Let It All Begin With This Buggy

Based on single-seater buggies seen tearing-up dirt tracks across the U.S. in the 80's, the Grasshopper first made its appearance in R/C stores in 1984. Boasting easy assembly and easy control, the lightweight Grasshopper proved an instant hit as the perfect entry level R/C kit. Also compatible with a whole range of option parts such as oil dampers, 540 motor and ball bearings, the Grasshopper was an entry level car that could keep up with the owners driving experience. Packed with all the fantastic features of the original kit, this fun 2WD buggy is a blast on both off-road and on-road tracks. Whether it was your first or will be your first, the Grasshopper guarantees to please.

Simple But Tough 2WD Chassis

The perfect combination of simple assembly and tough exterior is what made the Grasshopper so special. Durable plastic body is fastened to bathtub resin monocoque chassis by screws, creating a solid frame that can absorb any type of rough handling. Off-road tracks can be tackled with ease thanks to coil spring dampers, and independent swing axle front and rigid axle rear suspension. Diff loaded sealed gearbox keeps out the dirt and stones for smooth driving and cornering. Paddle style rear tires and grooved front tires combine with 3-piece assembly type wheels for excellent grip performance on dirt tracks. Half-body driver figure adds that finishing touch to a fun off-road R/C car.

Basic Specifications

Length: 389mm, width: 223mm, height: 135mm, weight: 830g

380 type motor (chassis compatible with 540 type motor - sold separately)

Transmission Type: Rear 2 Wheel Drive

Independent swing axle front suspension, rolling rigid axle rear suspension, friction dampers

Sealed rear gearbox to protect diff gear during off-road running

3-piece assembly wheel, straight ribbed racing front tires, paddle rear tires

Front and rear axle compatible with ball bearings (sold separately)

Options Explained

Bearing Upgrade: These make the car run more smoothly and are easily installed during assembly. If there is no option for these shown, then the kit already includes the bearing upgrade as standard. These are entirely optional.

Radio System: There is a choice of a TWIN STICK (Traditional) radio or a Steering Wheel (Modern) radio. Both radios operate on 2.4Ghz and use the new Crystal-Free technology, so you can run multiple cars at the same time without any interference. The steering wheel radio is included in the price, a traditional twin stick radio just a few pounds more.

ESC: This is the connection between the radio system and the motor. You have two choices - the Tamiya Hobbywing unit which will take much more powerful motors, or the Mstyle (from Tamiya Denmark distributor HPI Europe) which will take many upgrades still, is waterproof and a very reliable unit. The Hobbywing unit has a very good reputation with modellers and has a higher capacity allowing faster motors to be used at a later date. Both units feature electronic brakes. Which ESC to choose is purely personal preference as both are equally suitable for this kit.

Battery: The higher the number, the longer the run time. The 1800 battery is included in the price.

Charger: You can choose to upgrade the charger - USB charger takes around 4 hours depending on the battery, Mid Speed around 2 to 3 hours, Etronix Fast Charger can be as quick as 60 minutes in the house or 30 minutes in the car and Ansmann Delta also around 30 minutes (and also works in the car). The basic USB charger is included in the price.

If you would like more options, would like to choose a package without one of the above components, or wish to purchase the car kit on it's own, please search our site for the CUSTOM option of this kit - easily found by searching for the kit name or number followed by CUSTOM.