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Most of us will never get behind the wheel of a full-scale supercar; we can only imagine what it’s like. But thanks to Kyosho, we can drive the ever popular Ferrari F430 GT—but as an 1/8-scale nitro Inferno GT RTR! Hey; I’ll take what I can get!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Kyosho Inferno GT comes ready to run with its radio gear installed and a .28 nitro engine. All that you need to get are nitro fuel and 12 AA batteries.

The chassis layout and drivetrain are very similar to an 1/8-scale buggy’s, and the car is, in fact based on the world-renowned 1/8-scale Inferno buggy.

The very durable drivetrain transfers power to bevel-gear differentials that can be tuned by using oils of various weights (viscosities); there are strong steel dogbone axles and all-metal gears.

The Inferno GT comes with a powerful .28 engine that’s used in other Kyosho RTR vehicles. It’s fast and has well-proven performance and reliability.

The Inferno’s 2-speed transmission offers neck-breaking acceleration in first gear and jet-like speeds in second. The shift point is spot on, and that keeps the engine right where it needs to be in the powerband.

The suspension is a critical, and this car has almost every adjustment you could want, so you can match it to your driving style no matter where you drive it.

PERFORMANCE

I took the Inferno GT to an empty parking lot. After only a few tugs on the pull-starter, the engine fired up and began to idle. I let it come up to temperature and then took a few seconds to set the needles.

First, I made high-speed, straight-line passes to get used to the handling and speed; that detailed Ferrari F430 GT body looked great tearing across the parking lot. Second, I took a moment to appreciate just how fast it went.

The Inferno GT accelerates off the line and tears away with a quick shift into second gear. At speed, it seems to have an on-power push. The car’s speed makes the front tires fight for traction—not all that bad because it makes the car stable and easy to control. It’s so over-powered that you can break the tires loose just by stabbing the throttle. At lower speeds, it turns well and holds a tight line. Be warned: if you grab too much throttle during a corner exit, the rear will break loose and send the car into a slide. The 4WD prevents it from spinning out completely; a slight countersteer will allow you to drift through corners with surprising accuracy. The car feels as you might expect the full-size Ferrari to feel: tight handling and all the power anyone could want.

After running many laps around my makeshift racecourse, I noticed that the incredible stopping power had started to fade and the car took longer to come to a stop. I figured that something had come loose, but there was nothing wrong with the car itself. It seems that the single rotor does a great stopping job but can heat up when used and cause the brakes to fade. I had used the brakes much more than I would during regular driving, but I’d try doubling up on the brake discs to help dissipate the heat and keep braking strong during long runs.

Overall, the car handled really well and performed as I hoped it would.

 

THE LAST WORD

The Inferno GT is a performer. Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced driver, you’ll enjoy driving it. It has the performance and handling that might keep your desire to own the real thing in check—well, at least until you earn your first million.

LINKS

Kyosho, kyoshoamerica.com,
(800) 716-4518