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Product Test: Axial EXO Terra

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Mike Garrison

0 April 24, 2012, 4:53 a.m.

Main Photo: Product Test: Axial EXO Terra

4/24/2012

By Mike Garrison

LiveRC.com

When it comes to realistic appearance, performance, and fun...we think Axial. Axial has been known for their championship winning and true to scale looking rock crawlers for years. Late last year they released some top secret info that they were in fact diving into a whole new breed of machine, and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on one!

Set aside in a class of it's own, Axial has engineered from scratch the all-new EXO Terra buggy!

What is it?

The Axial EXO Terra buggy is a "built from the ground up" design which is modeled after the popular Class 1 offroad racing buggies, Pro4 trucks, and sand rails all mixed into one! The EXO Terra is a 4wd shaft driven powerhouse that was developed by the Axial R&D department to be unlike any other vehicle on the market. While it features the stylish appearance of a full-size Class 1 buggy, passenger seating of a sand rail, and ability to handle nearly any terrain like a Pro4 truck, the unique design is all packed into a 1/10 scale electric powered platform and introduces a whole new class of vehicle.

The Build with Sam "I Am"

For the EXO Terra build we teamed up with non-other than master mechanic and good friend Sam "I Am" Reed. While we may be good at thrashing and bashing, Sam "I Am" is the man when it comes to putting together a perfect build and getting that "ultimate" setup.

(Our EXO Terra mechanic, Sam "I Am" Reed)

We equipped our EXO Terra with the all-new Viper Copperhead sensorless brushless system, XP servo, and Spektrum radio gear. The overall build took our master mechanic approximately 4 hours to complete with a list of highlights and areas for improvement:

Areas of Excellence:

Self tapping screws - make the build much easier and provide less frustration.
Instruction manual is extremely detailed and easy to follow.
Although sometimes frustrating to keep in order, Axial has released insert sheets with updated steps to help further make the build come together.
Clean layout for wiring using plastic routing clips.
Unique ESC clip to easily clip-in your Castle or Novak ESC.
Oil-filled differentials (front, center, and rear).
Quick release battery mount easily adjusts to fit nearly any pack.
Threaded shock bodies
4mm aluminum chassis fits nicely and provides added durability.

Areas for Improvement:

While the roll cage does provide a realistic appearance and added durability, it requires a more than expected amount of time and screws to simply take on and off to access electronics.
The plastic shock bodies and caps are determined to leak.
Motor mount is unique, but is a little tricky to set correctly.
Uses dogbones instead of CVD's

The Track Test

While normally mechanic, Sam Reed, would leave the driving up to someone else, even he couldn't resist getting behind the wheel of the EXO Terra. First up we hit the local offroad track to see how the buggy handled in race conditions (although not designed for that). Surprisingly the EXO Terra equipped with it's stock super soft compound tires hooked up relatively well! The EXO Terra handled the rythm sections, bumps, and jumps with ease. It's intimidating appearance had even the beefiest short course trucks running for shelter!

Impressed with the buggy's on track performance, it was time to take it to the environment it was designed for. We found the most dusty, dirty, rocky, bumpy, and wide open area we could find and pulled the trigger wide open on the EXO Terra. Although we have yet to drive an actual full-size buggy, the EXO Terra's 4wd handling and geometry makes it feel as close as we may ever get to an actual offroad buggy. The nearly 3" ground clearance keeps you going fast over the roughest terrain, while the extended arms and low center of gravity keeps you from tumbling like a short course truck at high speeds.

Axial is known for their durability, and we wanted to test it to the max. We jumped our EXO Terra off a driver's stand, over gravel piles, rocky dirt piles, and never broke a single part. It wasn't until we hit a chunk of asphalt at top speed that we bent a hinge pin.

Overall the Axial EXO Terra performed like a champ on and off the race track. While there isn't a current racing class for EXO Terra, we still enjoy hitting the track during practice and tearing up construction sites nearby between races.

Areas of Excellence:

EXTREMELY durable
Brings back the "fun factor" to driving an R/C car
Handles, feels, and looks like a true offroad buggy
Front and rear aluminum skid plates absorb nearly any collision that we threw at it, keeping the plastic parts safe and undamaged.
Hankook DynaPro tires not only look real, smell real, but like real Hankook tires they hook up on nearly any surface.
Easily tunable with adjustable shocks, tierods, and various mounting positions.
Heavy duty steering system allows the EXO Terra to turn "on a dime" and withstands abuse most steering setups couldn't.

Areas for Improvement:

The roll cage provides adequate room for small hands to reach in, and remove the battery, HOWEVER, for chubby fingers it is slightly more difficult.
In order to adjust the electronics it requires removal of the entire roll cage assembly which is time consuming.

The Beacon Rating
The Axial EXO Terra is a unique vehicle in a class of it's own. When driving it, we couldn't help but smile and enjoy every minute of it. Whether your driving at the track, stirring dust at a construction site, or catching big air around town, the EXO Terra delivers all of the necessary durability, handling, appearance, and fun factors nearly any offroad motorsports enthusiast craves. With the exception of the extra time and tiny screws needed to be removed in order to take off the roll cage and access the chassis area, the EXO Terra is a near perfect blend of fun and performance giving it a 4 out of 5 on the beacon rating!