7 Best RC Drift Cars of 2019

1. Exceed RC MadDriftRTR Drift Car

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Editor’s Rating: 4.9/5

The Exceed RC MadDrift is a ready-to-run (RTR) electric drift car that’s a little different from others. It’s a 1/8 scale, which is not typical, and it has a lot to boast about.

• Best feature 1: Low center of gravity design
• Best feature 2: Durable oil filled shocks
• Plus points: Brushless motors, tire-shredding torque, full user control, foam bumper
• Minus points: Tires no good on concrete

The centralized low center of gravity design assists performance and gives it a unique, distinctive look. The durable oil filled shocks and effective sway bars are vital for stabilizing the vehicle on tight bends. Exceed RC has perfected the entire balance-to-weight ratio for remarkable control. They built this feature packed car for showing off and racing against anyone who dares to complete.

Ready, Steady, Go…

A race is as much about skill as it is power and performance. If you have the skills, this puppy has the rest. The powerful brushless motors are reliable and hardwearing. They provide the RPMs and torque needed for your high-speed drifting demands. Think tire-shredding power. To be in control you need a car you can tame to your way of driving, and that’s what you have with this model.

Other features help to keep the car grounded. These include the big bore threaded aluminum shock bodies, control arm braces, and the front and rear aluminum differential. The handy foam bumper lets you race with more confidence and worry less about those inevitable impacts.

This puppy’s ready to drift when you’re ready to race.

The Not so Good

The only major complaint from users is that Exceed RC could improve their stock tires. It seems that many racers end up changing them. They’re most ineffective on concrete surfaces.

2. FSTgo High Speed RC Drift Car

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Editor’s Rating: 4.8/5

The FSTgo is an affordable yet impressive high-speed RC drift car. It boasts a long 260+ feet range and can race up to 17mph for up to 10 minutes on a full charge.

• Best feature 1: Long range
• Best feature 2: Fast top speed for a drift car in its class
• Plus points: Flat run ABS rubber tires, S-Truck suspension, splashproof, affordable
• Minus points: Short playtime

One of the first things that strike new users is the value for money. It might be a toy drift car with a toy-like price tag, but don’t let that fool you. The makers don’t recommend anyone under the age of 14 operate this car, at least not without supervision. The design is sleek and eye-catching with realistic flat run rubber tires that help to keep it grounded.

Ready, Steady, Go…

What you have here is a rear wheel drive with unbelievable power. This beast is quite a size too (1:12 scale) despite its low price. That gives you a lot of car to enjoy. The steering becomes natural and accurate once you get a feel for it. The independent S-Truck suspension does an incredible job at keeping the vehicle stable at higher speeds. There’s certainly a lot in this model that appeals to boy racers.

You WILL have collisions and accidents on occasions. The sponge protected front-end helps to improve its crash resistance. The vehicle is also splash resistant—not to be confused with waterproof.

The Not so Good

I could find plenty of faults if this were a $300 high-speed drift car. But at this price, and for what you get, there’s not much to complain about. If I had to find a gripe, it would be the short playtime. Buying a couple of spare batteries is a simple way to extend the fun.

3. Redcat Racing EPX Drift Car

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5

The Redcat Racing EPX is a high mid-range drift car that’s popular in the RC racing community. There are two designs and colors available. Either model looks mean and ready to race in any setting.

• Best feature 1: Two designs available (style and color)
• Best feature 2: Polycarbonate body
• Plus points: Fast for its class, running time, durable build, fine-tuning, cheap accessories
• Minus points: Stock tires, needs high skill for high speed, not kid-friendly

I thought carefully before I chose the best value drift car for this guide. It’s not a particularly good choice for preteenagers, but it checks many of the right boxes for older racers. I’m not sure of its top speed, but it’s fast. I read anywhere between 22-50+ mph and all speeds in between. A lot depends on the surface and tires. Fast cars also need to be tough, and this beast has decent crash resistance.

Spares are cheap if you do happen to damage the polycarbonate body or break any components.

Ready, Steady, Go…

The car is low to the ground, so that means racing on flat, smooth surfaces only. It’s time for some controlled chaos once the user revs this puppy up. With the right person at the wheel—figuratively speaking—these Redcat models glide around corners and bends with seeming ease. There’s no loss to forward momentum as they drift and push towards the finish lines.

