The crew over at Carisma have been busy putting out a bunch of new releases lately, but they still had time to hit the 2013 Nuremberg Toy Fair. Our BigSquidRC contributor Igor got a chance to hang with the Carisma crew and get some up close shots of all the newest Carisma bash-mobiles. Check out the gallery below to get up close with the multiple new releases from Carisma.
Hit up This Link for the official Carisma RC website, and click HERE to view all our coverage from Nuremberg.
Check out the latest from the crew at Carisma- the GT16MB Volkswagen Desert Beetle Wide Edition. The Bug comes with a nicely detailed scale looking body and big tires for going off-road. Some of its other features and specifications include-
* 4WD
* 2.4G Radio
* Carisma Brushless System
* Full Assembled
* Ready to Run
* Oil shocks
* Officially Licensed body
* Gear diffs
* 370 brushless motor
* Front and rear bumpers
* High traction tires
* 6 cell battery pack
* Part #57268
We have not received any pricing information, but the anticipated release date is sometime this summer. Unfortunately we have not heard if the GT16MB will be available here in the states. Head over to the Carisma Website for more information on this and all their other new products.
Thank goodness it’s Friday, why not go for it and click a TGIF Mystery Link?
Check out the video below to see the new Carisma GT16MG in action.
Hello, sorry I didnt know who else to ask, so maybe you know. Will the carisma M10DT volkswagon beetle desert edition come to the U.S?
I sure hope so, it really looks sick.Thanks for your time, oh I love your website.
JA Sugar
Cubby- Hey what’s up Sugar?
The Carisma crew has introduced a bunch of new trucks lately, all of them look like prime bashing mobiles and we have been getting a bunch of emails about them. Back in the day, Carisma was distributed by Horizon here in the States, but not any longer. We’ve heard some rumors of Carisma possibly getting picked up by another distributor here in the states, but as of right now they’ve yet to work out a deal. To boil it down, if you want a Carisma product you’ll have to buy it from overseas. This might be expensive (and a huge PITA), but you will instantly be the coolest guy at your bash spot. If you do pick one up send us some pics.
Hi Cubby my name is Matt got a little problem and thought you might be able to help. I just got a hot bodies dirt demon for 99 bucks and it ran good for about a week and then the trans went to crap. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on replacing the hole trans with something ells being as they do not make the spur gear and more no one does it sucks . If you got any thoughts its a god rc just bad that they do not make the 4wd trans any more. All the help will be helpful .
Matt H.
Cubby- Yo what’s up Matt? That HB Dirt Demon was a cool monster truck back in the day. And… that’s exactly the problem, it’s an old platform.
I haven’t dug into it, so I have no idea what other spur gear might work or which tranny might drop in. The reason why I haven’t researched it is because even if you can find another tranny to drop in, that doesn’t really “fix” your problem. What if you break an a-arm? Or a hub carrier? If you drive your truck at all you are going to break other parts sooner or later.
So.. what I’m going to recommend is two routes for you. The first route is the cheap one. If you have a GOOD hobby shop near you, take your truck in. A good hobby shop will look through their parts supply and figure out what they have in stock that can be used to get your Dirt Demon back up to speed.
The second route is a bit more expensive but it’s the one I would take if I really liked an older platform vehicle. Search around on eBay, Craigslist, and the forums, then buy any complete Dirt Demon you can get your hands on. If you stockpile a
couple of complete trucks you should be dialed for at least a couple of years.
I bought a HPI 2WD Electric Blitz for myself and my son.. Both trucks have the same problem… Press full throttle forward and sometimes no response.. battery is fully charged and I believe to have set up the truck correctly.. I must be missing something???
Please help!!!
Randy
Cubby- Thanks for shoot’n us an email Randy, make sure to send Brian your snail mail so we can hook ya up with some stickers to plaster all over your Blitz’s.
I really like the HPI Blitz. It drives well and the RTR version can take some serious abuse. Sucks to hear you are having a problem with yours but that is part of the “fun” of our hobby.
If both your trucks have the same problem it sounds like you may not have calibrated the transmitters to the speed controllers properly. What this involves is having the speed control “learn” where full throttle, full brake, and neutral is from your transmitters. Read your manual for exact instructions, but this typically involves turning on your radio, then turning on your truck, then going from full throttle to full brake and then to neutral in the first couple of seconds the speedo is on. Depending on the speedo, you might have to press a programming button to accomplish
this task.
If it isn’t a calibration issue then it might simply be there is a lot of lag/delay between reverse and forward. On some speedo’s you can instantly go from reverse to full forward, on other brands it might take a couple seconds. It’s been several years since I have driven a stock brushed Blitz, I can’t recall off the top of my head if the Blitz had a bunch of lag/delay or not.
