The best RC cars of 2025

Not much of an introduction These are the top RC cars that were released in 2025. My name is Aaron, and I work at Hobbies Direct.

Let's accomplish this in any order we choose!

Arrma Granite Grom – To begin with, "Grom" is a great name, particularly for Australians. Arrma's entry into the competition for cars of about 1/18th scale is quite remarkable. Arrma could have cut costs on this vehicle and just marketed it as a low-cost vehicle with a high-end brand, but they chose not to. Even the watertight servo has metal gears, and the transmission is entirely metal geared for longevity. A 2S battery and charger are included, and since the body is clipless, there won't be any lost clips. Additionally, it's pretty awesome that an Arrma is only $230 (in Australian dollars), even though their best-selling model, the 1/8th scale automobile, costs about $900. If you want an RC car that you can take everywhere, this is a terrific first vehicle and a great addition to your fleet.

Arrma Gorgon - There are several reasons to like the Gorgon: it's tough, looks good, and is surprisingly forgiving due to its suspension and squishy tires. Although the 14-turn brushed 550-size motor provides sufficient power for jumps at the skate park, the drivetrain is robust enough to be brushless-ready, and it comes with a 7-cell NiMH battery and charger. However, it's on this list because of its excellent quality, which is its individuality and character. "Medusa" is the name on the license plate; she was a Gorgon, a type of famous creature. The snake motif is used throughout the entire design, keeping everything consistent with the concept. Amazingly, the driver's name is even S.L. Jackson. It brings back memories of my early childhood when I first saw a Lunch Box or a Midnight Pumpkin and imagined all the wild plots and adventures I could imagine, even if I wasn't actually driving one. The Gorgon is filled with creativity and a sense of fun, and Arrma creates all the unique color-matched parts so you may customize the truck's appearance to your preference.

Tamiya BBX – The BB-01, Tamiya's newest chassis, isn't simply on this list because it has outstanding construction, handles incredibly well, or looks like an old-school off-road buggy like the Fighting Buggy or Buggy Champ. It isn't on the list since it's a lovely blend of contemporary materials and vintage style. The reason it's on this list is that the box art for this Tamiya kit features a brushless motor for the first time. That is significant for them and could portend a more rapid and potent future, hopefully with bearings included.

As a side note, this Tamiya Thundershot that I made this year deserves special recognition. I purchased it because it's from 1987, just like me, and it features a mono-shock, which is always entertaining. To deviate a little from the box picture, I added a brushless motor and some Hornet stickers, and I really liked the build. It's my favorite car I built in 2025, but it's not the finest one that was released.

As you may have observed, Traxxas is a well-known name that is absent from this list. And by no means is it because they haven't put out any good work. A few new TRX-4s have been released, and the new BL-2s line looks fantastic. The Raptor R is really adorable. Since Australia hasn't yet seen any of these, I say "looks." Some people commented on the Kyosho TRD Tacoma video, asking how it was like the Traxxas Raptor, and we're not sure. None of those Traxxas vehicles make the list since none of them have arrived in Australia. Other Traxxas vehicles would probably have been on this list if they had been accessible for us to test out. We've been informed that 2026 will be better, so who knows? The next one of these videos might look completely different in a year.

However, Kyosho automobiles arrived in Australia in good shape. Due to its abundance, this area will be referred to as the "Kyosho Section."

Fazers - Since I am aware that they are not new, this is a brief one. However, given how many of these cars they have launched this year and how realistically scaled-down they all look, Kyosho deserves a hearty verbal pat on the back. Well done, Kyosho. Please continue and do more JDM. *cough* Corolla *cough*

Optima Mid-world's Spec—The mere fact that this racecar is a world championship qualifies it for our list. It also looks fantastic—and wheels with turbo fans. Nationally, it's Optima Mid023's most anticipated release.

Fantom—There are several reasons this one is on the list. Let's start by saying that it was one of the most requested vehicles this year. Second, its chain drive has matching gold anodized parts and is simply incredible.

Re-releases aren't typically on my list, but this year was a little different.

