HPI Racing Firestorm 10T

The last time I was into R/Cs was back in the late 80’s, early 90’s when the Grasshopper was one of the coolest R/Cs to have.  Nitro R/Cs were not readily available, at least not for most of us on an allowance.  Lately I’ve had the kick to get an R/C so I can re-live some of those good times, and to have another toy to bomb around the desert when we go out on off-roading trips.

I was genuinely interested in an off-road capable R/C truck.  I did some research over the last year at trade shows, magazines, online forums, and hobby shops.  I found HPI Racing coming up frequently as a great R/C manufacturer with good reviews from consumers.  So I checked out their website, and did a little more digging (www.hpiracing.com).

HPI Racing has some amazing looking off-road trucks and buggies that not only perform well on the track, but are tons of fun off-road too.  They are one of the leading R/C manufacturers that hobbyists have come to trust.  Their concepts are very much in line with the times, and they have vehicles ranging from electric racecars to burly nitro trucks.

The R/C for Me

The HPI Racing Firestorm 10T is one of the hottest 2WD nitro stadium trucks on the market

I finally got a new R/C, the HPI Racing Firestorm 10T—one of the best 1/10 scale 2WD stadium trucks on the market.  This is my first nitro R/C, so it was very exciting.  What’s more exciting is the fact that the HPI Racing Firestorm comes pre-assembled, and only needed nitro fuel and batteries to run.  Don’t get me wrong, I like tinkering with things, but there’s something about quick gratification.  Plus, I figured I would have plenty of time later to disassemble and assemble it when I start doing hop-ups.

The HPI Racing Firestorm comes 98% assembled, so it’s almost “Ready-to-Run” out of the box

Right out of the box, the HPI Racing Firestorm is amazing.  The pre-painted desert truck body is beautiful.  Take the body off and now you have a bare chassis that shows all the mechanics that makes this bad boy tick.  I was impressed at how far the technology and workmanship of these vehicles has come.  They have fully working suspension with oil filled coil over shocks, a dual stage air filter, tuned exhaust, aluminum head, all very high tech.

Powerful HPI Racing G3.0 Engine with dual stage air filter and tuned exhaust

After reading the owners manual thoroughly, I checked out the truck in detail.  I was extremely satisfied with how well it had been assembled, and the fact that all the parts were there—nothing was missing.

I was so excited about getting this nitro R/C on the dirt that my train came to a halt when I found out I had to charge the glow plug igniter for 6 hours, and I would have to break-in the engine before I could get dirty.  Well, that wasn’t so bad; it gave me more time to drool over the Firestorm that night after work.

R/C Brake-in

The HPI Racing Firestorm has an aggressive wide and low stance. The ride height is fully adjustable thanks to its coil-over shock absorbers and adjustable stearing and supension linkage.

The glow plug igniter was charged and ready.  All I had to do now was add nitro fuel and AA batteries (8 - controller, 4 - receiver).  After that was done, I started working on priming the engine.  I had to get the fuel to the carburetor, and make sure all the air bubbles were gone.

4 - AA Batteries power receiver, steering and accelerator/brake servos	Water tight HPI RF 1 AM Receiver with interchangeable frequency crystals

Next came trying to start the HPI Racing Firestorm.  I was very careful, and was sure not to over extend the start cord on the motor (12-inches max).  I was a little nervous because it was my first time, and I wanted everything to be perfect.  I got a little sputter…then a little more, finally the engine started and the Firestorm was alive! 

HPI Racing Firestorm 10T

The first tank of nitro had to be burned with the car sitting up on a stand.  I just used an old shoebox.  The purpose for using a stand is to keep stress off of the engine during the break-in.  The next two tanks are half throttle runs with the truck going in circles and figure eights.  I was really surprised how much time the truck ran on a tank; this is definitely the way to go.  I remember battery powered R/Cs that would only last a few minutes.  This truck probably runs anywhere from 10-15 minutes, depending on how fast you’re running it.

Wide Open Nitro

After braking-in the HPI Racing Firestorm I dialed in the carburetor for better high-speed performance.  This was fairly easy, and made a huge difference in the accelerator response.  Now the Firestorm was living up to its name.

Wide Open Nitro - HPI Racing Firestorm tearing up the terrain

It does take some time to gain control of the Firestorm, especially for a novice like me.  The Firestorm has so much power that the rear wheels keep breaking from the dirt if you punch it.  Its high-powered G3.0 engine ramps us nicely from mid to high RPMs.

After a few driving sessions I figured out that to drive this truck, you have to drive it like a Pro 2 race truck.  The throttle helps you drive the truck around corners by power drifting.  Once that clicked, the truck was more controllable and predictable.

HPI Racing Firestorm flying across the desert

I later took a trip to the local desert and ran the Firestorm on some dirt roads.  The high-speed straight a ways didn’t seem to scare this truck.  The Firestorm runs very fast on long open stretches.  HPI has clocked it doing 33-35mph, and I believe it.  Amazingly, the truck ran straight and true.  This tells me that HPI Racing has put together a great suspension and wheel/tire package for the Firestorm.

The stopping was also very impressive.  Nitro R/Cs don’t have a reverse gear—instead they have brakes.  The Firestorm has a fiber brake disk with piston actuation.  It provides very predictable and smooth braking.

The Firestorm drives straight with precise steering at high speeds thanks to its engineered suspension and wheel/tire combination.

The dual deck 3mm aluminum chassis is strong and rugged.  I must admit that the Firestorm has been “Bashed” around, and it still runs awesome.  Much of its durability can be attributed to the front suspension characteristics it shares with the rugged HPI Racing Savage.

Driver Impression

Off-Road enthusiast Jaime Hernandez is extremely pleased with the HPI Racing Firestorm 10T

The HPI Racing Firestorm 10T is a great 2WD stadium truck for the Nitro R/C newcomer as for the tenured hobbyist.  Its low center of gravity, powerful engine, and rugged build makes it ideal for those that want an extreme nitro R/C that will spend more time driving than rolling over.

The Firestorm sucks up the whoops and rips around corners like a mini PRO 2 race truck.  The fun meter on this truck is a 10+.  It’s great for racing on the track or bringing out on off-roading trips.

I am extremely pleased with the HPI Racing Firestrom 10T and would recommend it to anyone wanting a “Ready-to-Run” Nitro R/C.

Make sure to check out HPI Racing for more information on the Firestorm 10T and other off-road R/Cs at www.hpiracing.com.