Out of the Box: Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 RTR

Out of the Box: Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 RTR

Losi made waves with the announcement of its new 1/6 scale 6IX platform wrapped in Audi R8 GT3 bodywork, and RC Car Action is the first to get a review car. For Losi’s official pics and tech details, see our previous post on the big Audi. Full review coming up, for now let’s see what you get in the box.

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 RTR box

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This car is big and the box is impressive. It’s hard to get a sense of the size of a 1/6-scale, so I put my iPhone on the box to give you a sense. It’s big.

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR box lid open

A layer of foam and plastic film protects the bodywork during shipping. You’ll need to snip a couple of zip-ties to free the car from the box. Snipping now…

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR body

…and it’s out. Licensed and highly detailed, the matte black Audi R8 WRT Racing Team livery is a piece of art and menacing. The rear wing, front splitter, diffuser, and mirror details are injection-molded plastic. You’ll definitely want to keep this car shiny-side-up, scuffing up that body and wing would be a real bummer. Note the lack of body clips.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR underneath

A look underneath reveals a 3mm aluminum chassis with deeply angles sides that increase stiffness and hold side-body mounts.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR wheels

Belted tires are standard and mounted to reinforced wheels with 17mm hubs. You can see the pivot ball suspension through the spokes, which permits camber and toe adjustment without removing the body or wheels.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR body removal

The body is secured by a total of eight screws: two on each side and four on top. The screws pass through rubber grommets to allow flex without chatter.  Body removal is slow, but there’s no need to get under there frequently since the batteries load from beneath the chassis, camber and toe can be set with the body on, and the on-off switch is easy to access.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR with lid off

The chassis layout is a traditional shaft-driven 4WD configuration.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR motor

The Dynamite 1200kv sensorless brushless motor mates to a thick aluminum motor plate with fixed gear mesh positions for eight pinion sizes.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR speed control

The Dynamite speed control is rated for up to 6S power, which delivers top speeds over 60mph according to Losi. The speed control is programmable for max brake, max reverse throttle, and punch. There’s also a reverse lockout mode that will come in handy if 6IX racing becomes a thing.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR servo

The Spektrum S904 servo is designed to work in large scale applications such as this and comes with a milled aluminum servo arm.

 

Naked Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR

Lots to see under the hood including 18mm threaded aluminum big bore dampers, and pivot-ball suspension design. The front and rear suspensions and gearboxes are identical, and swaybars are fitted at both ends of the car.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR abttery compartments

Large cam locks secure the battery doors with plenty of overlap so the doors stay shut, and there’s room for a variety of pack sizes. When battery shopping, be sure to get packs with EC5 connectors.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR radio and tools

The 6IX includes essential maintenance tools and AA-batteries for the Spektrum DX2E radio. Peel-and-stick foam spacers are supplied to keep your batteries from moving around inside the compartments. The batteries themselves are not included.

 

Losi Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3 AWD RTR manual

The manual unfolds as large pages rather than a book, and covers all the essentials for safety and operation of the car, speed control, and Active Vehicle Control. Exploded views are provided to help identify parts, but step-by-step instructions are not provided for mechanical maintenance.

Here’s Losi’s official clips for the 6IX:

Never miss an issue of RC Car Action!

Subscribe today with a Digital Edition subscription or Print + Digital combo!

 

Updated: August 6, 2015 — 12:19 PM
Air Age Media ©