That’s it for this week folks, shoot me your questions, smack talk, or whatever else is on your mind to Cubby at BigSquidRC dot com. If your question makes the big-time you get free stickers, if I pick yours as “letter of the month” we hook you up with a BSRC t-shirt.
YOUR Cub Reporter
The crew over at Carisma have been putting out highly detailed scale rc cars for years. The Carisma Volkswagen Race Tourareg 3 has been out for a few months now, but it’s very trick and deserves some time on the BSRC front page.
The Tourareg 3 is based off the 10th scale 4wd M40S chassis from Carisma and it is an RTR that comes completely built and ready for action. Some of the other primary features include-
* Licensed Red Bull Racing body
* 2.4 GHz radio system
* Oil filled shocks
* Gear differentials
* 540 brushed motor
* 6 cell Ni-MH battery
* Off-road tires
Carisma is not available here in the states, but you can hit up the Official Carisma Website for more information on this and all their products. If you are looking for more Carisma news, THIS is the link you want right here on BigSquidRC.
Here you go guys, some unboxing pictures of the new Carisma GT10DT Desert Racer. We took lots of pictures while unboxing our test unit to show you exactly what it’s like to crack the box open.
The GT10DT is somewhat smaller than a 10th scale buggy, the final two pictures show it sitting next to an Associated B4 to give you some reference. The GT10DT has a unique yet scale look, and features goodies like a 2.4GHz radio system and brushless power. Our full review goes up next Tuesday, October 1st, until then check out the pictures and you can hit This Link to visit the official Carisma website.
THE Carisma GT10DT Brushless RTR Desert Racer Review
Daily our hobby changes. Off-road buggies have gone from cool looking scale derived machines, to UFOs, and now they are headed back to looking like something you might actually be able to see in real life. The crew over at Carisma and their new GT10DT continues the trend back to scale realism. The GT10DT packs plenty of features like brushless power, 4wd, and a 2.4GHz radio system, all of which should make it a good bash machine. So it is? Is it a good basher? Hit the “Read More” button and find out…
From: Carisma
Direct Link: GT10DT
Unboxing Pictures: GT10DT Unboxing BSRC
Review By: Cubby
Pictures By: Tim Mohr
Specs:
RTR or Kit: RTR
Age: 14+
2wd or 4wd: 4wd
Chassis: Aluminum
Electric or Gas: Electric
Waterproof: Yes
Scale: “Mini 1/10th”
Length: 338mm
Width: 214mm
Wheelbase: 229mm
Motor: Brushless 4500kv, 370 sized
Speed Controller: Non-Sensored brushless, MSC18WP
Low Voltage Cut-off:
Radio: Carisma CTX2710 2.4GHz
Differential: Two metal gear diffs
Slipper Clutch: Yes
Driveshafts: Bones
Shocks: Plastic bodies, oil filled
Screws: Hex
Bearings: Full set
Tires: Carisma street tread
Battery: 6 cell 1200 mAh, EC3 connector
Top Speed (measured by BSRC w/ stock battery)- 21 mph
Part Number: #70868
Street Price: $N/A
Primary Competition: Once again we are testing a machine that is unique. Carisma calls it a “Mini 1/10th scale” for size, but it is substantially smaller than a “normal” tenth scale buggy like an Associated B4 and substantially larger than a 14th scale mini. For example, the GT10DT has a 40mm longer wheelbase than a 14th scale Losi Mini 8ight. So… lets say it is in the same league as other large/mini brushless 4wds.
What’s Needed To Complete: Nothing, zero, nada, it even comes with AA batteries for the transmitter.
Build Quality: We didn’t find anything binding, the gear mesh was spot on, the shocks were not leaking, everything looked well assembled out of the box.
Test Drivers: Cubby, Tim, “Iron” Mike, and Sam “The Noob”
Test Venues: RC Outlaws off-road track in Collinsville Illinois, Arnold City Park in Arnold Missouri, CostCo parking lot, and a cul-de-sac.
Set-up Notes: We ran the Carisma box stock with no adjustments. We primarily used the included Ni-MH pack for power, but also did some testing with 3S Lipo. We used a Hyperion 720iNet3 for charging duties. We even left the stock EC3 connector on.
Turning: The GT10DT exhibits a bit of understeer in tight corners, but not a lot. A tap of the brakes helps to plant the front end, then it will rotate right around. In sweepers it tends to turn pretty much neutral. The stock street tread tires don’t offer a lot of mechanical grip on loose surfaces so corner speeds aren’t exceptionally high, but it is easy and predictable to turn.
