Overall we had a great time with the car out in the woods. It would also be a lot of fun with a set of road tires and on the pavement. I bet it would make an amazing drift car. Perhaps that will be another thing we try next with it. I’ll leave you with a few more photos from the adventure. Make sure to check out the video and summary at the end of the article.

Well, the XV-01’s test drive is officially in the books. We can’t wait to take it out again in the future for some more punishment. As I look out the window, there is snow on the ground, so I don’t imagine it will be in the very near future, but soon.

As a reminder, rally is something I have not had a lot of experience with. I have owned a LOT of cars in my day, but only a few rally cars.. and I didn’t do much with them other than putz around the driveway.

If you understand the car’s purpose and limitations, it is a lot of fun. It is a car that is designed for limited off-road use and slightly rougher terrain than an old parking lot. It is the ideal car for someone who want to run on more surfaces than perfect pavement (as required by say something like the TA05). The XV-01 will tear up old parking lots, driveways, dirt roads, gravel roads, and other lightly groomed trails with relative ease.

As for the kit itself, it gave me no issues out in the field and kept asking for more as I put it through it’s paces. The belt drive system worked great and was very quiet. It can put the power to the ground. I would have liked a little more wheel speed, but that is my own fault for picking the motor that I did. Remember, if you use a sensored brushless motor, you will want to have at least something like a 9″ sensor wire to reach from the motor to the ESC. I actually had a Novak 13.5SS motor, but it’s sensor wire is non-changeable and too short. That was part of my motor choice.

Being a PRO kit from Tamiya, the fit and finish of everything is nothing short of fantastic. During the build I had no major issues and the quality of the plastics is superb. The front motor design is something new to me (though not the first time I’ve seen it in R/C). While it seems like a strange place to put the motor, it does give this car a realistic weight balance in comparison to a real car. We aren’t jumping it like a short course truck. If anything the increased weight up front helps give the car amazing steering response and ability to control a powerslide in the dirt.

All that said, the Tamiya XV-01 Pro is a great car. It was fun to build, and even more fun to drive.

Here is the video I promised you. This will give you the best idea of how the car handles the areas we tested.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beZBec732d8[/youtube]

Now for our ratings.

Value	At $320 street price (at the time of this writing), the XV-01 is a bit expensive, especially since it doesn’t come with a body (or electronics). They offer a lesser model with a body for $285, but the goodies on the PRO are worth the few bucks more. Tamiya is known for quality though, and Tamiya lovers have always paid a little more for it.
Build Quality	Tamiya is synonymous with Quality and the XV-01 is no exception. The fit and finish is great. I had no missing hardware or anything that I have run into in other kits at times.
Performance	The belt driven 4wd works great. The inner basher/jumper in me really wishes the car had a smidge more suspension and ground clearance. I suppose the XV-01T would be more up my ally. For a car though, I was impressed with what it would do, and there is nothing cooler than a rally powersliding through the dirt.
Durability	We had no issues during our testing of the car. It kept going after several hang ups and flips over rough terrain. I don’t imagine what you could really break on a model like this, especially if you maintain it well.
Would I buy again?	If I had someone to run with, or an organization that hosted events for these, I would totally buy this again. If it were just me in my driveway, I might opt for the truck version that looks like it offers a hint more ground clearance and off-roadability.

Overall I give the Tamiya XV-01 Pro a 4.5 out of 5 Spoons

We had a blast driving the XV-01. While it may not be what we are into on a week in and week out basis, we certainly respect those that are. Rally seems like it would be a lot of fun, especially in comparison to a standard touring car. We don’t have many smooth parking lots here, and something like this would be ideal for our area where there is a mix of terrain (and none of them are perfect).

If you love rally cars, or want a car that is a little more capable than a standard TC, then definitely check out the XV-01.