Carisma M48S Subaru Impreza
What a great-looking Model. Definitely impressive. When we saw the Carisma M48S Subaru Impreza at Rochester RC it certainly caught our attention. This is a great replica of a classic 1997 Rally car.
Carisma M48s Great Spec
The Carisma website makes some big bold claims about this car. Their description makes claims of greatness and the spec list below makes the car sound great.
- Scale: 1:8 – Wheelbase: 319mm – Width: 231mm
- Chassis: LWB with Lightweight G10 Chassis Plates.
- Stock Gearing Spur Gear 46T M1, Motor Pinion 12T M1, Internal Ratio: 15/39.
- Wheel hex is 12mm
- Driveline: Fully Ball-raced, Dedicated 4WD, Front & Rear Metal Gear Diffs, Center Gear Diff to Maximise both Grip & Power.
- Motive Power: 550 Can Brushless Power
- NEW ARC_3 Brushless ESC is 3S Compatible with an efficient XT60 Connector
- Suspension & Handling: Oil Filled Coil-Over Shocks & Anti-Roll Bar Front & Rear.
- Wheels: Iconic Multi-spoke Gold Coloured Rally Wheels.
- Tyres: Tarmac Spec Racing Tires.
- Body/Livery: Subaru’s Iconic 1997 WRC Monte-Carlo Trim (as driven by Rally Legend Colin McRae).
- Radio: Full Sized, Full Function, 2.4Ghz F.H.S.S CTX-8000 Steer-wheel Radio System.
Carisma M48s Subaru Impreza out of the box
Straight away the model looks good and as a 1/8 Scale model, it is big. The colour is deep and the detail of the body shell is accurate. The tyres feel good and they are advertised as tarmac durable. Oil-filled suspension feels good and under the lid, the model looks strong. The centrally-mounted motor and 3 differentials make for good handling and weight distribution.
The Carisma Ar3 Brushless ESC states that it is 2 and 3s compatible but we were recommended a 4500mah 2s.
What Carisma says about the M48s Subaru
The Carisma website has some good marketing text which, you can read below
NEW spec for 2024
You asked for Bigger. You asked for faster. You asked for both Performance & Handling. You asked for Classic, Iconic, Rally Cars, driven by True Motor Sports Legends. well…Carisma RC are proud to announce the first of a new breed of RC Rally Car. We have evolved our legendary M48S platform from it’s SWB roots into a LWB chassis that will ignite a spark of excitement in any Rally, Off Road or just RC fan, regardless of their age or level of driving experience. This new platform has undergone extensive testing globally and has impressed even the most seasoned drivers within the team.
This is a bold statement.
What we Found on the test drive
The car looks great but that is the best part. When you hit the throttle on this rally beast, it is very disappointing. What a shame it is all show and no go. I mean this car tops out at 17mph maximum. A 2s brushless car should do at least 22-25mph. on driving the car there was none of the advertised performance and punch. Unfortunately, I did not have a 3s lipo available but it would have made some difference.
Underpowered
After some investigation, it was easy to see the problem. Carisma installed a 550-sized brushless motor which was only 2500kv. The lower the KV the slower it goes. Naughty Carisma you got our hopes up and let us down. I now turned to other reviews and it seems everyone had the same opinion. It is a good-looking model with no power.
Problems with the Carisma M48s Subaru
This model was purchased for another one of our group and he can be a bit reckless at times but not this time. He sent the car over a seed ramp in the local car park. Believe me when I say the car did not jump as it did not have the power but, the car became hard to control. We removed the shell and found that the rear suspension mount tower had snapped.
This was within the first hour. The nature of this hobby can be tricky as if you crash then it is not under warranty. We all crash, it is part of it.
What did we do to the Carisma M48s Subaru Impreza?
We contacted Carisma and asked for their feedback. Carisma came back with the normal company text. We are proud of the Carisma M48s Subaru Impreza and the quality of our product. Everything that was wrong with their model was then detailed back to them even showing the snapped part. After some emails back Carisma is now sending a new part and a care package for us.
We think this is good customer service although I do feel that the car is misrepresented as a performance product.
As this is a new model, the parts are not readily available and we have been waiting 3 weeks for them. I decided to fabricate a metal shock tower which works well.
We decided that this model needed an upgrade of motor so, I turned to Amazon and purchased a 3900KV Motor and an uprated ESC for £39.00. We suggested to Carisma that they should increase the motor to above 3000kv hopefully they do as this car deserves it.
What a difference
With the 3900KV motor installed, this car changes completely. What a little beast it becomes. With the weight distribution and extra power, this model is great fun. Although I have not run a speed test yet the car seems to be up in the 30 – 40 mph range. This now means the car acts like a proper rally car sliding and skidding on command.
In conclusion Carisma M48s Sabaru Impreza
The Carisma M48s Radio-controlled car is a great replica that everyone loves to look at. Unfortunately, it is underpowered and a little weak around the rear suspension.
If you want a great model that performs well, you will need to get your hands dirty and upgrade the motor but, you will certainly get a fun vehicle if you do. The initial price of £298.00 is OK and if you allow for the motor upgrade you are still below £350.00. This means that the Carisma can be a fair-priced performance car.
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