This is the sensible entry point into genuine brushless performance. Out of the box on a 2S setup it’s quick but manageable, and the drift/rally chassis gives a 14 year old something to actually learn on — controlling slides, reading grip, feeling the throttle rather than just pinning it. The 3S-ready electronics mean there’s real headroom to grow into as skill improves.

Best for: a teenager who’s handled smaller RTR cars before and is ready for their first proper brushless hit without going straight to the top speed figure. Watch out for: that 80 km/h figure is only reached on 3S LiPo — don’t fit a bigger battery than the chassis and brakes are ready for on day one.

A metal chassis on a car this size matters more than it sounds — it survives the clumsy landings and verge clips that come with learning high-speed car control, rather than bending or cracking on the first big off. The 4WD brushless setup gives confident, predictable traction on mixed surfaces, which makes it forgiving for a teenager still building throttle discipline.

Best for: loose-surface and gravel-path bashing where durability matters as much as outright pace. Watch out for: metal chassis parts add weight versus carbon — fine for bashing, slightly less sharp for anyone chasing lap times.

Mechanically identical to the red version above, just in blue and currently a few pounds cheaper. The obvious use case is buying two — one for your teenager and one for a sibling or mate — so you get genuine side-by-side racing with matched performance, rather than one car constantly chasing a faster one.

Best for: households or friendship groups who want two evenly matched cars for proper racing rather than one car and a spectator. Watch out for: the small price gap between colours moves around, so it’s worth checking both listings before you order a pair.

The carbon chassis is lighter and stiffer than the metal-framed cars above, which translates into sharper, more direct handling once a teenager has the throttle control to actually feel the difference. The included carry case is a genuinely useful touch for anyone transporting the car to a mate’s house or a local car park rather than just running it in the back garden.

Best for: a teenager who’s outgrown their first brushless car and wants noticeably sharper handling without a big step in top speed. Watch out for: a carbon chassis is less tolerant of heavy impacts than the metal versions — fine for driving well, less forgiving of driving badly.

Same carbon chassis and carry case as the orange version, but typically the better-specced colourway in this range, which is reflected in the higher price. If this is the car that’s going to see the most use over the next couple of years, the extra outlay buys a bit more headroom and a sturdier build to tune and maintain as skills develop.

Best for: parents happy to spend a little more up front for the best-equipped car in this line-up, rather than trading up again in six months. Watch out for: at this price point it’s worth budgeting for a decent charger and spare LiPo too, rather than spending everything on the car itself.

Not every 14 year old wants speed first. This 1/10 crawler trades top end for proper scale off-road capability — climbing, articulation, and precise throttle and steering control over obstacles rather than a straight line. It’s a genuinely different discipline to the brushless cars above, and a good one for teaching patience and fine control that transfers well to faster cars later.

Best for: teenagers more interested in technical off-road driving and scale realism than outright pace. Watch out for: it’s the priciest car here, so it’s worth being honest about whether crawling or speed is the stronger interest before committing.