Jumping: For its size, the GT10DT jumps fine. It doesn’t have a center diff so it responds quickly to radio input for mid-air corrections. Its small overall physical size can make it hard to jump on a blown out dirt track, but if you are hitting prepped jumps like a wood ramp or carpeted jumps, it tends to jump fairly level. Landings can be a bit rough because the shocks are lightly damped, but whether you be a noob or a seasoned pro, jumping the GT10DT is generally a pleasure.
Bumps/Whoops: The small’ish diameter tires and light shock damping can lead to some wild times in the rough. If you plan on driving on rough outdoor tracks or at a bash spot with big dirt clods, you might want to consider a larger truck. If you are only going to see small bumps where you drive, the Carisma will be just fine.
On-Road: The Carisma jams on pavement. It doesn’t traction roll (at any speed), it corners well, and the stock tires work quite well on-road. The GT10DT thrives and is a blast on pavement.
Grass: While the Carisma has plenty of power on tap and 4wd, its limiting factor in grass is its tires. Those are easy enough to change out, but out of the box the relatively low slung Carisma with street treads is only good at navigating very short or spotty grass.
Off-Road: For its size the Carisma does an admirable job off-road. It is generally easy to control on a prepped dirt track or in an empty dirt lot. We had plenty of fun just pounding around an un-prepped dirt lot, but if the majority of your driving will be in the dirt, a change of tires and heavier shock oil would come in mighty handy.
Tires: The stock tires work well on-road but just aren’t made to excel in grass or on dirt. The compound is fairly hard, but not insanely so, and the stock inserts are soft to help get more traction on loose surfaces. To boil it down, on high bite the stock tires works well, on the loose stuff you’ll be looking for more aggressive shoes.
Power: When using the included 6 cell Ni-MH pack the Carisma had good yank. The low end was strong, the mid-range had a nice punch, and the top end felt powerful until it ran out of rpm. The 21 mph top end isn’t impressive to a seasoned hobbyist, but it’s right on target for noobs, and the Carisma gets to top speed in a hurry. On 3S Lipo things change drastically, you get a real taste of what the GT10DT can do. Instantly it becomes an insanely fast bash machine, with more power than 99% of people could ever use.
Radio: We didn’t have any glitching issues with the Carisma transmitter and it gave a long working range for us. The included wheel is molded out of plastic, we would rather have seen foam on it. The grip felt fine, as did the wheel-to-trigger-to-grip relationship. While the trigger felt fine, it recesses back into the grip when pulled WFO, something that was hated by one tester, and not even noticed by others.
Broken Parts: I’m not going to beat around the bush here, the Carisma GT10DT took the nastiest beating we have ever put out and it still lives with no broken parts. Let me repeat, it survived every stupid thing we could think of and did not break one part. It’s an epic level bash machine if you are looking for tough.
After doing our “normal” testing it was time to test the durability of the Carisma (read- to break the thing). We started slamming it into non-movable objects full speed. It walked away with zero problems. Then we started jumping it off a 2 story roof to pavement with no success in breaking it. Then we hucked it off the roof to pavement purposely landing at weird angles and still no success. Then we popped in 3S and started slamming it into railroad ties, once again it would not break. Finally we resorted to slamming it full speed into a concrete curb on 3S. Finally, for the first time it did not drive away! However, that was simply because the battery connector had come apart. Then we slammed it into the concrete curb again, bending the front center driveshaft so far that it couldn’t turn over anymore. Also on the last slam the receiver and speedo came loose from where they were mounted. It also popped off 2 screws from the where the bottom of the front bumper was mounted to the chassis. The chassis was also tweaked, as was the front of the cage, but just slightly. We bent the driveshaft back straight, double sided taped the electronics back down, and the GT10DT drives nearly as well today as it did when we got it. Impressive, extremely impressive.
Misc Notes:
Want to know the best thing about the included servo? It is the fact we never noticed it. Servos only get noticed when they are too weak or too slow, the included servo works great.
We gave our GT10DT some severe water testing. Generally it didn’t have an issue but occasionally it would just stop working when submerged. Once allowed a few minutes to dry it was fine again.
The GT10DT has a small bit of cogging from a dead stop. Nothing massive, but noticeable.
The ambient temp for most of our testing was 80F and higher. The highest motor temp we measured was 138F.
We measure runtime at 9 minutes. That isn’t a lot by todays standards.
The stock battery tray is somewhat hard to get to. One of our testers hated putting a pack in, while another didn’t really think it was difficult.
The GT10DT comes with e-clips on some of its hinge pins, we are not fans of e-clips at all.
The extra tire mounted on the cage is real working unit, nice touch.
