You might have been at the track once and experienced the thrill and excitement of racing or you probably know someone who introduced you to this new fixation. But whatever the reason is if you’re new to the hobby, you will most likely need help in choosing the best car to suit you. Before you jump into the world of radio controlled vehicles it helps immensely to have in mind what you're looking for and what most interests you. Ask yourself these questions to guide you better with your choices.

• Will you be using the car on road or off road?
• Will you be operating two or more cars on a 27Mhz frequency at once?
• How far do you want your car to go?
• Do you want it electric or nitro?
• Length of time per tank or battery charge?
• What size/scale are you eyeing for?

There are a lot of things you need to consider but the inherent competitive aspect of racing will most likely get down played. So, to aid you in decision-making let’s get into the details and here’s to answer the queries that have been bugging you.

• First off, if you’re looking to use your car off road, you will need an off road model like a buggy or a truck. They are essentially built for rough surfaces unlike road cars which can only be used on smooth areas like asphalt or concrete. On road models have racing tires and are built for high speeds for on road racing. Their tires are smooth, and they are usually faster than the off-road types. They are only good for flat surfaces, though, such as smooth roads or race tracks.
• 2.4 Ghz is the general frequency for todays RC vehicles which is less prone to interference but when operating two or more cars at once on a 27Mhz frequency, you will need to use different frequency crystals in each car. Ten or more can be maneuvered at the same time by using crystals on different frequencies. This is easily done since these crystals are interchangeable. To switch and replace, you will have to unplug the transmitter crystal from the transmitter (hand-held controller) and the receiver crystal from the receiver in the car.
• The fun of driving an RC car can be increased by extending the range that the vehicle can be controlled from. Most cars can go approximately 100 to 200 meters on average. However, the only way to know the range of your car is to do a range test while the engine’s off.
• Making the right choice between an electric and a nitro vehicle can provide many years of excitement in the RC hobby. By far the biggest difference between an electric and a nitro RC are what make them go. The electric RC is powered by a motor that requires electricity (in the form of a battery pack) as the fuel, which makes it easier to use. All you need is charge the battery and you’re ready to go. The nitro RC uses an engine fueled by a methanol-based fuel and it is generally faster and also more expensive than electric ones.
• Both nitro and electric cars last depending on how hard it is driven or the kind of surface it is used on. Nitro cars generally go for longer per tank than electric ones which will last for approximately 5-10 minutes with an 1800mah battery. You can also try batteries with larger capacities that won’t easily run out.
• Radio controlled vehicles are modeled after full-size cars. The scale of the RC is its size as compared to the real, full-size version. The scale might be 1/24 (the smallest), 1/5 (the biggest), and sizes in between 1/10 and 1/8 (the most popular).

You may already have the picture of the one you like in your head but is it the best car to start off RC car driving with? There are loads to choose from but what’s the best car to go for? Before you buy, remember the questions you asked yourself earlier. You may also want to consider factors such as cost, level of expertise, and time available for learning and maintenance to make sure you don't get in over your head