LRP S10 Twister Ready To Run 2wd Buggy

Let’s do the Twist!

Words: Steve Trebing
Photos: Edwin Rodriguez

2WD Buggy has been, and will more than likely stay, the king of the off-road race classes any given weekend or weekday around the world. The buggies are small, light, nimble, easy to tune and just a blast to drive. This winning combination has proven the top of the heap for 20+ years with no signs of slowing down. LRP’s new S10 Twister 2WD buggy comes ready to run so let’s take it out for some fun and see how well it does…

REVIEWER’S OPINION
There are quite a few 2WD RTR Buggies to choose from if you’re in the market. What sets the Twister apart is a really good design and top notch LRP electronics included in the box. I feel like this buggy is perfect for someone who is ready to hit the local track, but doesn’t want to spend $500+ on a competition race setup.  After a quick test pass around my yard, I packed up the S10 Twister and took it to a practice day at Speed RC, in Mooresville, NC. Read on for more detail, but all in all, the Twister did what it was supposed to do. I did have a few breakage issues, but those were quickly remedied using the extra parts provided by LRP. I think the S10 Twister is a great, affordable setup for the novice class at just about any race track. If you are looking to hit the track, the Twister would make a very good choice.

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDED
•  4-way wrench
Charger

ITEMS NEEDED
•  8 “AA” Batteries

ITEMS USED
•  Everything you need is in the bo

HOP-UPS WE RECOMMEND
• Adjustable Turn Buckles – 124500 – L/R   Turn Buckles, 6pcs.
• CVD’s – 124508 – CVD Driveshafts, 2pcs

FEATURE BREAKDOWN
CHASSIS
A standard tub style chassis provides the foundation for the Twister. Centerline battery placement keeps the weight centered and provides good balance. Electronics are mounted in the side pods and the motor sits behind the rear wheels.

SUSPENSION
Nice quality oil filled shocks sit on all four corners and are built almost perfect for the weight of the car. The shock mounting positions are fully adjustable and allow fine tuning of the suspension. Camber and toe are preset with the included, non-adjustable plastic links.

STEERING
LRP includes a good quality servo in the S10 Twister. This is mated up to an adjustable, spring loaded servo saver to help protect the servo. All steering angles are pre-set from LRP. Optional adjustable tierods are available and recommended.

DRIVETRAIN
The rear mounted brushed motor is paired to an adjustable pad-style, slipper clutch. Power is sent through a standard three gear transmission with a sealed gear (two planetary gear) differential. Plastic telescoping drive shafts finish off the power delivery to the rear wheels.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES
The S10 Twister package is complete and comes with everything you need to get started. The 2.4GHz radio is fully adjustable and really helps fine tune the buggy for most driving conditions.

ON THE TRACK
As luck would have it, the S10 Twister showed up at my house two days before the big monthly Saturday race at SpeedRC, my local race track. I gave the Twister a quick shakedown around the property and decided to take it with me to the track the next day for practice. The track was set up for race day with a nice variety of jumps and technical sections. I knew the tire setup on the Twister wouldn’t be the best, but I wanted to run it completely stock and see how it did.

STEERING
Steering was surprisingly crisp and predictable. The servo isn’t the fastest, but it is smooth and has adequate power to keep the buggy going where you point it. The grooved front tires have more than enough grip to keep the Twister from pushing in the corners. I feel like with a more powerful motor/ESC combo, the extra speed would make the steering less predictable and would require better tires and a change in setup.

ACCELERATION/BRAKING
The motor and ESC shipping with the RTR version of the S10 Twister is very good quality LRP gear. The AI Runner V2 ESC is a forward and reverse ESC and it handles the 540 sized motor well in everyday driv- ing. At the track, the ESC does lack the necessary punch needed to accelerate the S10 Twister over the jumps. It seems to take a second or two to spool up and get the buggy moving, which makes clearing jumps challenging. I did switch to a 19T motor to see if the motor was causing the delay and I got the same results.

HANDLING/JUMPING
Handling and jumping were the high points for the S10 Twister. Although it takes a little bit to get the buggy up to speed, once it hits the ramps it flies like a champ. With enough room, I was easily able to clear doubles and tabletops. Landings were smooth thanks to the oil filled shocks. The S10 Twister was crisp in the handling department as
well. The speed of the buggy was almost perfect for the track condi- tions and allowed for just the right amount of grip. As stated before, any more speed and a tire change would have been required.

DURABILITY
There are a few weak points on the S10 Twister, but I think I would chalk much of it up to the environment I was running the buggy in, a very busy race practice environment with 10+ cars/trucks on the track at once. During my day of testing, I broke a rear drive shaft, several plastic tie rods and a front C-hub. Luckily, I had extra parts on hand so there was no downtime. I was able to take the S10 Twister back to SpeedRC on a different day when the track was less busy and there was no breakage.

SPECS AND TUNING OPTIONS
The S10 Twister is a good choice to get into racing and is more than capable right out of the box. I would recommend upgrading to adjustable tie-rods to add strength and adjustability to the suspension. I would also recommend the CVD drive shafts as the telescoping shafts are a little on the weak side for the track.

DIMENSIONS
Length: 14.76 in. (375mm)
Width: 9.76 in. (248mm)
Height: 4.92 in. (125mm)
Weight: 2.78 lb. (1260g)

BODY, WHEELS AND TIRES
Body: PrePainted Lexan
Wheels: Black Plastic
Wheel adapter type: Plastic Hex
Tires: Front: VTEC Groove,
Rear: VTEC Kamikaze

SUSPENSION
Type: 4-wheel Independent
Shock positions: Fully Adjustable, Top and Bottom
Camber: Fixed Position
Roll: Fixed Position
Wheelbase: Fixed Position
Ride height: Adjustable
Misc: N/A

STEERING
Type: Dual Bellcrank w/ Servo Saver
Toe: Fixed Position

CHASSIS
Type: One Piece Tub Chassis
Material: Plastic
Thickness: N/A

DRIVETRAIN
Type: 2WD
Transmission: 3 Gear
Differential: Bevel Gear – 2 Gear
Clutch Type: Slipper
Gear ratio: 22T Pinion/78T Spur
Bearings: Full Set Included

RATING TALLY
Opinion: 8
Acceleration: 7
Steering: 9
Handling: 8
Durability: 8
Feature Breakdown: 9
Overall Value: 8

WRAP UP
1/10-scale 2WD Buggy is one of my favorite categories. Whether it’s a full on race kit or an RTR bundle like the S10 Twister, it’s going to be a lot of fun to drive. I took a chance with the Twister and put it through its paces on a track, a very busy track at that. The buggy did what it was sup- posed to do and found its way around time after time. It took a little abuse and needed some love in the end, but it took all I gave it. I really think for anyone looking for something to race and not wanting to spend a fortune, the S10 Twister by LRP will fit the bill nicely!

LINKS
LRP, lrpamericastore.com, 949-276-6060
SpeedRC, track.speedrc.com