Have you ever seen Traxxas Summit before? If your answer is YES. I bet you’ve never forgotten how it looks because this RC car is one of the most recognizable Traxxas RC cars.
But if your answer is NO, then I invite you to read this review. I’m afraid you’ll want to have one today before tomorrow!
If you notice its body, this RC car is a looking SUV car. Let alone the other TRX4 like the Defender, the Bronco, or the Mercedes 6×6. Well, they’re also recognizable with their special shape.
But these RC cars are more like strong trucks. However, Traxxas Summit is more like a sporty strong monster truck.
Stick with me and I’ll explain more to you in the next few lines…
Read Also: The New Traxxas Ford Bronco 2021 Review – The Best Looking Traxxas!
Traxxas Summit Design
The Body
The first thing I’m sure you’d notice in the body of the Traxxas Summit is the different shape than the other Traxxas RC cars.
Traxxas X-Maxx, Maxx, Slash, Hoss, and Stampede have all almost the same shape with different sizes of course. The same thing goes for the TRX4 RC cars especially the Bronco and the Defender.
But the Summit has no similar Traxxas car (I’m talking just about Traxxas).
Secondly, it is so big. I had the same impression as Traxxas UDR when I saw it. No matter what your expectations are, you’ll be surprised by its big size!
To put this in perspective, I can say that it has almost the same size as the Maxx.
Despite being big, the body of the Summit is so high and smaller in comparison to the chassis. This is reminding me of the Stampede which has big wheels and a smaller body.
Another special feature that is partially available and sometimes not available in Traxxas RC cars is the cage.
And what I mean by special is the fact that the cage is covering all the body which provides better protection in case of a crash with 4 clips to remove it and access to the chassis.
The body of Traxxas Summit is also equipped with 8 real headlights. 4 in the front of the roof and 4 others in the front bumper. While on the rear, there are 2 red lights.
These lights are so bright and can provide you with a completely clear view at the night. That’s so funny.
To be honest, this is one of the best bodies I’ve seen in a Traxxas RC car.
Read Also: Traxxas UDR – Weird Secrets You Didn’t Know About Traxxas Unlimited Desert Racer
The Chassis
Big wheels, high altitude. This is what to expect from a monster truck eager to climb the highest and hardest obstacles in nature.
Besides the big wheels, Traxxas Summit is provided with a strong suspension system. This system is not similar to the other Traxxas RC cars systems with vertical shocks.
However, besides the suspension arms, there are double horizontal shocks fixed in the middle front and the middle end. This will give the car the chance to have more flexibility off-road.
Since this is not a normal off-roading RC vehicle. Traxxas Summit contains 2 servos instead of just one. With the power of these 2 combined, this RC monster has very strong steering.
And believe me, this RC car can climb almost anything. We will get to more details about that in the performance section.
Another surprise is that Traxxas Summit comes with 2 battery holders with each on each side. You can have up to a 4s power battery with 2 batteries of 2s power on each side. Or you can just have one 2s battery.
There are a lot more things to cover about the Summit including the driving mods, the power as well as the upgrades.
Traxxas Summit Performance
Traxxas Summit comes with a Titan® 775 brushed motor (There is the VXL version that contains the brushless motor) and a TQi 2.4GHz 4-channel transmitter as well as a micro receiver.
With these together, the Summit can reach up to 16mph as tested by Kevin Talbot. As you see, this RC car isn’t something that you would rely on when it comes to speed. So it is purely an off-road truck.
And the best thing about that is the whole system is waterproof!
This RC car has also 2 gears. The first gear is, of course, slower than the second. And you might change gears depending on the position you’re in.
In addition to the gears, this monster is also provided by the diff lock feature that allows you to make all four wheels able to spin at the same speed.
And this is one of the best secrets behind the strength and the huge ability of this RC monster to climb almost everything!
Although it’s being a strong and super-capable RC machine. Traxxas Summit still has some disadvantages that I don’t like.
Read Also: Traxxas Mercedes 6×6 Powerful Rare Monster Truck Review. Is It Worth It?
What I Don’t Like About Traxxas Summit
First: The Body Clips
The first thing I notice about this RC monster that I didn’t like is the body clips. With a lot of new RC cars coming now, the traditional body clips are something that started to be outdated.
In comparison to other clipless Traxxas RC cars like the Hoss and the Maxx, I think that the Summit has to be with the flow in terms of practicality and use.
Second: Things Stuck In!
The suspension system of Traxxas Summit is so great and has a big role in sustaining and handling the pressure. However, they have a bad side.
They’re so long, as a result, in some terrains like the forests, a lot of plants and dead branches can be stuck on the arms and be a burden on the performance of this RC car!
Third: More Protection…
Traxxas has made the Summit similar to the Stampede in terms of the body which makes it unable to cover all the internal parts. This can harm the internal parts despite being waterproof from dust and mud.
But adding some additional protection won’t affect the look of the car.
Forth: A Little Slow
I wish Traxxas has added a little more speed to the Summit. That would make it a perfect car.
However, there is always a solution. You can upgrade to the brushless motor, or you can buy a whole new Traxxas Summit VXL ready to run with a brushless motor that can reach up to 40 mph!
In addition to the bad side of the Traxxas Summit, there are a lot of good things on the great side…
Fifth and Last: No TSM!
NO TSM. REALLY?? In such a car, it is shocking to see that there is no Traxxas Stability Management System.
However, this is not so bad because the TSM is usually needed in RC cars with high speeds to be able to control the direction of the car.
Fortunately, Traxxas has made this possible again through the Traxxas Summit Brushless version. You can have the TSM with the VXL version since its speed is much higher than the actual version I’m reviewing in this article.
Read Also: Traxxas Land Rover TRX4 Defender Review. Is It Worth It?
What I Like About Traxxas Summit
Everything we covered up to know was some great features. But some features are worth mentioning because I loved them.
First: Great Cage
The cage protecting the body of the Summit was a great idea not only in terms of safety but also in terms of design. That car looks badass with that black cage surrounding it. Isn’t that right?
Second: The Shocks
The horizontal shocks system was a great idea to put in this RC monster since it will improve its performance. This has reminded me of the Traxxas E-Revo that has the same system.
Third: Bright Headlights!
I love the headlights! Traxxas Sumit is looking great with those headlights everywhere in the front as well as the back. This is something I wish Traxxas can make for all their products.
It is a pain in the ass to buy an RC car and then search for convenient headlights.
Forth and Last: Double Servos = Better Performance
The double steering servos are a great idea to maximize the power of the steering even in the hardest moments.
This will make the Summit more reliable and can have more handling than its peers.
Read Also: Traxxas X-Maxx Review. Is It The Best One? Is It Worth It?
Traxxas Summit Upgrades
All these features in this RC monster are insignificant. But guess what… You can still add more.
Traxxas Summit is one of the best RC cars that you can freely upgrade from the brushless motor, and the proline tires, to the powerful servo.
Being able to be upgraded will allow you to be more creative, and you may create a stronger beast out of this beast!
Final Judgement
Despite having some disadvantages, Traxxas Summit is one of the most special cars I’ve ever tested in terms of performance as well as the way it’s built. Everything was different.
Happily, all the advantages can be solved with some upgrades that are easy to find and fix.
So, if you’re a fan of off-roading and rally, love the technical stuff, and like driving at night. Traxxas Summit is yours!
Check the Price on the Traxxas Official Website by clicking the link below:
Read Also: Top 6 Traxxas UDR Upgrades You Should Add Right Now
