Losi Lasernut Project

I'm not an RTR guy.  I've had a lot of them over the years, but over time I've divested my collection of all of them in favor of kits.  I just don't have the same connection to the model if I didn't build it.  That made for a real conundrum when the Lasernut came out because it was clearly awesome but no kit was available.  I like every model in my collection to be different from all the others in some important way.  The Axial Bomber has front and rear solid axles, locked differentials all around, and no center diff.  The Losi Rock Rey is just like the Bomber in the rear, but the front has independent suspension and an open diff.  It also has a center diff.  The Lasernut is independent at all four corners with open diffs front, rear, and center.  That makes it different.  This is also a model of a real Ultra 4 truck and the scale detail is really excellent.  I love the copper colored wheels, the massive tires, the scale drivers, and everything else about the look of this model.  Was that enough to make me buy it?  Not quite.  The last straw was the electronics package.  Usually RTR electronics are a detriment, not a selling point.  But since Losi is part of Horizon Hobby now and so is Spektrum, this model comes with a Spektrum brushless system that supports 4S batteries and includes the new Smart telemetry system.  This means that with my existing DX6R radio I can get speed, rpm, ESC temp, radio voltage, battery voltage, independent battery cell level, and current draw all for no extra money.  There was just no way to resist.

The other advantage to an RTR is I fell less guilty beating the hell out of it so that's what I've done.  According to the on-board telemetry this thing does about 42 mph on 4S which is really fast for something this heavy.  I've jumped it, rolled it, and crashed it and it has done very well.  I did manage to shear off one front drive shaft which was upsetting, but it has been used pretty hard.  With the independent suspension and open diffs there is almost no torque twist which makes it much easier to drive on road than the Rock Rey.  I still would have preferred a kit, but I don't regret buying this one at all.  It is my go to model in bad weather.

Like most of my RTR's, this model eventually got sold when I needed to make room for other things.

It comes with a nice Spektrum radio which supports telemetry but naturally I bound it to my programmable radio which took seconds.  From the bottom you can see the massive aluminum chassis plate and the long independent suspension arms.

The body uses a pair of pins at the front which are conveniently tethered with rubber straps.  The LED light bar and spot lights are functional right out of the box.  Note that the overhead lights started gradually failing within the first week.  There are no tail lights.

Let's take a look under the hood.  The entire body hinges at the back and raises to access the electronics.  This means that the roll cage is not a structural part of the chassis at all, but it still protects the body in rollovers.  The power switch is accessible in the front wheel well without raising the body.  The ESC uses a huge IC5 connector.  If using a compatible battery, you can read out individual cell voltage on your transmitter along with the usual speed and temperature telemetry.

Let's take a closer look at some of the design details.  The suspension is independent all around with large aluminum shocks.  There is a sway bar in the rear which passes through the body and a full size spare on the back.

There are scale drivers on the inside with air hoses and a pair or radiator fans behind them.  The drivers are a bit shiny but that's a small complaint.