Buying or building a car that can reliably hit 100 mph in under five seconds usually takes enough cash to acquire a house. The Traxxas XO-1 can get the job done for about $1,100 — as long as you're willing to only imagine yourself in the seat.
Calling it the first “ready to race supercar,” the XO-1 is a one-seventh scale radio control speed racer. Having built smaller, high-end radio controlled racers for super cross competitions, Traxxas says it wanted to offer a one-box speed runner and put hobbyists on track faster than if they assembled all the components on their own. The run to 60 mph takes 2.3 seconds, or a few ticks faster than the newest Nissan GT-R. (Serious R/C racers have already pushed the world speed record for miniature cars to 161 mph.)
Even at one-seventh scale, getting to 100 mph faster than you can read this sentence requires considerable engineering skill. The XO-1 uses high-tech driveshafts to put power from its lithium-ion batteries to mini tires rated for top speed. The car won’t reach its full potential without a iPhone app, which integrates with the car’s trigger controller.
Traxxas warns upfront that the XO-1 “is not a toy and is intended for use by experts only,” waiving off those who might consider it a stocking stuffer. Just don’t try to outrun it at a stoplight.
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