Use case
The best ARRMA bashers
Bashing is the entire reason this brand exists, which makes the choice a question of scale and budget rather than toughness. Here is where each model actually lands.
By Ryder M. · Published September 29, 2026 · Last reviewed
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Every vehicle ARRMA sells is built to be bashed, so this page is not about finding the tough one — it is about not overbuying. The honest answer for most people is the Granite 223S: 3S brushless power is genuinely fast, the truck survives being landed on, and the batteries cost a fraction of what the 6S machines need.
Short version: Granite 223S for a first basher. Outcast 4S if flips and wheelies are the point. Notorious 6S or Kraton 6S only for someone experienced with space to use them.
Best first basher
ARRMA Granite 223S 4x4
Brushless power in a monster truck built to be crashed — the most common recommendation for a first serious basher.
Best for jumps
ARRMA Vorteks 223S 4x4
Arrma's stadium truck: lower than the Big Rock, tougher than most things it will land on.
Best for stunts
ARRMA Outcast 4S 4x4
The stunt-truck idea at a manageable 1/10 size, with a rubber-tired wheelie bar fitted from the factory.
2S, 3S, 4S, 6S — what the numbers cost you
The S number is how many cells the battery has, and each one adds roughly 3.7 volts. More cells means more speed, more heat and a much larger battery bill. This is the single biggest factor in what an ARRMA actually costs to own.
| Class | Roughly | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| 2S-3S | Granite, Vorteks | One or two affordable packs run it all afternoon |
| 4S | Outcast | Bigger packs, noticeably more speed, still manageable |
| 6S | Notorious, Kraton | Large expensive packs, sometimes two at once, and a field to use them in |
The five, ranked
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARRMA Granite 223S 4x4Brushless power in a monster truck built to be crashed — the most common recommendation for a first serious basher. | Best brushless starter | 8.8 | |
| 2 | ARRMA Vorteks 223S 4x4Arrma's stadium truck: lower than the Big Rock, tougher than most things it will land on. | Jumping and landing | 8.6 | |
| 3 | ARRMA Outcast 4S 4x4The stunt-truck idea at a manageable 1/10 size, with a rubber-tired wheelie bar fitted from the factory. | Stunts at 1/10 size | 8.5 | |
| 4 | ARRMA Notorious 6SThe 1/8 stunt truck: a 2050Kv brushless system, a high-downforce wing, and a chassis meant to be landed on. | Big air and stunts | 8.4 | |
| 5 | ARRMA Kraton 6S 4x4A large 6S speed truck. Buy this for someone who already has an RC car and wants a bigger one. | Experienced adults | 8.0 |
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#1 · Best brushless starter
ARRMA Granite 223S 4x4
Brushless power in a monster truck built to be crashed — the most common recommendation for a first serious basher.
8.8/10our score for this use
Arrma designs for bashing: heavy-duty plastic, chunky driveshafts, and a reputation for surviving impacts that break lighter cars. The 223S is the current brushless version of its 1/10 monster truck and takes a 2S or 3S battery.
- Size:
- 1/10
- Drive:
- 4WD
- Motor:
- brushless motor
What it does well
- Built heavy on purpose — the brand's whole identity is surviving bad landings
- Brushless power with a 3S option, so it has room to grow with the driver
- Supported through Horizon Hobby, so parts and service have a real distribution network
What it does badly
- The weight that makes it tough also makes it hard on whatever it hits
- Battery and charger are extra on most versions
- Too fast for a young child without adult supervision
Specifications from ARRMA's current releases.
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#2 · Jumping and landing
ARRMA Vorteks 223S 4x4
Arrma's stadium truck: lower than the Big Rock, tougher than most things it will land on.
8.6/10our score for this use
A stadium truck sits between a buggy and a monster truck — open wheels, long suspension, designed to be jumped. The Vorteks is the brushless 1/10 version in Arrma's current line.