You can fine-tune the aluminum capped oil-filled shocks and adjust the independent suspension to your liking. Being able to tweak and modify these models to personal preferences is half the fun.

TheNot so Good

The stock tires let this car down as they do so many of these otherwise perfect models. They don’t fare too well on dirt, grass, or gravel surfaces. The other gripe is that the Redcat Racing EPX Drift Car is hard to control at top speeds. Skill plays a part, but sometimes even skilled drivers have trouble keeping the car straight when driving flat out.

4. Crazon 4WD High-speed Drift RC Car

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5

Meet the budget-friendly Crazon 4WD high-speed RC drift car. It’s a lightweight fun model that packs in many unique features for less than 50 bucks.

• Best feature 1: Bright bottom LED lights
• Best feature 2: 0.3MP WiFi FPV camera
• Plus points: Price, eco-friendly, lightweight material, fast, full driving functions, range
• Minus points: Average stock tires, weight

The newest Crazon 1814001 High Speed RC Drift Car has a couple of unique extras. One is the roof-mounted 0.3MP WiFi FPV camera that lets you take photos and vids on the go. The bright night-lights under the car are another nice touch as you can continue to race in the dark. The model is light at just 1.4 lbs. It’s also robust thanks to the eco-friendly ABS material used in its construction.

Ready, Steady, Go…

This eco-friendly drift car is fast, but don’t get too excited. What I mean is that it’s fast for its class. It’s nowhere near as fast as the higher priced models in this guide. But at 9mph, it has enough speed for entry-level users to drift. It’s a perfect learner model and has all the usual driving functions, i.e., drift mode, forward/backward, turn left, and turn right.

The 6V battery gives a decent running time of 20 minutes on a full charge. And the control range is quite decent at just over 100 feet.

The Not so Good

The not so good is the familiar problem of stock tires. The smooth drift tires are okay because the speeds are moderate. But they’re still not going to fare too well once they hit softer or looser surfaces. The lightweight is both a plus and a minus. It can be a disadvantage because it removes some of the realistic appeal and aggression. But then Crazon does target this model at younger entry-level users, in which case the weight is a definite advantage.

5. Super GT Lexus RC Sport Racing Drift Car

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Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5

The Super GT Lexus RC Sport Drift Car is an impressive looking racer. It’s also suitable for youngsters—under supervision, and has a decent 30-meter (98 feet) control range.

• Best feature 1: High-quality PC material
• Best feature 2: Kid-friendly drift car
• Plus points: 2 sets of tires, fast speed for its class, quick charging time, decent range
• Minus points: Average running time, brushed motor

This 1:16 scale model is a great RC drift car for the entry-level user. The quality, lightweight PC material makes it fairly crash resistant—great news for novice drivers. The model has a control distance of around 98 feet in ideal conditions. The weight is 1.21 pounds. That’s acceptable for learner drivers. It’s a bit on the flimsy side for more experienced users though.

Battery recharging time is just 90-minutes, and that’s a lot better than many of the rival models.

Ready, Steady, Go…

This RC drift car comes with two sets of wheels/tires. The rubber belt tires are ideal for speed racing. The harder, ultra-smooth tires are dedicated drift tires, so take your pick. It’s not scary powerful, but it packs enough punch to make it a fun racer. The car doesn’t have a brushless motor, but it’s still a competent racer reaching speeds close to 20 mph. That’s fast enough for learners and younger drivers.

You control the car with the included 2.4G remote control. The RC has a familiar layout and lets you take full charge of all those impressive moves. That means the figure-8 drifts, U-shaped drifts, and other showoff maneuvers are right there at your fingertips.

The Not so Good

A brand new Super GT Lexus RC Sport Racing Drift Car costs around 50 bucks. That means it’s going to have a few restrictions, but it’s still good value. The maximum advertised playtime is 15 minutes. I think 10–12 minutes is more realistic when driving flat out. That’s not long when you’re having great fun, so be sure to invest in one or two spare 700Mah1.5V AA NI-Cd batteries.

The car has a brushed motor. Brushed motors are not as reliable or as long-lasting as brushless ones, but they’re cheaper. The motor still delivers plenty of power. It’s always a good idea to allow 10+ minutes of cooling down time between battery changes.

