WORLD's BEST NITRO RC CAR (almost) - HPI Savage XL 

Hope you all had a great Christmas!!

Hi Kev I just got my first nitro car for Christmas!!!! I just wanna say thank you for teaching me all the tips and tricks, without your channel I wouldn’t be in this hobby or know or these tricks thanks Kev ❤

Kevin i honestly think with all your clout, money and experience you should make a RC basher car brand that has all your ideas. Kind of like what Novritsch did to Airsoft. He developed great out the box airsoft stuff.

Excellent review. It’s criminal they use such cheap materials given the amount these cars cost. You test wasn’t even that extreme. Thanks for giving us something to watch on Boxing Day!!

I still have the savage x 4.6 from many years ago, fully upgraded, everything got reinforced in the time, even has a nice pink thick plate to protect the fuel tank. In my case, the 3 speeds and the reverse worked without a problem, oh boy, and the Futaba 3PMX worked like a charm!! I left the hobby nearly 10 years ago because of university but I cannot get rid of my cars, too many good memories. The engine in the new one sound exactly the same as mine did even if if was the 4.6 (with pink anodized fins if I”m not mistaken), haha, i still remember the thick zip ties that we had to use to protect the engine. This has brought back so many good memories, thank you.

2 mins into vid and taking bets on what will break 1st 🤣🤣🤣 Gotta love Kevin's no nonsense real world testing 💯👍

LOVE the nitro content, more please! Also please do a nitro off road build!

Ha ha ha! Takes me back to my Nitro Savage: Seconds of stoke, hours of frustration! The reason we all went LiPo - some things are best left in the past! Nitro is so much fun when it works, but it never does! 1/8th race only...

You gotta love Kev's - 'un-boxing' - nitro cars. Up-the-chuff with his - 'power tool' improvised starter. No oil-or-fuel - dry from the - 'get go' - and - 'give it the beans'. 😜 God bless you Kev. 🙏

Omg watching kev with nitro is so funny I feel the same feelings🤣 because I’m not that mechanically inclined but I’m into nitro!

This was my favorite dream truck I always wanted growing up. Keep us posted on the mods you do for this new one Kev so I can build one next Christmas!

I love ur videos kev I’m an OG

My first rc was an HPI RS4 MT i loved that thing!!!

I had the 5.9 xl for about 10 years and loved it. I will now be getting another!! Great video

The HPI savage seems like the very definition of when it works, it's great, when it doesn't, it just sucks. Hope it's not to hard to get it to where it should be.

Nitro cars have nothing but problems. That's my experience. From that experience I got out off RC cars. 25 years later I got back into it again. Electric RC cars all the way !!! Once again ❤ your videos. There the best 👌

Can't believe these came out 20 years ago! I was 12 years old and was set on the tmaxx until the savage came out and I had to have one. I don't remember a time I took it out that I didn't break something and I quickly learned to only buy a brand that your local hobby shop actually stocks parts for lol. I spent a lot of time waiting for parts in the mail!

Hpi quality is down hill since 2014. I dont own, nor do I even think of HPI anymore when it comes to RC hobby. Im happy you are so go lucky with these issues. I would be very upset with how my budget looks for toys. Thank you for showing us as always Talbot, Cheers mate!

Good to see the Nitro's for a change. All the best Bud.

That thing sounds awesome! Great bash brotha 🤙🤙🤙

Kev!! We need more videos on the UDR! You haven’t posted that in ages!!!!!!!

HPI making some good nitros. Looks like with any RTR needs some going over to get it all dialed in.

Gotta have one eventually! Best RC I've ever had was my old savage 25. 12 gallons of 30% nitro before the original engine finally got tired lol. One diff, one set of brake pads, one shock shaft is all I ever had to repair or replace on that truck. Shame about the monkey metal ring gears. At least they do have machined gears available. When I get one I'll go over it good and get linkage adjusted and double check all screws before I fire it up. Might even do the diff's preemptively with the machined gears to eliminate that potential issue. You should check out the new Vorza S line. I just got the truggy and it is built right. 4mm 7075 chassis, 7075 shock towers, 7075 hinge pin braces etc etc. Handles and jumps flipping amazing.

Merry Christmas to you and your family in England! Cheers and thank you for another year of great and informative videos. See you in the New Year!

I had the first Savage back in the day. Ended up tacoing the chassis jumping over my mom’s house. Went up the plywood to the roof with ease and landed in the backyard nose first and just bent in half. It sat in the garage until I sold it last year. lol. Got an Xmaxx now and I’ll never go back to petrol cars.

