Pastrana & Higgins RC Cars - 1:18 Scale

In February of 2018, there was a pre-order for a group buy of 1:18 Scale Remote Control WRX STI cars donning David Higgins' and Travis Pastrana's 2017 SRT USA Liveries.  These were originally offered to employees of Subaru of America and their retailers and were expected to arrive in August of 2018.  Being the massive rally fan that I am, I jumped at the opportunity and placed an order for both versions.  After a few delays through months of waiting, they finally arrived in December of 2018!

Produced by AeroPro Promotions LLC and distributed through Staples Promotional Products (who distribute most of the products for Subaru.com/Gear), these RC Cars are loaded with features.  A full assembly diagram and list of parts are included in the instructions.  Whether you get the red Travis Pastrana version or the blue David Higgins version, they come with their own 7.4V 1100 mAh rechargeable LiPo battery.  Included is a battery charger and a remote control dialed in to the specific car, so you could run both at the same time independently.  You'll need 4 AA batteries for the remote, but otherwise they're ready to go once you've charged up the included battery for them.  The cars have 4-wheel independent suspension and continuous All-Wheel Drive being fed power from the electric motor.  The specifications state that these cars can reach speeds up to 40kph, or about 25 mph.  They are admittedly quick and the rally-style tires they have seem to get grip on just about any surface.  It even states that these are Waterproof, though I don't know that I want to test this claim just yet!

The packaging and product look identical to the computer-generated images that were supplied during the pre-order period nearly a year ago, so I was impressed and surprised to see how accurate the initial projections were!  The Method Race Wheels, DirtFish, DMACK, and other logos are nice and crisp and they even have the correct Vermont license plates for each!  The only thing I find odd is the complete omission of any sort of names or numbers on the cars.  The boxes simply state that they're "Subaru Rally Team USA" and have accompanying photos of the cars on the boxes.  While the pictures on the boxes have their respective numbers on them, they have edited out any "Higgins" or "Pastrana" names that would've been on the cars.  Even in the Parts list, the shells are simply differentiated as "Red Car Shell" and "Blue Car Shell".  The omission of any names on them is really my only complaint, so it's not really the end of the world!

The only other thing to keep in mind with these is a slightly limited run time.  Under constant use, these cars will only last for about 10-15 minutes of use with about 4 hours needed to recharge the batteries.  The 7.4 battery is relatively small, so I'm not completely surprised by the limited running time, but it does leave you wanting more when they're spent.  They're a blast to drive around the house on carpet and flooring and even more fun when you can open up the throttle outdoors on pavement or dirt!  These things fly and they look fantastic!  Whether you're a diehard rally fan like me or just a RC car collector, these will certainly put a smile on your face.

As I mentioned earlier, these were a pre-order item only offered to Subaru employees when they were initially announced.  However, they have since been released to the general public through SubaruGear.com.  Below are the links to both versions if you'd like to purchase them!

Red "Pastrana" RC Car
Blue "Higgins" RC Car

RedFogo Racing: Nebraska Rally Team

A year or so ago I took my first step towards Stage Rally by attending a Co-Driving Course at DirtFish Rally School with Craig Drew.  All I needed then was an opportunity to race!  Turns out that it's tricky to find people in the Heartland of America to co-drive for... let alone find someone who knows what Stage Rally is in the first place!  Luckily, that has changed... and I'm getting ready for my first rally!

A friend of mine I know from NRSCCA Rallycross took the plunge and purchased a 2002 Subaru WRX that has been racing in Rally events for a few years now.  Known to some as "Bender", this car has changed hands a few times, but has ties to Nebraska.

Christy Carlson competed with this car in Regional and National level events for several years.  Everything from Sno*Drift to Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Bender is a "Misbehaving piece of metal that bends the road to its will. And drinks a sh*t ton of gasoline. Smokes. All-around bad a** car."  It came into our hands in need of an engine and a willing team of newbies dumb enough to rally it again.  Luckily, Bender has found all of that with RedFogo Racing!

Under it's new ownership, Bender has undergone a bit of a facelift.  A 2006 Subaru WRX provided a new engine for us and, as it turns out, also provided a complete front and rear end to convert this car to "Bender 2.5".  To the untrained eye, this is a completely different car, but under that fancy Hawkeye body, Bender lives!

After a few successful test runs at local rallycross events, Bender was registered with the American Rally Association and is slated to compete at the 2019 Rally in the 100 Acre Wood!  Somehow, I've been entrusted to co-drive in this Franken-Subie... and I couldn't be more excited!

Stay tuned for more info as RedFogo Racing prepares for our first Stage Rally event next spring!