6. Exceed RC MadSpeedRTR Drift Car

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5

The final two picks are not toys. This model is the Exceed RC MadSpeed Drift King (Brushless Edition). It’s a 1/10 scale beast that’s Ready to Run (RTR) right out of the box.

• Best feature 1: Street ready right from its box
• Best feature 2: Brushless motor
• Plus points: Unique features, easy to use, ESC, intense wheel spinning capability, high torque
• Minus points: Price, stock battery, auto-shut off

The look and feel of this high-quality drift car set it apart from the rest before it even moves. The pre-painted body is a real eye-catcher, and the extra touches make it even leaner and meaner. The RC MadSpeed Drift King has mirrors on both sides of the car, a chrome exhaust, and a rear wing. The many unique features help it to stand out from the pack, but how well does it perform.

Ready, Steady, Go…

Oh yes, this is a head turning, high-speed, high torque, tire shredding, street racer. It has everything necessary for speed drifting and nothing you don’t. The power comes from the reliable 380 3000KV brushless motor and 35A brushless electronic speed control or ESC. It’s an easy car to control too, but you need to develop the right skills to win races.

The competition won’t see you for dust once you get the full wheel spinning under control. It’s a car for those who love a challenge, and that tire-shredding torque certainly needs taming. The foam bumper lets you train with confidence, protecting the precious vehicle from bumps and scrapes.

Here are a few other features worth a mention:

• Unique design with centralized low center of gravity
• CNC aluminum center drive
• CNC aluminum motor mount
• CNC aluminum upper deck
• Hard-wearing oil filled shocks
• 2.4Ghz Pistol Grip RC
• 3KG High-torque steering servo
• Easy-access front/rear ball differentials

The Not so Good

The first disadvantage is the price. It’s just too costly as a casual toy. It’s also a serious chunk of money for enthusiastic hobbyists at the entry level. But the Exceed RC MadSpeed Drift King (brushless version) is worth every penny for fans with cash to spend.

There are reports that the stock battery is not the best and soon wears out. It’s always a good idea to carry spares as a way to extend the fun times anyway. The auto-shutoff feature is welcome as it stops the brushless motor from over-heating. Alas, the auto-shutoff can also become annoying. The way to avoid this is to let the car cool down for a few minutes between battery changes.

7. Redcat Racing Lightning EPX PRO

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5

Fast & furious—that’s what you get with the Redcat1/10 scale Racing Lightning EPX PRO. It’s incredibly versatile, and its potential grows with upgraded batteries and other modifications.

• Best feature 1: Durable, lightweight chassis
• Best feature 2: adjustable independent suspension
• Plus points: Ready-To-Run (RTR) cool design, solid battery, fast, brushless motor
• Minus points: Not suitable for preteenagers, price, tires wear out fast

This model is a great RV drift car for anyone who likes to fine-tune and tinker. The vehicle is quite heavy, but its frame is lightweight and robust. The chassis is worth noting because it provides lots of flexible maneuverability once the drift racer gets going. The independent suspension is something else you can adjust to meet your racing needs.

Ready, Steady, Go…

The Lightning EPX PRO on-road drift car is ready-to-run as soon as you receive it. Its 4WD forward and reverse transmission has this puppy drifting and sprinting on steroids. The brushless Electronic Speed Controller or ESC, and 3300KV RC-540 NOVATECH motor won’t let you down. Although it’s easy to move, it does take some skill to control this maniac of the road.

Make sure you have plenty of space and keep it in the line of sight (LOS). You can reduce the driving area as you become more skillful. This car moves fast, and I do mean fast. You can expect around 30 mph even with the stock setup, and much faster with modifications.

Here are a few other features and specs to note:

• Water-resistant electronics
• 4.5mm ground clearance
• Aluminum capped oil filled shocks
• 2.4GHz radio system
• Long control range (be careful)
• Full multidirectional operation

The Not so Good

Got preteenagers pestering you to buy this beast? My advice is to think again. It’s robust and stands up to mild knocks and collisions well, but you don’t want too many of them. The minimum recommended age is 14 years and older for good reasons. It’s not cheap either. You can expect to pay around 250 bucks—give or take—at the time of writing this guide.

All that power and high-speed drifting can take its toll on the tires. It might surprise you how fast the rubber wears down. Make sure you factor the cost of spare tires into your shopping decisions.

Point to note: Running time and recharging times depend on the batteries used.