Home
RC Cars
RC Trucks
RC Minis & Micros
Popular Vehicles
Hobby Shops
Magazines
  

Team Losi vs Team Associated: Who Wins?

Team Losi and Team Associated are arguably among the top-rate companies in the world. But who comes out on top? To give some insight into the inner workings of these companies, their beginnings, their pros and cons, we've compiled some information we hope will help you pick the company best suited to give you the RC you want.

Team Associated

First we'll start with Team Associated. Founded by Roger Curtis and Lee Yurada in 1964, Team Associated is a notorious winner in the RC racing world. They've taken home over 19 IFMAR World Championships, and raked in many other prestigious awards along the way. Well-known for the lightness of their cars and simultaneous durability, the quality of Associated's products and the help they give in their manual is first-rate. Because they're such a widely circulated brand, it's also very easy to find parts when you need to replace them, or if you want to hop-up your car.

Arguably the best from the best is Team Associated's RC10 GT2. This nitro-powered truck has won the major RC gas truck competition (ROAR) at the National level for 15 years in a row, making it pretty much the top contender in truck racing in it's division. To give you a better idea of this award-winning model, we've compiled a quick and dirty review to show you what the GT2 has to offer. Let's start with the good stuff...

Team Associated's RC10 GT2 Nitro

Pros:

  • Upgraded from the original GT, the GT2 has been perfected to increase durability (although it's no monster truck!), and the ability to handle jumps, and stay grounded on rough patches of track or turf.

  • AE's .15X engine comes pull-start, but has the speed and handling you wouldn't expect from an RTR car. Thankfully, after long deliberation Associated has produced a new and improved engine.

  • The GT2 won't burn a hole through your wallet, despite the quality of the model, and rings in at about $290 retail. Although you may rack up a larger bill if you go wild on Associated's hefty list of hop-ups.

  • AE's Engine replacement policy is great, and it means you and your LHS won't have to struggle over annoying warranties if your engine falters.

  • It takes true skill to drive this thing, both in it's set-up, and in controlling the throttle, so you know if you win a race with the GT2, it's not a fluke, just pure talent.

  • It's backwards compatible with almost all of Associated's other makes, so you can switch up parts pretty easily, and modify it to suit your driving style best.

Cons:

  • If you're a basher, this is NOT the truck for you. It's durable on the track, but not when you get it into the mud. It's not meant for bashing at all, and is much better off racing.

  • Although this is also listed in the pro section, it takes skill to drive the GT2, so if you're unfamiliar with how to set up your truck for the best handling, or if you're not the best at throttle control, this may not be the car for you. Although if you're looking to improve in these areas, the GT2 will be a way to force yourself to learn.

There isn't a whole lot of negative feedback out there on the GT2, which is a testament to it's superior design and handling.

Team Losi

So without further ado, we'll get into it with Team Losi. Team Losi was founded by Gil Losi, a former IFMAR champion, in the late 1980's with their first vehicle being the JRx-2, a 1/10 Scale 2wd Off-Road competition-ready buggy. Innovative from the get-go, Team Losi's later version of the buggy featured one of the first molded composite chassis on the market. Sold to Horizon Hobby in 2001, Team Losi continues to operate out of Southern California - the birthplace of the original company and the first ever 1/18th scale truck, the Mini-T.

Team Losi XXX-T

Arguably the best from Team Losi is their 1/10th scale electric XXX-T Sport Brushless truck. Here are the ins and outs of the XXX-T.

Pros:

  • Like the GT2, the XXX-T won't be too hard on the bank, and rings in at about $300 retail.

  • The shnazzy black, blue and yellow paint job is a nice change from the oranges and reds that often come stock with trucks.

  • The engine comes ROAR legal, so if you're dying to race, you won't have to replace the motor to do so.

  • The stock shocks on the truck are pretty smooth, and make for a nice clean run.

  • The handling and set-up isn't as tricky as with the GT2, unless you're planning on doing a lot of mods. It's RTR though, and electric, so there's very little fiddling needed before getting out to the track.

  • This is a pretty durable truck, and can take a good deal more bashing than Associated's GT2, which is primarily built for racing.

Cons:

  • Watch out for loose screws in the bottom rear shocks, they have a tendency to give out and make your wheel lose support. To remedy this, you can get a Losi locknut to stick on the end of your screw to keep it in.

  • Pay close attention to your bearings, the teflon casings have a tendency to blow without any real reason, you can go down to your LHS and make sure you've properly installed them to try to prevent this, but there's not guarantee it won't happen anyways.

  • Like most brushless motors, the thermal shutdown circuitry in Losi's XXX-T Brushless protects both the motor and speed controller from damage from excessive heat, so if the ESC detects that either the motor or speed controller are running too hot, the ESC will shut down until temperatures are within safe operating limits, according to Team Losi's site. This can be a bit annoying if you're racing, but ultimately it does protect your engine from overheating.

So there it is, the lowdown on two of the top companies for RC racing, and an overview of two of their best-selling products. Depending on what you want, both offer great products. The XXX-T is probably a better bet for beginners, as it's electric, brushless, and is easier to maintain and bash with. if you're a talented driver, or looking to get talented, it's more likely you'll want the GT2. It's harder to handle, but once you get a handle on it's power it can't be beat! Hope these tidbits of information have helped, and happy racing!

About the Author

Lee Brain is a freelance writer and offers sound advice in the field of remote control cars and RC nitro trucks. He currently runs his own personal hobby website, and specializes in traxxas products, as well as gas powered RC cars.