Review: Team Associated Apex2 A550 Rally Car

Unboxing/Action Video

What’s Included
Being an RTR, all the pieces you want comes proper within the field. All the electronics come pre-installed, the physique is pre-painted (and mounted) and the wheels and tires are glued and mounted. There’s additionally the guide, catalog and an extra sticker sheet if you wish to customise the physique a bit. All that’s left to do is connect a few of the extra exterior physique elements and also you’re all set.

What’s Needed
• 4 AA Batteries

Main Features
1. The very first thing that caught our eye is the A550 physique. It has a really Audi/Lancia really feel and is roofed in a really vivid white/crimson/child blue/darkish blue livery. Out of the field, it comes with some molded elements already hooked up – entrance grille, aspect mirrors, rear wing and rear exhaust panel. To additional the look, a big entrance gentle pod and a pair of roof antenna may be added. But that’s not all – the entrance gentle buckets, rear gentle buckets and light-weight pod are all LED able to gentle up your subsequent night time Rally stage!

2. The A550 comes with a handsome set of Turbine wheels wrapped in Rally block tires. These are the identical wheels used on the entire Apex2 Sport fashions (in the meanwhile), however match the half with this automobile fairly nicely. The tires have a barely squishy really feel to them, nonetheless the compound is a bit exhausting for full-on filth use (extra of an all-terrain/lengthy put on tire). They are pre-mounted and do have a extremely good Rally look to them.

3. Even although this mannequin is predicated across the Apex2, the Sport comes with a full molded tub chassis as an alternative of the usual fiberglass setup. The structure is strictly the identical, proper all the way down to the shorty battery tray. There are just a few extra braces included, all to strengthen the chassis and assist cut back flex. One different factor we dig – AE didn’t simply give us a boring flat pan beneath. Instead they added some scale particulars, one thing the usual Apex2 doesn’t have!

4. The Reedy energy bundle carries over to the Sport. Starting with the servo, AE has included a Reedy 1523MG, metal-geared servo to deal with all of the steering duties. For motor-vation, a Reedy 550 15T brushed motor is coupled with a Reedy SC500X programmable brushed ESC. Yes, it isn’t brushless however it’s 3S appropriate, so there’s greater than sufficient energy available whenever you want it (particularly on filth!). Moving to the radio, AE has included the XP120 system. While a fundamental system, it does have all the pieces you want – channel reversing, trims and twin price. We had been loads proud of this whole setup in the course of the check runs.

5. Here’s the massive distinction between the Apex2 and Apex2 Sport – the Sport comes with a full set of Oilite bushings (no bearings anyplace) and friction shocks on all 4 corners. The bearings we’re happy with. They work high quality and require zero upkeep, excellent for the Rally fanatic that likes driving greater than sustaining. The shocks, whereas not a deal breaker (they do truly work fairly nicely), did hamper efficiency a bit in our opinion. More on that within the Performance part beneath.

For ‘shoots’ and giggles, we threw the A550 on our stability station to see the way it regarded. Not too unhealthy, truly – 50/50 weight distribution front-to-back and a 49/51 side-to-side. Overall it’s, nonetheless, a bit on the portly aspect – and that is WITHOUT the physique…

Performance
For the preliminary check, we had been going to go to a Test-N-Tune at our native Rally monitor however, after weeks of rainouts, the one time we might get it out and on the monitor was at an precise Rally competitors. We solely bought one lap of observe with subsequent to zero tuning – nothing like throwing it out to the wolves.

Here’s some fast notes on how we needed to evaluation the automobile.

1. Our first run was field inventory – package suspension settings, package tires.
2. Our second run was field inventory – slight suspension change, Spec class Tamiya Rally Block tires.
3. Both runs, used a 3S LiPo pack turned down with the throttle trim on the radio (since it’s geared for 3S and we didn’t have time to vary the gearing).

We had an excellent comparability with each units of tires and can point out that within the Performance classes beneath.

Acceleration
On 3S, it was a little bit of a handful on each units of tires, nonetheless, it was far more drivable on the Spec tire. Re-geared and on 2S, we’re certain the package tires can be high quality however, in all honesty, we predict they’re a bit exhausting for the floor we had been operating on. Overall, the A550 accelerates exhausting and for probably the most half straight with none odd traits.

Handling
With all of the rain we’ve had currently, the sides of the monitor had been bordered with tall, inexperienced weeds. This made it crucial to remain within the line – round corners, over jumps, by way of chicanes and across the berms. In the slower sections of the monitor, we had equal outcomes on each units of tires – good steering and good energy supply to the bottom. In the sooner areas, the Spec tires dominated supreme because the kits appears to free grip simply (we had the dreaded understeer/oversteer scenario alot). Some tuning would repair this however we don’t suppose the package tires had been made for this monitor.

Suspension
This Rally monitor actually exams out the suspension of any car – continued ruts, bumps and uneven areas. In package kind, the A550 labored nicely however doesn’t have a lot in the best way of tuning. The suspension hyperlinks are all fastened (simply remedied with a set of turnbuckles) and there are solely two adjustment holes (back and front) for shock placement. It does have caster adjustment and energetic rear toe – permitting the rear toe to vary throughout suspension compression – however, with out some up to date possibility elements, that’s about all you’re going to get in the best way of tuning. Just changing the friction shocks with a set of the usual Apex2 dampers goes to make an enormous distinction straight away!

Durability
Remember once we mentioned this factor was portly? Well, it’s constructed that manner for a motive. We beat up this little automobile – extra simply tough monitor driving than truly abusing it – and it’s nonetheless in glorious situation. There’s no option to hold filth from moving into EVERYHING, however with the drivetrain being sealed (and bushings as an alternative of bearings), there’s not a lot that’s going to cease this automobile (except, once more, you’re abusing it). The solely factor we’d counsel doing is to connect the lenses into the sunshine pod and the slip rings onto the antenna. We misplaced 2 lenses on the primary run and ALMOST one antenna.

Additional Notes
• Oil-filled differentials sit in each the entrance and rear instances. While they arrive full of grease, it turns into ineffective after the primary run. They are sealed so we advise getting some precise diff fluid and filling them up. There’s additionally a middle diff accessible if you wish to go that route. This will certainly enhance the efficiency of your A550.

• Occasionally we’d get a little bit of wander from the steering within the automobile. At first we thought it is perhaps the servo saver however, because the A550 doesn’t include a servo saver, the perpetrator would possibly truly be the servo. We’re going to swap ours out and see if that cures the issue.

• We love the size calipers and rotors however discovered that the ribbing at the back of aftermarket wheels might trigger all the pieces to bind. You might have to take away the calipers for them to work (as we did with the Tamiya wheels).

Gallery

Final Thoughts
We love that AE is branching out into different areas other than the racing market, filling of their secure with enjoyable automobiles folks can get behind. The Apex2 Sport A550 is a kind of and, although it’s missing a few of the race-level goodies, it’s nonetheless a extremely enjoyable automobile to drive and positively has potential.

We’re going by way of ours, cleansing it up, including a set of the Apex2 oil-filled shocks and heading again out to the Rally course. Our subsequent outing, we’re bringing dwelling a W!