What’s New About HPI’s 1/10 Drift Car, and Which One to Buy
RC drifting has gone rear-wheel drive, and HPI has answered with the Stage-D10: a 1/10 scale RWD drift car built for drifting from day one, not a converted touring car. HPI spent three years developing and testing it with drivers ranging from first-timers to experienced RC drifters. The result is a car that drives well straight out of the box and still has room to grow as your skills do.
It’s here in three versions: a brushed Ready-To-Run, a sensored brushless Flux Ready-To-Run, and the Creator Edition kit for builders. Here’s what’s new and how to pick.
What Makes the Stage-D10 Different
1. It’s tunable without buying anything extra
Most drift chassis need upgrade parts before you can really tune them. HPI put the adjustments in the box:
- Over 100 rear motor positions and a 3- or 4-gear gearbox with reversible motor direction
- Adjustable wheelbase from 246 to 264mm (255mm standard)
- Fully adjustable Ackermann, multiple roll center and camber gain positions, and adjustable toe blocks
- Oil-filled threaded coilover shocks, optional sway bar mounts front and rear
- 1mm and 2mm wheel hex spacing, mid or rear battery placement for shorty packs, and a multi-position gyro mount
2. Magnetic body mounts
The body snaps on with magnets, so there are no body clips to lose and no holes in the paint. Conventional post positions for HPI and Yokomo bodies are there too if you prefer them.
3. It looks like the real thing
The first Ready-To-Run cars wear officially licensed 2024 Ford Mustang RTR Spec-5 FD bodies in real Formula Drift liveries: Vaughn Gittin Jr., Ben Hobson, and James Deane. Each one comes with a 5-piece pre-printed body, molded grills, vents and mirrors, replica wheels, rotating brake disc details, and a full LED kit with headlights, grille lights, taillights and brake lights.
Brushed, Flux, or Creator Edition?
| Stage-D10 RTR (Brushed) | Stage-D10 Flux RTR | Creator Edition Kit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Firebolt 20T 540 brushed | FLX-D10-3650 10.5T sensored brushless | Your choice |
| ESC | SC-3SWP2 waterproof, XT60 plug | FLX-D10 80A sensored Flux | Your choice |
| Steering servo | SD-07WR, 7kg, plastic gear | SX-12MGLP, 12kg, metal gear | Your choice |
| Radio | TF-51 4-channel | TF-51 4-channel | Your choice |
| Body | Licensed Mustang RTR, LEDs | Licensed Mustang RTR, LEDs | Your choice (190 or 200mm wide) |
| You’ll need | 2S LiPo + charger | 2S LiPo + charger | Radio, servo, ESC, motor, drift gyro, wheels and drift tires, body, battery, charger |
| Best for | Your first RWD drift car | Drivers who want the smoothest throttle control | Builders who want to pick every part |
New to RWD drifting? Start with the brushed RTR. It’s the lowest-cost way into a real drift chassis, and you won’t outgrow the chassis as you get better.
Want the best feel on the track? Get the Flux. Drifting is all about fine throttle control at low speed, and a sensored brushless system is the smoothest way to get it. You also get a stronger, metal-gear 12kg servo.
Already have favorite electronics? The Creator Edition arrives as a fully built chassis, so you skip the assembly and go straight to choosing your motor, ESC, gyro and body.
Shop the Stage-D10
Building the Kit? Grab a Gyro
A RWD drift car needs a steering gyro to hold a slide. These are on our shelf now:
Try It on Our Drift Track
Bring your Stage-D10 to the RC Car World drift track in Cinnaminson, NJ. It’s the best way to learn RWD, and the regulars are always happy to help you dial in a setup.
More Speed Than Slide?
Also new this month: the Arrma Infraction Grom 3S, a 1/12 scale, 50+ MPH street basher in red, yellow and white. See everything else that just landed on our New Releases page.
Questions about which Stage-D10 is right for you? Stop by the shop at 2305 Garry Rd, Cinnaminson or call 856-720-0017.