Best Mod Under $5: Easy one here, we highly recommend popping in 50 weight Associated shock oil into all four corners. The stock oil is very thin, thicker oil makes a real improvement in handling at very little cash outlay.
Best Mod Over $5: Can you say 3S Lipo? 
Summary:
A = Outstanding/Best in Class, B = Above Average, C = Average, D = Below Average, F = Horrific
Time To Bash: B Everything comes in the box but you’ll want to skip the wall charger if you want to get on track fast.
Workability: D The scale realism added by the cage comes at a price when you need to wrench on the Carisma. Thankfully it rarely needs wrenching.
Car Show Rating: B We determine this by going around the office and asking the BigSquid Bash Crew if they like how the car looks or not. Everyone in the office liked the look of the Carisma, which is rare, we normally have at least one person that hates the look of what we are testing.
Bash-A-Bility: A+ The Carisma GT10DT took the worst beating we’ve ever put out and did not break one single part. We bent a driveshaft and ripped a couple of screws out, but nothing broke. The GT10DT is HOF tough.
Fun Factor: B The Carisma generally drives well, has decent power, and never breaks, that is a lot of fun to us.
Handling: B The Carisma turns well and is generally easy to drive.
Value: N/A We have not received pricing information.
Parts Availability: N/A The GT10DT, nor its parts, are available in the US at this time.
BigSquid Rating: B- We are core bashers and we liked the Carisma GT10DT a lot. The Carisma has plenty of yank on tap, it is easy to drive, and it has HOF durability, all are key attributes to a great bash machine.
Once we know a price point, and how people will be able to get parts, we will update the scores accordingly.
Make sure to check out the video in full screen and high def!
Carisma might not be available here in the states (yet!), but they sure have a cool looking bash line-up. Today we’ll show you what it looks like to pull a brand new Carisma GT16MT out of the box.
The pictures below don’t really show the scale of the GT16MT but it is a big “mini”. The GT16MT dwarfs an Associated RC18T and is substantially larger than an 18th scale ECX Ruckus. The other thing that stuck out during the unboxing was the lexan undertray and buggy body/inner tray on the Carisma.
Our full review goes live in a couple weeks, until then check out our unboxing pictures. To get more information on all the products that Carisma makes simply hit This Link.
Click Here to read more Carisma news on BigSquidRC, and hit the “Read More” button for two more unboxing galleries of the GT16MT.
We have posted trade show pictures of the Carisma Porsche 959 before, but now Carisma has released more information and pictures.
The Carisma 959 Rally looks just like the cars that were made famous racing Paris-Dakar, truly legendary racing machines. The Carisma rc version comes with-
* 4wd w/ three metal gear differentials
* Waterproof
* 540 brushless motor
* Metal chassis
* 2.4 GHz radio system
The part number for the Carisma 959 Rally is #70768 and you can get more information on all the products that Carisma offers at This Link.
Are you ready for the weekend? Click Here for a TGIF mystery link to get your weekend kicked off right.
While the new Carisma vehicles haven’t made their way stateside (quite yet), their line-up of bashing vehicles continues to grow. Check out the new Carisma M10DT as we unbox it for the first time.
We were nicely surprised by the flat paint on the outside of the vehicle, as it takes an interesting twist to being also on the tires, the bumpers, and anything else exposed. It’s almost as if there is a artist on the Cariama assembly line painting them as they go by.. or at least we like to imagine it that way.
Another interesting surprise was the parts tree in the box for the accessories. There are actually two of them. Our resident model painter was digging this for sure, and is looking forward to getting started.
We will have a full review in a couple weeks after we get some serious wheel time in. For now, check out our unboxing pictures. To get more information on all the products that Carisma makes simply hit This Link.
Make sure you hit the “Read More” button below for more unboxing galleries under the hood of the M10DT, we took plenty of pictures. Click Here to read more Carisma news on BigSquidRC.
