Inside scoop

Super Cells

Panasonic Ultra Metal

3000 NiMH

Nickel-metal-hydride technology continues to evolve, and Panasonic's new cell looks as though it's the big-volt powerhouse to beat Trinity is the worldwide exclusive importer of the latest generation of Panasonic NiMH cells and promises significant performance gains to users. According to Trinity, the new Ultra Metals offer longer run time higher voltage, less internal resistance (which equals more punch), and-- greater durability than previous cells. Trinity plans to offer a full range of Team and Race-specification matched packs as well as stick packs for budget-conscious racers and performance-minded enthusiasts. Trinity Products (732) 635-1600; teamtrinity.com.

MANUFACTURER'S SPECS

Average run time @ 30A discharge: 360 to 380 sec.

Average voltage: 1.133 to 1.140 (Team Spec)

Internal resistance: 17 to 18 calculated; 3 to 3.2 actual

Milliwatt hours: 3,600+

Matcher spec: Turbo Matcher 4, 5A charge; 30A discharge; 0.90V cutoff, 5000 run-out.

Pre-Stuck STICKY RUBBER

Factory-glued Maxx tires

Pro-Line's Maim Masher and Maxx Road Rage tires are big hits for the Traxxas big trucks, and you can now get them factory-glued to Pro-Line's wide-offset Velocity 6 wheels. The Weld-licensed hoops look great, and there's no chance you'll goof them up with a big CA thumbprint because some poor guy now spends eight hours a day gluing on tires for lazy bums like you. And me.

Pro-Line (909) 849-9781; prolineracing.com.

Dynamite Triton

Dynamite Triton

for Traxxas E-Maxx

IF PRODUCTION-TRUCK LOOKS aren't what you want for your E-Maxx, go sci-fi! Dynamite's Triton flatbed is now available for the E-Maxx, and the serious-looking shell will separate your Maxx from the other guys'.

Decals for the grill, headlight and taillight make it easy to mack out.

Dynamite; distributed by Horizon Hobby (800) 338-4639; horizonhobby.com.

MO' GO SNOW

If you have a first-run Nitro Elements ArtAttack sled, be sure to act on this offer!

Nitro Elements will hook you up with a reinforced belly pan, waterproof receiver and switch box, battery-mounting brackets, redesigned header clip and header spring and additional parts to bring your sled up to current specs. You'll also get a revised manual to help you put it all together For details, contact Nitro Elements, but remember that the offer is for first-production-run sleds only; current kits already include all the new stuff.

Also new: road skis! No snow on the ground? No problem! If you take to the street, you might also want to consider adding a front bumper (you know, curbs and all ...). Nitro Elements has the front-end protectors in colors to match the various ski and engine hood options.

Nitro Elements (877) 257-0983; nitroelements.com.

SUDDEN IMPACT

Serpent Impact M2 WC-02

Before there were 200mm nitro tourers, Serpent had plenty of wheel time with the 1/10-scale, 235mm on-road Impact series, which served as the launching pad for Serpent's Impulse program. The Impact is still a Serpent staple, and it is now offered in a WC-02 (World Cup 2002) model in 2WD and 4WD versions. The kit adds a graphite front shock tower, rear body mount and chassis stiffener, PTFE-coated (that's "generic" for Teflon) aluminum shock bodies to the already loaded Impact platform. You also get a camber gauge and "Tyre Savers" to protect the foam tires' sidewalls.

Serpent USA (305) 639-9665; serpent.com.

Adam Drake

Brian Kinwald has a signature Triple-X, Matt Francis has a signature Triple-XT

.... Now Losi is set to release its first signature nitro machine--a graphite-fortified Triple-XNT with an Adam Drake theme. So what's it gonna be this time?-purple-anodized stuff? Heck no; this truck is full race and has a serious blackout look, thanks to the hard-anodized aluminum chassis, pin brace, brake clips, motor mounts and transmission brace. You also get the usual Team Losi signature stuff, including titanium-nitride shock shafts, threaded shock bodies, ball-bearing steering, titanium turnbuckles and a full graphite package. A swoopy Fury NT body and solid-face logo wheels finish off the Adam Drake NT, and you even get Adam's personal setup. No price yet, but like Losi's other signature machines, its Adam Drake truck should be a terrific value compared with buying a stock Triple-XNT and the upgrade parts separately.

Team Losi; distributed by Horizon Hobby (217) 355-9511; teamlosi.com; horizonhobby.com.

The HPI guys are always quick out of the gate with hop-ups for the latest Rsa; this time, it's the new RTR 3 (tested for this issue, by the way). Go ahead; blow off the cable bill and hotrod your ride with this stuff:

>> Super chassis. Deep anodizing makes this chassis more purple than Barney, and it's a 3mm slab of 7075 aluminum; that's a formula for super stiffness. Angled sides reduce chassis scrub when cornering; all the edges are chamfered for a finished look (and no sharp edges); and all the screw holes are countersunk. Nice.

>> 2-speed transmission. Threaded clutch-bell pinions and changeable spur gears let you tweak the ratios to suit your speed needs, and the shift point is adjustable (of course). A must-have if you want to be king of the parking lot.