI Apache C1, however, things went a little different. I did pull it out of the box and I did give it a good once over, but I immediately called our new West Coast contributing photographer and told him to clear his schedule today…we have a buggy to shoot!
AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: HPI
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
HOW MUCH: $610
BUILD TYPE: RTR
FACTS
– HPI hit the nail on the head in the looks department with the Apache C1. The body panels attached to the cage, the driver figures and the big offroad tires are fantastic.
– Removing the cage exposes the heart of the C1. Other than the extended chassis, the C1 is a direct descendent of HPI’s Vorza. This means it can handle a ton of power and has a lot of aftermarket goodies available to it.
– The drivetrain is as tough as they come. Stout, fluid-filled gear diffs are located in the front, center and rear of the C1, and are easy to get to should they need maintenance. CVA’s up front and dogbones in the rear transfer the power to all four corners.
– If the durable drivetrain isn’t enough, check out the size of the parts on the C1! The arms are ridiculously thick, and don’t have any recesses molded into them. This might look strange, but it pretty smart on HPI’s part. This helps keep any dirt from building up! The steering and camber link are massive too. If you break one of these parts, you REALLY did something wrong.
– The C1 rocks beadlock-style wheels with officially licensed Geolander tires. The 17mm hex means you can throw on any 1/8th scale wheel and tire combo to up its track potential.
– HPI has equipped the C1 with its Q-Base ESC and Alphastar 2350Kv brushless motor. These are Castle Creations rebadged components and, couple that with a 4S LiPo pack and you’ve got plenty of tire-shredding power to play with.
– One of the most important features of the C1 is also one of the most simple; waterproofing. Yes, the C1 is waterproof, so don’t be afraid to take this buggy out in any weather conditions. I would, however, stay away from submerging it underwater; it’s a car, not a submarine.
SPECS & TUNING OPTIONS
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 22.8 in. (580mm)
WIDTH: 11.8 in. (300mm)
WHEELBASE: 14.8 in. (375mm)
WEIGHT: 10.4lb. (4,717g)
CHASSIS
TYPE: Flat
MATERIAL: Aluminum
THICKNESS: 4mm
SUSPENSION
TYPE: 4-wheel independent
SHOCK POSITIONS: Tower (F) 3 (R) 3, Arm (F) 2, (R) 3
CAMBER: Fixed
ROLL: Various positions on shock tower
WHEELBASE: Adjustable shims
RIDE HEIGHT: Threaded shock bodies
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE: 4WD
DIFFERENTIAL:
Fluid-filled gear
GEAR RATIO: Optional
pinion gears
BEARINGS: Full metalshielded
STEERING
TYPE: Dual bellcrank
TOE: Fixed
BODY, WHEELS AND TIRES
BODY: Lexan Desert Buggy Body attached to internal cage
WHEELS: 2.2 in. Desert wheel with simulated beadlock
WHEEL ADAPTER
TYPE: 17mm hex
TIRES: Officially licensed Yokohama Geolanders
ITEMS NEEDED
+ Battery
+ Charger
ITEMS USED
+ Venom 4000mAh 30C LiFe packs
+ Hitec Multicharger X4 AC Plus
PROS
• Killer looks – like a real Class 1 desert buggy
• Industry standard 17mm wheel hex allows the use of any 1/8-scale wheels and tires
• Except for a battery pack(s), it’s ready-to-run
• 1/8-scale drivetrain means low maintenance
• 1/8-scale size means extremely beefy parts
• 1/8-scale design allows it to handle 4S of LiPo power
• 1/8-scale design makes it super easy to work on
CONS
• 1/8-scales aren’t this heavy. The C1 is a tank
• HPI decided to ‘back down its track competitiveness’, thus requiring quite a few additional parts to
PERFORMANCE
STEERING: Oversteer
For some reason, the servo in the Apache C1 looks awfully dainty. Surprisingly it’s not. The C1 comes with HPI’s SF-50WP (WaterProof) servo that is rated at over 400 ounces of torque and a .18 transit speed. What does that mean? It means it’s no wussy servo! It turns the front wheel with authority and gets the C1 pointed in the direction you want it to go. So why do I state the C1 has oversteer? Well, mostly because the rear end can’t quite keep up with it. The lack of camber settings and the limited rear suspension travel cause the back end to float a bit, causing quite a bit of oversteer. It’s easy to catch it, but can be a little unnerving at times.
ACCELERATION: Very Good
As I mentioned before, the C1 has no lack of power. Just point the buggy in the direction you want to go and bury the trigger! Be prepared, though, as the Geolanders will cry in agony as they try to put that power to the ground. They’re not a bad tire, but you’ll need to practice some restraint on most surfaces. Learn to roll the throttle from a standstill and you’ll be just fine.
BRAKING: Very Good
As much fun as it is to pull full throttle from a standstill, it’s almost as fun to hit full brakes. The Q-Base system has incredible brakes, and you might find yourself trying to turn them down a bit. The Geolanders actually work better under braking than acceleration, and the lengthened chassis helps stabilize the C1.
SUSPENSION: Good
I like airtime, and I figured any Class 1 buggy would too. Yah, not so much. Unfortunately, this big ol’ girl is just that…a big ol’ girl! She doesn’t mind being nice and high off the ground, it’s the landings that cause her grief. The shocks just aren’t up to par to support the heavy weight of the C1, and it would constantly smack the ground VERY hard on landings, even the smaller ones. This would really upset the handling and make it difficult to drive. Maybe that’s why HPI included a bunch of spare shock pistons. However, I really didn’t want to start messing with that yet. I even thought about working with the camber settings but, alas, HPI gave us fixed links to deal with. So I had to do the best with what I had.
DURABILITY: Excellent
I can’t emphasize enough how solid the C1 is. When you pick it up, it just seems SO heavy, but in a good way. Nothing flexes, nothing feels flimsy or weak, and it shows with the multiple tumbles and roll-overs that occurred on the track. It’s just one big, monstrous piece or RC. Period.
THE LAST WORD
The Apache C1 is a cool buggy. It’s fast, fun and handles pretty well on the Geolander tires. The parts are incredibly durable and should have you blasting around the fields and dunes for quite some time without any issues. If you want to put it on the track, however, you’ll need to do some upgrading. Thankfully, the power system on a 4S LiPo certainly doesn’t make you feel like you’re motoring a 10-pound brick, so it’s really only the suspension you’ll need to focus on. I already have a full-race C1 setup in the works.
LINKS
HPI Racing, www.hpiracing.com, (949) 753-1099
Hitec, www.hitecrcd.com, (858) 748-6948
Venom Power, www.venompower.com, (800) 705-0620