- Size:
- 1/10
- Drive:
- 4WD
- Motor:
- brushless motor
What it does well
- Long suspension travel absorbs jump landings that break lesser trucks
- Lower and more stable in corners than a monster truck
- Horizon Hobby parts and service network
What it does badly
- Open wheels snag on fences, curbs and long grass
- Fast enough to need open space
- Battery and charger extra
Specifications from ARRMA's current releases.
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#3 · Stunts at 1/10 size
ARRMA Outcast 4S 4x4
The stunt-truck idea at a manageable 1/10 size, with a rubber-tired wheelie bar fitted from the factory.
8.5/10our score for this use
A short-wheelbase 1/10 stunt truck built to flip, wheelie and land upside down without caring. ARRMA fits a Spektrum Firma 120A waterproof speed control, steel differential gears, EXtreme Bash driveshafts and a wheelie bar, and runs it on 4S.
- Size:
- 1/10
- Drive:
- 4WD
- Motor:
- brushless motor
What it does well
- The 11.3 inch wheelbase makes it genuinely nimble — it flips and recovers rather than cartwheeling away
- Wishbone dirt guards, outdrive protectors and taller side guards come fitted, not as upgrades
- Smaller and cheaper to run than the 6S trucks while behaving the same way
What it does badly
- Open wheels and a high center of gravity: it rolls constantly, which is the point but still costs parts
- 4S battery and charger are extra
- Too fast and too aggressive for a younger child
Specifications from the ARRMA Outcast 4S product page.
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#4 · Big air and stunts
ARRMA Notorious 6S
The 1/8 stunt truck: a 2050Kv brushless system, a high-downforce wing, and a chassis meant to be landed on.
8.4/10our score for this use
A stunt truck is a monster truck geared and balanced for jumping rather than racing. The Notorious pairs a 2050Kv motor with the BLX185 speed control on 4S or 6S batteries, rides on multi-terrain dBoots BACK-FLIP tires, and ARRMA quotes 60+ mph.
- Size:
- 1/8
- Drive:
- 4WD
- Motor:
- brushless motor
What it does well
- Adjustable 4mm oil-filled shocks on aluminum towers soak up landings that break lesser trucks
- Waterproof electronics and a factory-fitted metal-geared servo
- Runs 4S as well as 6S, so it can be driven at lower power while the driver learns it
What it does badly
- 6S batteries are a serious additional expense and are not included
- Big, heavy and fast — it damages what it hits, including itself
- Not a gift for a child, and not a first RC car
Specifications from the ARRMA Notorious 6S product page.
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#5 · Experienced adults
ARRMA Kraton 6S 4x4
A large 6S speed truck. Buy this for someone who already has an RC car and wants a bigger one.
8.0/10our score for this use
6S refers to the battery: six cells in series, roughly 22 volts, which is a large step up in power from the 2S and 3S vehicles above. This is an expert-level machine that needs open space and respect.
- Size:
- 1/8
- Drive:
- 4WD
- Motor:
- brushless motor
What it does well
- Enormous performance and the build quality to survive using it
- A platform people keep for years and upgrade rather than replace
- Full parts and service support
What it does badly
- Expensive, and 6S batteries are expensive too — this is not a single-purchase gift
- Completely unsuitable for a beginner or a child
- Needs a large open space to use safely
Specifications from ARRMA's current releases.
What a basher actually needs from you
- Space. A 60 mph truck needs a field, a park or a track. Nothing here is a cul-de-sac vehicle.
- A spare parts drawer. Arms and driveshafts are consumables when a truck is used the way these are meant to be.
- Two batteries minimum, or the afternoon is fifteen minutes of driving and an hour of charging.
- Somewhere to store LiPo packs safely, which usually means a charge bag — see what else you need.
How we picked
Survivability under bad landings, then how much the power class costs to feed, then how realistic the space requirement is for a normal household. Specifications come from the manufacturer's own product pages. See our methodology for what we can verify.