I've owned a lot of RC's over the years, dating from before the RC 10 gold pan days, but very few of them were bought new. Most of the RC's I've owned were thrashed-up second hand models. Screaming for attention and resurrection, bearing the scars and wounds of frequent curb poundings or other abuse, I've come across these on auction websites or through private sales, excavated from spider-ridden dusty boxes buried in the forgotten bowels of someone's garage or basement.
But thanks to the efforts of the owners of
RC Nitrotalk (RCNT,) I've been fortunate to experience the Sportwerks Mayhem RTR 1/8 scale buggy, distributed by Horizon Hobbies. RCNT holds a lotto from their website - a raffle, by other names - in which many lucky members have won items ranging from gift certificates to several Mini-T's. The tickets for their Lotto are currently $7.50 each, for which you receive a series of random numbers. Having no other connection with RCNT other than being an ordinary member of their message board, I'm here to tell you their numbers are legitimately drawn. The March 2005 drawing was for the Sportwerks Mayhem RTR, and I won - and I never win anything!
(shameless plug) There are many RC message boards on the Internet, and there are even a few really good ones. The owners of RCNT have laboriously worked to create a site and message board with content that changes sometimes daily. Their message board, populated with knowledgeable moderators and users, is without a doubt one of the more helpful and informative ones in existence. The lotto they hold presents a lot of difficulties for the owners and moderators, as you might imagine, and is an indicator of the site owners' dedication to the hobby. These guys have worked pretty hard to create a content-filled site of value, and in my opinion they've done very well - mind you, I'd formed this opinion long before I won the Mayhem. (/shameless plug)
Being a Newbie Again
It's been a very long time since I've been called a "newbie." Unfortunately, it doesn't make you feel as good as getting carded long after you've passed 21, but what IS cool is the exploration into something new. The Sportwerks Mayhem RTR has been my first experience with not only 1/8 scale buggies, but RTR's as well. In addition, it's the first out-of-the-box new RC I've owned in over ten years.
For these reasons, this article may be of use to those that are looking for the average user's impression of the Mayhem RTR or just RTR's in general, independent from all the hype and popular opinion. Being an old-schooler, I've always preferred kit building; it gives you an opportunity to see how the whole thing works from the inside out. My initial inclination was to get the thing out of the box, tear it completely down, and rebuild it, but in doing so I would deny myself the benefit of the "RTR experience." So I decided to minimize any alterations to the vehicle and run it bone stock.
I was more than pleasantly surprised at what I found! The Sportwerks Mayhem RTR simply kicked ass right out of the box, with little or no modifications, and is an excellent entry-level buggy as packaged. If you've never owned an RTR or are considering the Mayhem, come with me on a virtual tour of the Mayhem RTR experience. Let's begin with the long days prior to the Mayhem's arrival, in which I sat on the edge of my seat like a kid at Christmas, and located every article and review I could find on the Mayhem.
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