Little tip for tuning bud start it out on the factory settings then start leaning it out 1/4 turn at a time until you get the throttle response and rpm and make sure it’s still Smokey usually don’t have to mess around with the low speed needle to much but maybe lean it out a tiny bit however be careful as this is far more sensitive than the high speed needle don’t forget you will have to go back and adjust your idle rpm screw until you get a nice idle speed as far as your shifting issue I don’t think it was hitting enough rpm to shift up if I’m honest the savage sounds to rich still hope you had a good Christmas buddy 🤙🏻

This brings back memories for me.. Having the the Savage 21. Spent more time fixing it than bashing it around. But that was all part of the ownership. I still never give up on it

This brought back a lot of memories.

The savage was my first rc car and I raced it for a number of years mine was the original gen1 which I still have although it’s in bits. Might have to buy this new one now.

What's up man my. Son and I huge fans ran into some. Finacial problems and had to sell my rcs if you have a xmaxx or xrt laying around that's broke so I can fix up and go get out with my son and I'd appricate it single working fulltime father just went through a separation it tough but thanks for the content you put out and when I can afford to do it going to try the ebay thing

I think that the reason some sintered metal gears last and others don’t is due to the hardening process. If sintered metal gears are too hard they break. I’ve had a lot of problems with sintered ring gears in my Redcat Wendigo (great truck otherwise) so I replaced them with Traxxas TRX-4 machined gears (some modification required 😂)

Definitely love the look of the new Savage. Think I will stick with brushless.

Thought that tyre squeal was a sound effect to begin with 😂

I like the look, and the way the suspension is and the way it sits!!!!!

More on this kev would like to see modded engine and some more upgrade dno about everyone else but I love the upgrade videos and I'm sure I'm not the only one

The sound of a savage never changes!

Thanks for the video Kevin always looking forward to an upload. Hate when I get a new rtr that needs work after the first run.

my flux hp suffers from the rear links breaking, steering servo stripping even with servo saver, wheels stripping due to small wheel nuts, and wheels coming loose. when its working though its a beast.

Thanks for the honest review 💪🏼

My first ever nitro was the original savage..had no clue what I was doin.. dad went to work and I wanted to play he said on phone if you can get it started go for it son.. sooo as a 10 yr old I got to work, I got it started all right, and it was instantly a "run away" stuck at full throttle.. we lived in a mobile home, it went as soon as it fired and hit the wall, and proceeded to literally climb up the wall and land on the roof upside down🤣 it ran for like 5 mins at full on the roof before it died.. dad got home, fished it off roof and we sold it for 50 bucks..lmao

The new body is amazing! Ive also ordered it to my old X 4.6. Pls more Savage- Videos.

Alex kowaliuk here I love nitro cars but when you can only buy one every now and then I recommend brushless. But when the nitro is running they are the best in my opinion.

I had one of the original savages back in the day only issue I really had was the one way bearing going in the starter bitty

I LOVED my savage xl. It had crappy diffs and I could never get it to run right, but I still loved driving it. I bought 2 xl's, 2 savage flux and a savage xs. They were a great truck! I'd probably get a new one.

He said it perfectly I've had several nitro cars there great when they run!!! Properly don't do so great In winter always need tuned and gets oil everywhere electric Is just so much more simple.

Great review as ever Kev. That monkey metal gets everywhere. I've changed 3 diffs in my Legend race car this year for the same reason.

Ah, this is best Nitro Sound!

Staying with my xmaxx... thanks for the vid!

Bummer it has some major gear and trans issues. For those who are newer it might be tough to get into nitro w those problems. For us old timers we will just modify it before taking it out. I’ll stick w batteries myself. 👊🏻

a savage 25 was my first nitro rc car when i was maybe 12 and it was fun but it was always a pain. all these years later I have no desire to use any nitro. always tweaking always tuning always messing with it, always oily and dirty. nitro has its place but electric is the way to go.

Hey kev, I got a Traxxas E-revo 2.0 ORANGE for Christmas and ITS FAST! At the moment I have to be very careful because I'm driving it in my house's hallway/ living room. I even managed to do a Huge wheelie in such a small area! 😅 Happy Christmas kev! 😀🎄

i would love to see an axial yeti xl thats been upgraded kevin.......plz plz make one! love your work

Ahhhh, I hope you can fix the 3-speed. On the Kyosho the 3-speed works actually really good. Merry Christmas to you! 🎄

Kevin used Traxxas battery’s he must love the AA’s

I would have been devastated if I had a runaway and blew a diff on the first outing! had a revo 3.3 years ago and getting it to change gears was a pain in the ass. The dual steering servos would burn each other out. But other than that, it was such a nice truck.

Love the HPI kev! You gotta check out the WR8 flux

Brings back memories. I use to run a HPI road car and a RC10 Team Associated truck. Both nitro. Many a nights was spent on my kitchen floor stripping and rebuilding. How about building a twin engine Nitro?

Love your content, kev, keep u the awesome work!

For Christmas I got competition wheels and mudslinger tires for my scx24 along with a new motor and adapter plate 😊

You have my jacket! Ororo! Heat is nice.

