Ever since the micro-scale craze began, enthusiasts have all had the same issue: electric cars and trucks were everywhere, but there was nothing for fans of glow engines. Well, the wait is now officially over for those of you out there who have nitro flowing through their veins thanks to Sportwerks®. From the same people who brought the Mayhem ™, Mayhem ST, Raven ™, and Turmoil ™, comes the hottest new car to enter the scene in some time, The Chaos ™ RTR. Loaded with innovative and fun features, the Chaos defines a new and totally fun class of RC vehicle that has some awesome potential under the body. And best of all, you can go from box to break-in in less than 10 minutes!

The Basics:

The Chaos RTR comes with almost everything you need to get up and running. The chassis comes out of the box completely assembled and the engine, servos, receiver, and 4-cell receiver pack holder all come pre-installed and the body is painted and trimmed. In fact, to get the Chaos up and running, all you’ll need to do is install 8-AA batteries in the transmitter, 4-AAA’s in the receiver pack holder, add fuel and a glow driver and the Chaos is ready to go. It really doesn’t get much easier to get into the RC hobby than this.

Once the body is removed, you get a good look at the overall layout of the Chaos. If you feel that the Chaos looks like a shrunk-down 1/8 scale buggy, there’s a reason why. The Chaos was designed to recreate larger 1/8 scale buggies in 1/16 scale in practically every way. The overall layout of the chassis is very clean and organized, with the heaviest items placed close to the centerline of the chassis. Speaking of the chassis, the Chaos features a stamped aluminum one that has been anodized blue. All the holes on the underside of the chassis have been countersunk, reducing the odds of something getting snagged on a landing. The engine mounting holes are slotted as well, allowing you to reposition the engine if you decide to change the clutch bell.

The Engine:

You can’t have a nitro vehicle without a nitro engine, and the Chaos RTR comes with an awesome little power plant and muffler system. The .05cu engine is one of the smallest engines you’ll ever see, but don’t assume that its lack of size means a lack of performance. A durable pull-starter comes pre-installed on the engine’s backplate, making starting the Chaos a breeze. Once the Chaos’ engine is up and running, it purrs rather nicely thanks to the included muffler system. Fine tuning the engine is rather easy as well, because a single needle carburetor simplifies engine tuning. Keeping dirt and dust out of your engine is a genuine concern, but the included low-profile high-flow air cleaner protects the delicate internals of your engine. Finally, a three-shoe clutch is installed on the flywheel to provide excellent power delivery upon acceleration.

The Drivetrain

1/8-scale buggies are well known for having very tunable drivetrains, and the Chaos captures that in 1/16-scale perfectly. Front and rear gear diffs can be filled with a variety of different viscous fluids to alter the overall handling of the Chaos, just like on its larger-scale cousins. The center differential can also be tuned with differential lube to further change the Chaos’ performance. Durable and reliable dog bone drive shafts exit from both sides of the center differential to send the power to the front and rear diffs. Dog bones are also used to transfer the power from the front and rear diffs. To reduce friction and improve reliability, all of the driveline components, from the differentials to the axles and such, ride on shielded ball bearings.

The Suspension

Having a sub 1/12-scale nitro car is cool, but if it doesn’t handle well, it’s not going to be much fun. Thankfully, the Chaos RTR has a very well designed and thought out suspension setup. Setting the camber and front toe in can be a complicated and confusing task, especially for newcomers. To make the Chaos more user friendly, it comes equipped with a full set of molded fixed links. Four plastic bodied oil filled shocks provide the dampening on each A-arm. The Chaos uses identical molded composite lower A-arms on each corner, reducing the number of parts in your pit box. When it comes time to tweak and tune your Chaos for maximum performance, there are a number of genuine Sportwerks option parts to allow you to do so. All you need is to decide which ones to install first.

Included Electronics

A new radio system debuts on the Chaos RTR. The 27MHz transmitter includes many features, such as throttle and steering trim adjustments, steering ATV, servo reversing switches, and more. The servos use industry-standard 3-wire connectors, making them compatible with any receiver on the market if you wish to use a transmitter that you already have. The entire radio system is very well thought out and put together and provides you with exactly what you need to get the Chaos up and running while maintaining total control.

Wheels, Body, and Tires

1/8-scale buggies just scream “look out, I’m fast” when you’re looking at them, and the Chaos captures that feeling very well in 1/16-scale. The pre-painted body comes complete with a sheet of decals for you to customize the look and style of your car. A large white molded wing helps provide plenty of downforce on the rear of the car, and tall side dams improve straight-line stability. Micro-pin tires come pre-glued to white dish rims which hook up very well on a number of different surfaces.

Driving Impressions:

The .05cc engine fires up easily after a gentile tug or two of the pull starter. Once the engine comes up to temperature and you squeeze the trigger, the Chaos may surprise you with its brisk acceleration and impressive top speed. When it comes time for the Chaos to take to the sky its 1/8-scale heritage comes shining through. By borrowing from proven designs and technology, the Chaos jumps very well and shakes off ruts and bumps as if they weren’t there. At some point you might even forget that you’re driving a 1/16-scale car as the Chaos so closely replicates the experience of driving a 1/8-scale car. While its size allows you to run it nearly anywhere, its performance is what really impresses.

The Options

While the Chaos is awesome right out of the box, you will soon have the ability to push the performance and styling envelope of your Sportwerks Chaos . Sportwerks has a number of option parts in development to push the envelope even further. While the white dish rims that are included with the car look very good, you can further tailor the styling of your Chaos by installing a set of yellow dish wheels (SWK4021), 7-spoke wheels in either white (SWK4023) or yellow (SWK4025). If you’re planning on tearing up the driveway more than the dirt, there will be a full set of optional Slick Tires (SWK4024) for you to bolt right onto your car. Expect these and other Chaos option parts that change the performance and appearance of your car in the near future.

Sportwerks has established themselves as a source of unique and quality RTR cars and trucks. The Sportwerks Chaos RTR is a complete package that not only includes what you need to get up and running, but also includes many afternoons of fun and enjoyment. Perfect for the backyard, empty lot, or racetrack, The Sportwerks Chaos provides pure, unadulterated fun.