THE Carisma GT16MT Brushless 4wd RTR Review
Nope, you can’t buy Carisma here in the states. However, you never know when they might get picked up, so to stay “ahead of the curve” we are busting out some reviews of their products. Today we’ll be taking a closer look at the GT16MT, a 1/16th scale, 4wd, RTR, off-road truck. The first Carisma we reviewed was arguably the toughest truck we’ve ever tested, could our second review truck possibly live up to our expectations? Does the brushless powerplant in the GT16MT have plenty of rip? What do we really think of Carisma? Click the “Read More” to get the party started…
From: Carisma
Direct Link: GT16MT
Unboxing Pictures: BSRC Unboxes the GT16MT
Review By: Cubby
Pics By: Tim Mohr
Specs:
RTR or Kit: RTR
Age: 14+
2wd or 4wd: 4wd
Shaft or Belt: Shafts
Electric or Gas: Electric
Waterproof: No
Scale: 1/16th
Length: 335.9mm
Width: 239mm
Wheelbase: 189mm
Motor: Brushless, 370 sized non-sensored
Speed Controller: Carisma V6 Type R
Low Voltage Cut-off: Yes
Radio: Carisma CTX-2710 2.4GHz
Differential: Front & Rear metal gear diffs
Slipper Clutch: Yes
Driveshafts: Metal bones
Shocks: Plastic caps and bodies, oil filled
Servo Saver: At servo
Screws: Phillips
Bearings: Yes
Tires: Carisma intermediate tread
Battery: 6 cell 1200mAh saddle pack
Part Number: #57168
Top Speed (measured by BSRC): 27 mph w/ stock pack
Runtime: 9 minutes
Street Price: $N/A
Primary Competition: ECX 1/18th Ruckus, Associated 1/18th Rival MT, Losi 1/14 Mini 8IGHT, Dromida MT4.18
What’s Needed To Complete: Nothing, everything comes in the box.
Build Quality: We found no issues with the assembly quality. Camber and toe were properly set, the shocks were properly filled, even the pinion/spur mesh was spot on.
Test Drivers: Your favorite Cub Reporter, Tim Mohr, “Iron” Mikeee, and Sam “The Noob”
Test Venues: RC Outlaws 8th scale outdoor off-road track in Collinsville Illinois, Dirtburners in St Louis Missouri, Belleville City Park in Belleville Illinois, Arnold City Park in Arnold Missouri, and a CostCo parking lot.
Set-up Notes: We ran the GT16MT bone stock, even with the included Tamiya plug, but we didn’t use the included wall charger. Our charger of choice was a Hitec X1 Touch.
Turning: The tires on the Carisma don’t offer a bunch of overall grip so the GT16MT pushed a bit going into corners. It turns ok, but doesn’t have a lot of mechanical grip so corner speeds aren’t blazing fast.
Jumping: The GT16MT comes damped fairly soft, resulting in relatively hard landings. Take offs are generally straight and in air corrections are easily made via throttle control. The GT16MT generally jumps flat, and its body doesn’t catch too much air so parachute effect is rarely noticed. Overall, the Carisma is easy to jump, and with its ample power, you can pretty much make every jump at the local track.
Bumps/Whoops: Being lightly damped the GT16MT can get a little crazy in whoop sections, bouncing a bit more than we liked. This is easily and cheaply fixed with heavier shock oil.
On-Road: The GT16MT tends to slide around corners like a drift machine on-road, but never traction rolls and generally is a joy to drive on pavement.
Grass: For its size, the Carisma gets around well in grass. It just blows through short grass, and even gets around quite well in some of the taller stuff. Its 4wd and tires work well in the green stuff. If most of your driving is in taller grass, you’ll want to look at larger scale machines, but for the short stuff the Carisma works just fine.
Tires: The intermediate tread design gives exactly that, medium traction on pretty much every surface. They don’t offer a lot of mechanical grip on any surface, but are long wearing and get at least decent grip on everything.
Power: Oh yes, the GT16MT has good power, even with the included Ni-MH pack. It has good yank off the bottom that rips into a peppy mid-range, then it just keeps on pulling to a 27 mph top end. It has more than enough yank to make big jumps, shoot huge roost, and put a big smile on your face. It can cog occasionally from a dead stop, but once it gets rolling it has very good power for a 16th scale RTR.
Radio: The included Carisma radio system worked well for us. Range was excellent and we never experienced a glitch. Ergonomics were good, but we would have preferred a foam covered wheel instead of just plastic. The trigger is sized right for most fingers, but recesses back into the grip when pulled wide open, something that most of use didn’t really notice, but some testers couldn’t stand.
Broken Parts: So… the first Carisma we reviewed, the GT10DT, was a tank, perhaps the toughest car we’ve ever tested. Therefore, we thought there was no possible way the GT16MT could be as tough. Early in testing we were super careful with it, not wanting to break it before we got a couple dozen packs through it, that way, if it broke early, at least we had plenty of time on it for the review.
After breezing through our “normal” testing, it was finally time to destroy it, we were free to do all the stupid stuff you should never do to your car. First came the normal stuff, slamming it into walls, metal posts, and concrete barriers, full speed of course. The GT16MT didn’t break, heck, it didn’t even bend, it came away completely unscathed. Then came the multiple two story roof jumps, then running it full speed into more unmovable objects. Then came more, and more, and more, until we finally tired of attempting to break it. There are no caveats here, the GT16MT walked away 99% unscathed. It didn’t bend, it didn’t pop off any tie-rods, the camber didn’t end up out of whack, the chassis didn’t taco, and all the wheels are still round. Other than various scratches, the GT16MT works as well today as it did the day it came out of the box. The GT16MT took the sickest, stupidest, most insane beating we’ve ever dished out and did not break. The GT16MT is the toughest truck we have ever tested.