Always had nitros in late 90s and through to late 00s. Got an Xmax and never looked back. My nitro days are over and this vid confirmed that 😂

The channel I like the video before I watch because they’re all awesome.

Awesome Nitro on Kevs channel 🎉. Low speed seems a bit lean in the basketball court. Richen it up a 1/4 turn. I agree a RTR should be just that and not have many issues (engine knowledge and tuning aside). Get her fixed up and bash it again 🔥💪🏻 hope you did a proper break-in 😂 Thanks for the vid

I had the brushless Flux version years ago. I converted it to the XL chassis, it was fun truck and never really had many problems or breakages.

I had an issue breaking my diff gears several years back when I converted my Savage 21 to electric. The stock gears are pot metal and I think they make sintered gears which is just hardened pot metal gears. I broke them all really quick with the electric power. I think Hot Racing makes hardened spiral cut gears for these trucks.

It’s always a great day when Kev uploads!

All of these issues are exactly why I converted from gas to electric over 20yrs ago 😂😂

Love the nitro content! Shame about the dif metal. Would you consider running a Jato sometime? No pressure, as you’ve already said you’ve got so many trucks.

Kev running his rc gasoline car 😂His neighbours what is he doing now 🤨 Im dead inside now 😂

Hi Kev , great video ,shows all that's good a d bad about R,c Cars , great fun to see , the best channel going ,BOOOOOOOOOOOOM

i had a Savage X 4.6 big block some years ago and that little car was a monster

I just got a axial scx10 III for Christmas and I haven’t gotten to play with it because we don’t have an adapter for Traxxas batteries but it looks ABSOLUTELY EPIC!!!

Nice video. 2 or 3 speeds in offroaders imho are really, really problematic. On a road car they usually work perfectly, but most rc companies shy away/run away from using 2 or 3 speed transmissions on offroaders,and to me it seems they have good reasons for it. When jumping the transmission will probably shift into 2nd or 3rd,but when landing that creates quite the impact. Also, the amount of moving parts in even a 2 speed transmission just beggers belief. You've got a solidly mounted gear, flyweights,springs , adjustment grub screws, bearings and a 2nd gear with a oneway bearing connected to the same shaft the 1st gear runs on, all subjected to wear and shockloads, and with a 3 speed you have the whole shebang times 2. And I know from my HPI Buggy and HPI Truggy that with a good motor (Novarossi's on both of them) they are plenty fast enough for having fun, and plenty torquey enough to break diffs with just a 1 speed transmission.

I don’t know how you always find a way to entertain me

oh man, accidentally found this video and now I have to take out my savage XL out of the container after 3 years or so. thanks!

Amazing Christmas haul! Got an SCX-24, a trail truck, and a TT02-B Neo Scorcher!

Does anyone else find themselves looking for a new KT video everyday!? Always a treat.

And now it really is christmas! 😀

Love my old savage. Just got it out of storage and may have to see if I can do some of the new upgrades. It was beefed up big time with carbon side plates and loads of alloy.

I loved my savage 4.6 it was fun. But it was so much work. And yes the wheels fall off all the time, original servo sucks, radio was bad. But after a few upgrades…it got worse and I sold it haha

Merry Christmas Kevin!!!!!

Kevin:Oh It’s Christmas every day! Me:yes

absolutely epic!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Kev! 🎆

I wanna see happy Kev running again this fixed Savage🙂🌞💯 Hope to see the continue soon))))🥳🛻💨

Keep up the great work

Love the comment about monitizing our mods. Did that with XTM and a few others.

I got a Zircon SS-TPC nitro car when I was a kid, similar design as this. I stoped using it as many parts broke and I couldn’t find alternatives. Do you have any idea what parts might fit?

Merry Christmas Kev! May God bless you with a wonderful new year.

Oddly I have a savage x with the 3 speed that flawlessly uses all 3 gears after I installed an integy quad tip rear exit dual exhaust (very loud) and re tuned it for the exhaust it’s a ripper.

Merry Christmas to you as well.

Thanks for the video Kev. Merry Christmas bro.

Kev!! We are just needing way way more hpi and LRP shout outs! The lrp with the new carb!!! Amain sells each part and the pull starts are affordable and tough

Brilliant video as always kev, Mine too is stuck in gear aswell.

Today is my birthday and this the best video I could’ve watch for my birthday 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Thank you Kev🙏🏻🙏🏻

Seems like during R&D they would've thought of being able to put the glow plug igniter in with the body on. 🤔 great video

Primeira vez que vejo alguém dando a partida no motor dessa forma,genial!

😄😆When it Farts it's Loud!!!😅🤣😂😂

Merry Christmas Kev 👍

This the reason why i stick with Brushless trucks😂 Less headache and easy to fix.