LOSI MUGGY

When I first clapped eyes on the Muggy, I couldn’t decide if Team Losi had employed a genius or their R&D team had too much time on their hands. I mean what exactly is it? Judging by the specs, it’s a truggy, and it should certainly be raced in this class if that’s your thing, but it differs from other truggies by having the front and back end from the LST2 monster truck instead of the 1:8 scale rallycross buggy that you traditionally see.  While suffering from this dilemma it seems only right that I take a closer look at this new “hybrid monster truck” and of course rag the hell out of it to form a conclusion to the conundrum!

I was actually lucky to get my hands on this kit as Nobby normally stakes a claim on all things Losi, as he just loves their kits. But he’s either all Losi’d out at the moment or that dose of Rohypnol I slipped into his coffee brought me enough time to get the Muggy out of the office before he noticed it.

BOXED UP
It was no mean feat getting the Muggy smuggled out because it comes in a huge box, only an RTR large scale kit can out do this for Rainforest damage. It needs to be big though as the Muggy comes completely ready to run requiring only batteries for the transmitter, spin start and glow starter plus some fuel.  With an excellent set of instructions it makes things very easy to get up and running, however we generally pull an RTR kit apart for a closer look before we get to that stage.  Before I start wrenching though there are a few smaller boxes to unpack that include a set of tools, the engine “spin starter” and the excellent Losi Sport transmitter.

TOP TRUMP
Team Losi kits normally sit at the higher end of the price bracket, but the top specification of the parts included generally justify this and can save you money in the long term.  A good example of this is the pistol style transmitter packaged in with Losi RTR kits.  It runs on 27MHz but FM, rather than AM, which gives a stronger, clearer signal although it does mean you need FM crystals that can be slightly harder to come by.  It has three channels but you only require two for the Muggy, the third can handily be used to supply power for a personal transponder or something like the Spektrum telemetry kit.  Setting this system ahead of other RTR transmitters is the built-in digital screen that allows you to flip between the settings for the four model memory, end-point adjustments, digital trim levers and the 50 lap timer.

GET ON IT
With all the paraphernalia out of the box, we move onto the truck that certainly stands out with its bright orange shell and the huge Losi 420 florescent yellow dish wheels.  These are finished off with a new low profile version of the King Pin tyres, which are an excellent all rounder and a popular choice on the race track too.  Whilst we’re talking about the wheels, these 420 series ones will also accept any of Pro-Lines 40 series tyres, however they mount on a unique 20mm hex which is a bit frustrating.  Yes, the larger hex size does mean it’s less likely to round out but just about every other truggy on the market uses 17mm hexes - why can’t Losi follow this format and make everyone’s life a bit easier!

Whipping the shell off and the buggy and monster amalgamation becomes more obvious.   The main buggy-style flat pan chassis joins the front and rear ends together and is made from 3mm hard anodised aluminium.  The layout of the components on this is as you would expect, the central diff has two CVD drive shafts running off to each end and pass through the vented steel brake discs.  The diff itself is easily accessed by removing just four screws.

On the right of the truck is the 150cc fuel tank plus the excellent Losi 427 engine and aluminium tuned pipe.  The 0.26ci 427 engine is the same as the one found in the LST2 but has a stylish gun-metal coloured cooling head and a two-stage air filter.  It’s good to see this engine in the Muggy as it has a proven track record and is a good reliable performer.  It’s started with the use of Losi’s “Spin Starter” although as the Muggy has the flat pan buggy-style chassis you can also use a starter box, providing you replace the engine mounts for slightly lower ones (higher ones are used out of the box to accommodate the spin start back plate on the engine).