Misc Notes:
When you first turn on the Carisma you notice the front wheel are limited to a very narrow turning arch. You think in your mind that the GT16MT is gonna have the turning radius of a log truck, but in real world use that is not the case. It can indeed turn in a fairly small radius.
The included Ni-MH battery seems to have good power, but it is a saddle pack. I don’t know how many after-market 18th scale saddle packs your LHS stocks, but none of our local shops carry any.
The tires rub on the fender flares of the body while turning and during heavy suspension compression.
The body comes with some neat scale details, but the VW bug rear exhaust seemed a bit out of place on a truck like this one. It slips right off, so no biggie if you don’t like it.
We ended up removing the roof rack, exhaust, and cut the fender flares off, giving the MT16MT more of a basher truck look. It took all of 5 minutes to do this and we liked the look much better afterwards.
Carisma includes extra spur gears and wheel hexes with the truck, nice touch.
To keep dirt out of the chassis the GT16MT comes with a polycarbonate under tray and a buggy body on top. We left the under tray on, but ditched the buggy body.
The chassis on the GT16MT is basically an uber 16th scale race machine. If you were to throw some different tires on it the truck would be capable of racing at any level.
Best Mod Under $5: Associated 45 weight shock oil is your friend with the Carisma. After adding the heavier oil the Carisma started to absorb bumps instead of bounce over them.
Best Mod Over $5: Bolt on some new kicks. We bolted on some wheels/tires off a Duratrax Vendetta (the hexes are the same size) and enjoyed the newly found grip.
Summary:
A = Outstanding/Best in Class, B = Above Average, C = Average, D = Below Average, F = Horrific
Time To Bash: B With everything you need to get going right in the box it is fast and easy to hit your local bash spot.
Workability: B Everything is well laid out, but we would have rather seen hex hardware instead of Phillips.
Car Show Rating: C Some of our Bash Crew thought the GT16MT looked ok, but none of them raved about it, and one reviewer really wasn’t feeling the look. The truck looked like a hodgepodge, part monster truck, part Beetle, and its proportions looked a bit off, as if it needed a longer wheelbase.
Bash-A-Bility: A+ The GT16MT is the toughest vehicle we have ever tested, hands down. We simply could not break it, even when taking durability testing to the extreme.
Fun Factor: A Strong brushless power combined with a truck you simply can not break is loads of fun to drive.
Handling: C The GT16MT is a decent handling machine but is held back by its soft damping.
Value: N/A We have no pricing information on the GT16MT yet.
Parts Availability: N/A The GT16MT is not available in the USA at this time.
BigSquid Rating: B If/when the Carisma GT16MT hits the states, should you pick one up? We had an absolute blast driving the GT16MT and were in awe of its ability to take a huge hit without breaking. Yes, the GT16MT will make a great bash machine for your rc garage.
Are the rumors true that Carisma is headed back to the States? We have no idea, but we do know that the last two Carisma vehicles we reviewed held up like tanks.
Carisma has just released a video for their 10th scale M40DT brushless ready to run truck. Check it out below to see the 4wd M40DT jumping, shooting roost, and even getting in some water action.
Click Here for more Carisma news on BigSquidRC.
Our friends over at Carisma have just posted a new video for their M10DT Volkswagen Beetle Desert Edition. Check out the video below to see what it looks like to bash on the beach with the Desert Beetle. Also keep an eye on our front page as our full review should be done very soon.
To check out the official M10DT Desert Beetle page all you have to do is click This Link.
For more Carisma news on BigSquidRC just Click Here.
Since getting our hands on some of the recent Carisma vehicles, and telling you about them, we have received weekly emails and Facebook messages asking people can buy them, and when they are coming to the US. Well, that question (that we have had the answer for little while now, but couldn’t share) is that YES they are indeed coming to the US! Officially March 1st 2014 they will be available from www.TheJericGroup.com. The Jeric Group will be their official distribution channel in the US, so you will most likely be able to get the vehicles in local shops, or online at several retailers. Carisma mentions that they will have vehicles AND parts readily availalbe on March First. This is pretty huge news, as we know there has been a large group of people drooling over their new vehicles for a while now. If you are a hobby shop owner, we recommend giving the Jeric Group a call because we know a lot of people looking for these, and they will be happy to find them on your shelves. At least give a few of them a try!
