How Fast Nitro RC Cars Go (Detailed) +List of Fastest 6

Nitro RC cars are really popular in the RC car world due to the fact that they can reach really high speeds.

Considering the fact that they are model cars, their speed compared to electric and gas RCs are impressive, although electric cars have gotten consistently better.

A Nitro RC car has a speed of between 7 MPH to 100+ MPH. The average speed of a nitro RC car is 35 mph.

How Fast Will a Nitro RC Car Go?

Some Nitro RC models are faster than others and Nitro RCs have wildly different top speeds.

For example, the Traxxas TRX-4 has a top speed of 9 MPH and the HPI Mini Recon can attain a top speed of 15 MPH.

In contrast, models like the HPI E-Firestom Flux and the Traxxas XO-1 can attain amazing top speeds of 77 MPH and 100 MPH respectively.
Generally though, you can expect a Nitro RC car to attain a top speed of about 35 MPH.

But, it all depends on the model you’re driving.

How fast are nitro RC cars? The average is 35 mph, but some claim theirs go 120 mph!

What Is The Fastest Nitro RC Car To Go 0-60?

The fastest nitro RC car to go from 0-60 MPH is the Traxxas Jato 3.3 truck, which can do it in a mere 4.2 seconds!

That is an amazing time, especially considering it is a nitro RC car. The Traxxas Jato 3.3 truck is an engineering masterpiece.

It is also one of the fastest nitro RC cars in existence.

What Is The Nitro RC Car With The Highest Top Speed?

The title for fastest RC car goes to the amazing Traxxas Jato 3.3 truck. It can attain speeds of 65+ MPH.

In fact, the Traxxas Jato 3.3 truck was built for speed, and it gets to these high speeds due to the extreme power in its racing engine, its really efficient throttle, and an unbelievable acceleration.

Due to how fast it is, it is not really easy to operate, and drivers have to be proficient to operate it successfully.

After all, very few things are completely perfect in the world. The Traxxas Jato 3.3 truck may not be perfect, but it is a pretty dope nitro RC car.

How Fast Is The Fastest Nitro RC Car In The World

The fastest Nitro RC car, officially, is the Traxxas Jato 3.3 truck. With its speeds of 65+ MPH, no nitro RC car competes with it.

There have been different claims about RC cars that have gone at much faster speeds than that. These cars have been modded to attain high speeds. 

With an engine built specifically for that purpose and the car modified to fit these customized engines, some nitro RC cars have been reported to have clocked speeds of 120 MPH.

However, the official record for speed in a nitro RC car belongs to the Traxxas Jato 3.3 truck.

Are Nitro RC Cars Faster Than Electric

A lot of people have a special sentiment for nitro RC cars for their speed and excitement. And it is well-earned.

In the past, nitro RC cars used to be the fastest RC cars anywhere.

But electric RC cars have continued to improve, and now that is no longer the case.

Electric RC cars are now consistently faster than nitro RC cars.
This is due to innovations like the wonderful brushless engine and batteries optimized for power like the LiPo batteries.

In fact, it has been officially proven, as the fastest RC car you can buy is the electric RC car Traxxas XO-1 with speeds of 100 MPH.

The highest RC speed ever officially recorded belongs to Nic Case.
His design, the RC Bullet, which is a modded electric RC car, has been clocked at speeds as high as 202 mph.

The Fastest RTR Nitro RC Car

An RTR means ready-to-run.

The fastest RTR nitro car is the Traxxas Nitro Jato 3.3 truck, which has been reported to hit speeds of 65+ MPH.

The Fastest Kit Nitro RC Car

It is hard to really pinpoint the top speed for a kit nitro RC car because they are so customized, but we have seen some really cool ones.

The Traxxas Nitro Slash 3.3 1/10 2WD RTR SC Truck is a really fast kit nitro RC car, reaching speeds of up to 50+ MPH.

The 6 Fastest Nitro RC Cars You Can Find

These are the 6 fastest nitro RC cars you can get today:

RC CARSTop Speed
Traxxas Nitro Jato 3.365+ MPH
Traxxas Nitro 4-Tec 3.363+ MPH
Redcat Racing Earthquake 3.5 Nitro Monster Truck50+ MPH
Traxxas Nitro Rustler: 2WD Stadium Truck50 MPH
Losi 8IGHT-T Nitro RC 4WD Truggy40+ MPH
Exceed Hyper Speed Beginner’s Nitro Off-Road Buggy40 MPH

What Affects The Speed of a Nitro RC Car

For an electric car, you know that you just need faster batteries and maybe a brushless engine.

For nitro RC cars, the answer is a bit complicated. 

The factors that affect the speed of a nitro RC car include:

  • The size of your engine
  • The nitro percentage of your fuel
  • How your tires are built (the size of the contact patch)

However, speed isn’t just limited to these things, especially when you’re using a kit nitro RC car.

So make your research about the speed of your model and what can increase or reduce it.

How Gearing Affect Top Speed in Nitro RC Cars

Does gearing affect your nitro RC car’s top speed?

Yes, gearing can affect top speed in Nitro RC cars.

In nitro RC cars, gearing works this way:
The pinion gear is connected directly to the engine, which then links with the spur gear, which then operates the driveshaft. 

The smaller the pinion gear with relation to spur gear, the quicker the acceleration; the bigger it is, the faster the speed.

This is a dumbed-down explanation, but it works.

The Fastest Nitro RC Engine In The Making

As we said earlier, the bigger engines are faster. Hence, it is no surprise that the fast engines are big ones.

The fastest nitro RC engine is the Yamix TOYAN Unassembled FS-L400 Nitro Engine Model.
It is a 14cc Inline 4 cylinder engine with 3.05 horse power.

It produces between 3200 to 13500 revolutions per minute.

That is mind-boggling.

How To Make Your Nitro RC Car Faster

Some ways you can make your nitro RC car faster include:

  • Change the gear ratio
  • Open the carb – By opening your carb restrictors the engine burns more fuel and your car will go faster.
  • Increase the nitro percentage in your fuel – Increase the nitro in your fuel to more than 20% (but don’t go too much so you don’t explode your engine. 
  • Change to a bigger engine that can produce more power
  • Increase the size of the tire – More grip can be great for acceleration, but it won’t necessarily make your car faster on the track.

Conclusion

Nitro RC cars were once the fastest RC cars in the world. They have been upstaged now by electric RC cars. 

But this does not mean they cannot still move really fast. You just need to know which ones to buy.

Sources:

https://3dinsider.com/nitro-rc-cars/