A beginners review of the HPI Bullet ST Flux

The HPI Bullet ST Flux is an insane amount of fun! Whether you're off-roading through woodland, tearing it up on a field or sticking to empty car parks, the enjoyment you get out of it is priceless. It looks good, it's fast, it's waterproof and it can take a beating. What more could you ask for?

My review of the Bullet ST Flux

To set the tone for this blog post I'd like to clarify that I am a total novice when it comes to remote control cars. I'm a quadcopter guy! Before playing with the HPI Bullet, I had not played with an RC car since I was a kid. Even then, I had no idea what I was doing, it was just a lot of fun and I could of done it for hours. Now that i'm older... that hasn't changed a bit, but the technology has come a long way.... and I don't need dad to supervise me.

Setting It Up

Out of the box, it was very straight forward to setup. As expected, it all comes pre-assembled, all you have to do is plug in a battery, secure the waterproof housing, turn on the car and transmitter, attach the body shell and you're away! No tools needed. I did have to adjust the steering trim slightly but that was very quick and easy to do using the trim knob on the transmitter.

Speed and Agility

I couldn't get over the power that this car has. It can accelerate at an astonishing speed and it can quickly reach speeds in excess of 40mph. It's fairly agile but unless you do a an equivalent of a hand brake turn, it takes a fair amount of room to do a u-turn. This model can take either a 2 cell or a 3 cell LiPo battery. If you're like me and are a newbie to RC cars, I'd definitely recommend starting with a 2 cell battery, then once you have built up your confidence, then you can move onto 3 cells. When I first tried it with a 3 cell battery I completely underestimated the additional power it gives and managed to flip it from a standing start.

Cheap and Easy to Repair

So, it turns out i'm a terrible RC driver. After about 45 minutes of tearing this beast around an empty car park, out of no fault but my own, I crashed it into a kerb which I could immediately tell had broken it... The wheel was laying flat rather than upright. Being clueless about cars and having no idea what parts do what and what they're called, I was determined to get it back up and running. After inspecting the car and finding what had broken (not knowing what the part was called) I looked on the Bullet ST spares parts page for this model and was able to identify the broken part. In this case it was the front left Hub Carrier that broke. For a pair of front Hub Carriers it was only £5. Looking at the other spares, I noticed they are all fairly cheap which is reassuring for if I crash again, it won't cost a lot to get back up and running.

All-Terrain

Like I mentioned earlier, this vehicle is great on all surfaces, smooth or bumpy, dry or wet. The HPI Bullet can handle it all with ease.

Waterproof

I'm not going to submerge this car by jumping it into a lake, but it gives you peace of mind to know that it can handle wading through streams or splashing through puddles. Being waterproof is also handy for if the car gets particularly muddy, you can easily hose it down before bringing it inside for storage.

Final Thoughts on HPI Bullet ST Flux

It's undeniably a fantastic remote control car. The amount of fun you get out of it is priceless and the fact that it is so versatile and easy to drive makes it fun to play with on whatever terrain, whatever the weather. However, I wouldn't recommend this as a 'first RC car'. Having so much speed is great but can also be dangerous in the hands of an experienced driver. Like the wise Ben Parker once said, 'with great power, comes great responsibility'. Having said that, I feel it would be a great car to grow into as your skills develop and it will serve you well. If you are a beginner, perhaps a cheaper, less extreme car would be suitable. For example, the Absima AT1, or one of the Maverick Strada Evo series could be a good option as they are cheaper and come ready to run, all you need are some AA batteries for the transmitter. If you'd like some personal advice on choosing your first car, give us a call on 01737 457404 and we'll be more than happy to help guide you to finding the right car for you. Comment below with what your first car was and feel free to share any tips that you may have for beginners. I sure have a lot more learning to do when it comes to 4 wheels instead of propellers!