Carisma also let us know that www.Imodel.fr will be their official distributor for France.
We are happy to see Carisma make it’s way over to the USA. Their vehicles have been really great (Check the reviews at This Link) and we are looking forward to some part support as well.
Check the Official Carisma Website for more info.
We released the news that Carisma is Coming to America on March 1st, now we get to post their latest creation, the M10DB off-road buggy. The M10DB is a 1/10th 2wd buggy that comes pre-built for your bashing pleasure. For power it utilizes a 3000Kv brushless motor and comes with waterproof electronics. To top it off, the radio is 2.4GHz so you never have to worry about changing out crystals. That’s all the information we have for now, but you can hit up This Link to check out the official Carisma website.
For more Carisma news check out This Link on BigSquidRC.
Also new in the Carisma booth at Nurnberg is the M10SC. The M10SC is a 2wd 10th scale short course truck that comes in ready to run form. The M10SC features a 2.4GHz radio system, it is waterproof, it comes with 3000kV brushless power, and is set for a release date of this summer. That’s all the information we have on it right now but you can Click Here to check out the official Carisma website.
Click Here for yet another TGIF Mystery Link.
Hallo everyone, I hope you had a great weekend filled with rc, Supercross, with some time left over to watch the Superbowl. While the Superbowl might have turned out to be a one sided boring bowl, the Supercross on Saturday night actually was worth watching. Speedy Reedy took another surprise win in the 450 class, while 250 points leader Jason “Last Lap” Anderson traded some paint with Mookie and didn’t make the podium. Speaking of Anderson, if you watched the SX Saturday night on Fox 1 he had a small feature on him and his rc trucks. Horizon/Losi are one of the sponsors of the Rockstar/KTM team he rides on, and they got some decent love on the telecast (they showed Anderson driving at an rc track with his Losi SCT). Once again it was super cool to see rc get some cross marketing exposure with the Supercross crowd.
Speaking of Horizon, they freak’n killed it at the Toy Fair in Germany. They didn’t just have one “big” release, they had a number of them, and didn’t have a stinker in the bunch. There have been a bunch of Horizon naysayers as of late, but if the Toy Fair is any indication, it looks like 2014 just might be Horizon’s year.
Losi LST XXL2- Everyone suspected someone might try to beat the HPI Octane Savage to the marketplace and Losi/Horizon are the first to pull trigger on it. Props to the Horizon crew for green lighting the project, and hopefully they’ve done their homework so a good product hits the shelves. Now it’s a race between Losi and HPI, the first one to dealer shelves is bound to make a LOT of money.
4wd ECXs- No, the ECX line isn’t loaded with carbon fiber or a lineage of world championships, but it has become a solid line for the average user. To take the line up a notch they introduced 4wd versions of 3 of their popular trucks. The BSRC Bash Crew was stoked to see the 4wd versions announced, but we were even more stoked when we found out the price point- $239. We won’t know if they are any good till we get our hands on one, but if they are, ECX better order up a couple extra Brinks trucks to handle the extra cash they are gonna make.
Losi 5IVE Mini Rally- It’s not every day that a new 5th scaler gets introduced, so the 5IVE Mini rally car from Losi was “big” news. It also goes to show the dedication to the 5th scale market that Horizon has. There has been some question about Losi’s dedication to the big scale class but the rally shows they still have more up their sleeves. While I am soooo not into the 5th scale scene, they deserve some props for supporting those that are.
Vaterra- The newest line from Horizon also had two new cool models, a freak’n gorgeous ’69 Mustang, and a 4wd SCT. It seems that everyone is driving a 4wd SCT now days, so another entry into that market is welcome to see, while another “shelf queen that you can drive” goes to show that Vaterra is the brand setting the standard in how a car has to look now days.
I know that all sounds like a Horizon love fest, and yes, it was. But… when a company has earned the props, they should get some. However… one company that isn’t getting any props this week is….
Traxxas- Oooofaaahhh…. their big news was a new 18th scale truck, the Teton. While the Traxxas fanboys were digging it, from my side of the fence it was a “look at how the mighty have fallen” kind of machine. You have Horizon putting out a bunch of cool new products that can be bashed just about anywhere, and then you have Traxxas putting out some little truck that looks like it was part of the Hi-Moto line-up (a decade ago). Ok, so maybe I expect too much out of the Texas crew now days, maybe they’ve got some things to sort out and they’ll be back in full force. Heck, I hope that happens, I really do. Unfortunately it looks like we’ll have to endure some more dark days until then.