During Kyosho's 60th anniversary celebrations in 2025, the Fantom and the championship-winning Optima Mid were both re-released. Is it remarkable enough for any business to have existed for 60 years but to be at the forefront and still be incredibly popular? That is incredible.

The powerful TRD Tacoma KB10 deserves special recognition. The unboxing films received great feedback, so thank you for watching and to the Taco for being such a great vehicle.

Team Associated RC10 Clear thing – Normally, I don't like shelf queen builds. The 40th anniversary of Team Associated's incredible RC10 chassis is being celebrated. The original RC10 is iconic, was dominating in the 1980s, and still drives incredibly well today. I appreciate that it's a build kit, which is what a race vehicle ought to be, and that it's obviously meant to be viewed as a showpiece. I also really enjoy that you can install some electronics and take it for a drive if you don't want to pay attention to the fact that it's a limited edition. It's a valuable work of art.

Additionally, the Pro2 SC10 isn't a brand-new vehicle either, but I had to bring it up. We brought a few cars to the Geelong Revival Motoring Festival in November, and we all fought over driving this one out of all of them. The tires, shocks, springs, overall handling, drivetrain, and overall toughness are all excellent; in fact, some of the crashes this car has survived were really loud. *pat pat* I apologize, buddy.

Let's slow it down and go crawling for a moment with the FMS – Land Cruiser FJ40 – FMS just established the new gold standard for scale realism in RC. It's not just the officially authorized Toyota shell, the LEDs, or the chassis—everything opens, and the attention to detail is astounding when you open the doors. For example, the steering wheel moves and the seats are genuinely soft. It's simply fantastic.

Taking a completely different approach with the Xray X4 24.

Having a $1000 full competition slab of carbon fiber on this list seems strange, but it makes perfect sense. You see, you don't have to pay for the brand or even the materials when you purchase a race car. In most cases, you don't even get a body, wheels, or electronics. Hundreds of hours of research and development have gone into making a 1/10-scale car as capable as possible in terms of handling. Additionally, the X4 '24 model boasts an excellent shock system. They lower the center of gravity of the entire vehicle, are easier to adjust, offer more adjustment options, and can be configured to have either fixed or active damping in the back. First, they are closer to the center of the vehicle for increased stability and balance. It gives you more steering and rotation on high-grip circuits, though I'm not really sure how that works.

It's also a time machine because we received the 2026 model in 2025.

The rest weren't in order, just like the last time, but whatever is announced at the end of the video is obviously the winner.

What is the top vehicle on our 2025 list of the best? Since the best car is actually a bike rather than a vehicle, the title of the video was purposefully deceptive. You won't be shocked by this one if you've watched any of the other YouTube films that list the top 10 automobiles of the year; it's the Losi Promoto MX motorcycle. The rest weren't in order, just like the last time, but whatever is announced at the end of the video is obviously the winner.

If you could purchase one, this item was extremely popular. Almost as soon as they were stocked, they were sold out. Compared to the Kyosho Fantom, it generated considerably more excitement and attention.

The ProMoto is where? When will you receive the ProMoto? Why don't you get the ProMoto right away? And so forth.

It's not only how wonderful the bike looks (and the rider, too) but how well it drives. The Promoto is incredibly stable, to the point that a local track is planning to start running them as a one-make class.

How? It has two motors: one that drives the back wheel like a real bike (and it uses a genuine chain) and one that is always running—spinning a flywheel at 22,000 rpm to maximize gyroscopic stabilization. Ooh, science.

Losi did a great job with this concept, as evidenced by the pre-set wheelie mode. Although RC dirt motorcycles have been done before, they have never been done this beautifully.

What did we get correct, then? What went wrong? If you have any predictions for what will happen and upend the RC world in 2026 and beyond, please share them in the comments section.

My own? Arrma will put the infraction or crime on burnout mode based on nothing at all. Kyosho will use the Mad Van chassis to release a beetle body. A new 12S X-Maxx from Traxxas will be released, and it will be worse than the previous model. In all of their new kits, Tamiya will also begin installing bearings. Or none of those. Or every one of them! Anyhow.