FTX Carnage 2.0 Brushed – Budget RC is it worth it?

FTX Carnage 2.0 Brushed – Budget RC is it worth it?

In answer to the question, Yes the FTX Carnage 2.0 is worth it! The FTX carnage has now been available for over six years. This model has become very popular as an intro into the RC World and it is easy to see why. Big Chunky wells and a flash paint job will always get the fires burning in the novice and the price point of around £130.00 for the RTR Brushed version is great. My reason for liking this model came this Father’s Day. My sons got me an RTR knowing it would not stay standard for long. I can’t help myself, I need to upgrade everything, and over some time so will you. It is pretty much the same for everyone who gets the RC Bug and starts it as a hobby.  Make it faster and stronger, replace the wheels, paint it, and even name it.

FTX Carnage 2.0 out of the box

Big Bold Blue and with shiny chrome hubs, very nice. For a budget vehicle, this Truggy looks great. You open the box and as usual for RTR everything is there. Car, Charger (SLOW), NiMH Battery (1800Mah), radio transmitter, paperwork instruction, and a list of available upgradeable parts. Although this is a great little truggy, it is also a budget-friendly truggy and there are areas of weakness that will become apparent as you upgrade.

I was not a big fan of the Chrome wheels which had some form of adhesive around the edge tainting the rims. This is just glue from the tyres. Glued tyres stay on the rim but, this could have been cleaner. The body paint was good and the Stickers were already attached.

The Radio gear was as to be expected for this level of model. It feels pretty solid in your hand and not too cheap. The servo is responsive although it is not the quickest in the world.

Under the Cover

When removing the cover you are treated with a welcome sight. Everything looks rugged and stable. The first item i noticed was the suspension. The FTX Carnage 2.0 has some nice thick oil-filled struts which appear to be strong. The shock absorbers have a metal Top cap, bottom thread and base. The main body of the shock is composite plastic but it is strong. the main drive shaft is relatively thick. The main chassis and all shock towers are Composite Plastic.

We also have a 550 Brushed Motor which is not a bad start, this will be good for over 20mph if attached to a Lipo 2s battery. The car has a 60a ESC which is lipo read which is another nice touch for this price point, as you can attach a 2s lipo. There is a 6a ESC with cooling fins and no fan. This is fine for the brushed motor. The battery tray can fit a range of batteries.

First Run of the FTX carnage 2.0

After installing the batteries in the transmitter, it was time for me to give the car a bash out front of my house. I was not initially impressed as the vehicle seemed slow to me. It handled well but it did not set my world on fire. I popped a small Lipo 2s in and this radically changed the vehicle dynamic. Mush more punch and a little bit of sliding around the drive. Already I was smiling as this little 1/10th buggy seemed to be a lot of fun.

At this point, I decided the little monster needed some upgrades, Off to the spare parts bin I went and returned with. 31250KV Bushless motor and 60a ESC. I swapped the motor and noticed the spur gear was plastic. this will need swapping at some point to cope with the increase in power.  Next I added a 5000mah 2s and off we went to the track.

At the Track

At the the track, the FTX Carnage 2.0 was awesome and it was keeping up with my son’s Corally Syncro 4 which was running 4s. the problems came at the corners. The uprated motor meant that the big front tyres could not steer properly. The forward momentum of the car was forcing the tyre wall to flex and dip which would then flip the Truggy. This is where the FTX carnage is impressive as it can take a real beating I Bounced over a big kerb and skidded along on my roof. The Carnage kept on going. I flipped on a bend sending the car into cartwheels, it just kept going.

Rugged FTX

A lot of RTR vehicles at this level do have a lot of weakness points and this one is no different but, I smashed this vehicle and it kept on going, I needed to make some more upgrades and tune up the settings but, this has the makings of a great car.

Upgrading the FTX Carnage

I decided to turn to Aliexpress, purchasing some metal oil-filled shocks and lower profile tyres which cost me less than £10.00 on a welcome deal. the reduced tyre size to 110mm on the front increased control.

  This lowered the front of the car and made sure the back did not sit down too much as I accelerated.  It was much easier to get around the track and a lot more stable. After 6 or 7 trips to the track, the main spur gear did strip so, I replaced this with a metal gear and got back out there.

In Conclusion

I am a big fan of this little truggy. If you are looking for a strong reliable RC vehicle with lots of upgradeability look no further. this is the ideal Basher for the street and jump track. It is stronger than most buggies on the market. It is stronger than its brother the FTX vantage which shares the same chassis. The long lower arms, big wheels and higher centre of gravity protect the chassis.  This is a great car for any beginner looking for a budget vehicle. I would also recommend this to an experienced user looking to upgrade a vehicle. I will post some pictures of my carnage so you can see how much of a bashing it gets.

read about another FTX Vehicle HERE