Back to the brighter side of the Toy Fair…
ARRMA- Oh heck ya, ARRMA announced a big new 4wd MT and an 8th scale buggy. ARRMA is basically the “bashing” division of Durango and we have liked what they’ve done so far. Their two new 8th vehicles are aimed at ruling the roost at every bash spot across the globe, and are a huge departure from what they’ve put out thus far. While some of the bash crew lusted over the Losi XXL2 from the Nurnberg show, and others were all about the 4×4 ECXs, the ARRMA Kraton tops my list of “who do I have to bribe to get one of these in hands” vehicles.
Kyosho- Then you’ve got Kyosho, a company I love to hate on but they introduced multiple bash oriented vehicles in Germany. Heck, even I can’t fault them for that. They showed a brushless 6S capable MT (Psycho Kruiser) and a pair of 7th scale buggies aimed right at a basher’s heart.
Serpent- Ok, so you might not have owned many of these before, but Serpent is typically a brand that only sells the “best of the best” type vehicles. And what did they have on display at the Toy Fair? Their new monster truck, the Cobra MTe. So… even Serpent is putting out a super high-end monster truck? Seemingly there were new monster trucks everywhere at Nurnberg, could 2014 be the year of the basher? The year of the Monster Truck? Wouldn’t THAT be something…
And lastly… Carisma is coming back to the states. Who in the heck is Carisma? You’ve seen us do a couple of reviews on their products, and you might have seen Carisma product distributed by Horizon in the past, but now they are back. They’ve joined forces with the Jeric Group, who is basically made up of a former big Horizon guy. Carisma products seem to be good to go for the basher market, but can an untested Jeric Group get them into the hands of the public?
That’s it for this week, as always thanks for reading and support your local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can.
YOUR Cub Reporter
The Carisma M48S Porsche 959 won’t hit the states until March but it already has several staffers fighting over who gets to drive it first. To make it even worse, the folks over at Carisma have decided to wet our appetite even more by putting up a new video featuring the Porsche in action. The video shows the 959 tearing it up on the beach, throwing roost and generally have a good old fashioned bash session. Click to the video below to check it out yourself, and hit up This Link to visit the official Carisma website.
Click Here for a BigSquidRC TGIF mystery link.
Carisma vehicles are officially for sale here in the USA. We have learned that there will be 6 different models offered initially, and that both the vehicles and parts are on the ground here in the states and ready to go.
If you are a consumer and want to check out all the Carisma models available Click This Link that takes you over to the Falcon Hobby Supply Website. If you are part of a hobby shop and are interested in picking up the Carisma line, Click Here to contact their distributor The Jeric Group.
Click Here for more Carisma news on BigSquidRC.
Carisma has finally landed here in the states and they are initially offering 6 different vehicles in their product line-up. One of those vehicles is a very affordable 4wd Brushless RTR called the M40DT. The M40DT is a desert style truck that comes in at a street price of $229. We are busy thrashing the truck right now for our review that goes up next week, but today you can view pictures of what it looks like to crack the box open.
While doing the unboxing pictures we noticed the Carisma is a very good looking truck. Part of the body is painted a flat “murdered out” black, while other parts are painted a glossy black. Throw in a bunch of light buckets, big bumpers, and other scale detailing, and you end up with a pretty trick looking truck.
If you are a consumer and are looking to purchase Carisma products, hit up This Link over at Falcon Hobby Supply. If you are dealer interested in picking up the Carisma line, hit up This Link to contact The Jeric Group.
Looking for more Carisma news? You can find some Right Here on BigSquidRC.
Hit the “Read More” button for two more galleries of unboxing pictures->
Ever since we first laid eyes on the Carisma M48S Porsche 959 Rally Car, we’ve been biting at the bit to get our hands on one. Well, we finally got one in at the BSRC Bash Compound, and today we are posting unboxing pictures so you can see exactly what it looks like when you crack the box open.
In hand, the Carisma is a stunner, the pictures below do not do justice to how good it looks. The body is highly detailed, with the appropriate stickers already applied to give it the same look as the classic full scale rally car. The Porsche 959 is also the first car we’ve ever tested that has come out of the box with plastic, highly detailed windshield wipers, doors handles, and rear view mirrors.
Under the hood you’ll find a water resistant brushless power plant mated to a 4wd system. The 959 comes with a metal chassis and a big front bumper that should fend off some pretty gnarly hits. Our testing is fully underway, hopefully we’ll have the review done for next week to let you know if it can take a legit bashing.
If you don’t want to wait for the review, you can get your hands on one right now at This Link over on the Falcon Hobby Supply website.
Click Here for yet another BSRC Friday Mystery Link.
Hit the “Read More” button for two more galleries of unboxing pictures.
