RACE2 – Super fast LEGO RC off road car

RACE2 is the fastest LEGO off road car. The 4WD RC car can get over rocks and obstacles fast. It is an improved version of my original RACE car. The building instructions are available as well as the LEGO Digital Designer file (LXF). It is a simplified and more robust version of the original RACE car.

Here is the 3D model in Sketchfab exported from Stud.io. Unfortunately Stud.io does not yet have the L-motor (88003) in their parts list, so you have to use your imagination to fill the gaps.

RACE2
by bartneck
on Sketchfab

42 thoughts on “RACE2 – Super fast LEGO RC off road car”

  1. Pingback: Building an off road car with LEGO Technic | Christoph Bartneck, Ph.D.

  2. This is a very “elegant”, simple design! This is what many Lego Technic fans want — an inexpensive, FUN Power Functions vehicle that can take some abuse!

  3. Does the vehicle perform so well all the time, or did you censor out parts where you needed human hand intervention?

  4. My steering is not always perfect, so these are the examples when I performed well.

  5. hi, i followed your instruction & photos to my best knowledge to build the Race2. However i get very weird RPM drop problem on the L motors. i tried rechargeable batteries as well as Duracells. Tried just 2 wheels but similar problem. please see the youtube clip http://youtu.be/26cZV-wIjIk

    any good tips?

  8. i thought it might be the IR receiver and tried a couple but same behaviour. will try a couple more. btw, they are all V2

  9. I have just ordered all the parts and am really excited to build the Race2. Just wondering why you chose IR over radio for control? Is there any way the Race2 could be adapted to be Radio controlled?

    Thanks

  10. LEGO had some RC cars in their program some years ago. You can still order the parts on BL, but then it would be a very different model. But the design principle could certainly be applied to the LEGO RC car parts.

  11. This Lego car is a beast! Thanks for sharing the links to the instruction. The videos are also very helpful. You can find me at

  12. Hi,
    Your LEGO RC off road car is very nice. Do you have a link that show how to build it and what need to buy?

    Have a nice day.

  14. Thanks very much for the instructions, however, its seems does not include the motors, or am I looking at the wrong instructions?

  15. LDD did not have the large motors in its library at that time. Hence their absence. I tried to add “fake” motors to it that indicate their position. Look at the photographs, it is reasonable easy to make out their location and orientation.

  24. I want to build the car but i dont have all the pisces to build it where can i by the pisces.

  25. Have had the same problem as biggles, have now tied two receivers v1 and v2 and the recently introduced sbrick which is bluetooth receiver controlled from apps installed on phones etc. and all have a similar problem, now beginning to think that it is the motors, any advice ?

  27. We had to improvise on your design to fit the latest Power Functions motors. Once we perfect it a little more then I could send a photo of it. I love how well thought out and simple your design is Christoph.

  28. If you want the parts list then download the latest version of the Lego Digital Designer and open Christoph’s RACE2.lxf file then export the parts list to Excel (RACE2.xlsx) File/Export BOM BOM stands for “Bill of Materials”.

  29. Hallo Christoph !

    Are the rubberbands there to prevent the car from separating around the front of the turntable? It seems like this is the weakest point. I too am going to be trying some different ideas to try to solve this issue with rubberbands. I think you’re really going to like some of the photos I’m planning on sending you. I’m just waiting for the last motor to arrive this week. In fact I’m planning on building another one so that my son and I can race against each other. In terms of steering the car, did you have them going where the front and back left and front and back right tires run off the same control? That seems like the only way to make it work unless I’ve overlooked something? Thank you for any responses. We are having a blast with your design !! Much appreciation for the time and efforts you put into this.

  31. Hi

    Lovely idea!
    With what remote control can you steer this?
    Is it made by lego?

    Thanks!

  33. Hi Christoph
    I was wondering how you control this? Do you use standard ir controller or a speed controll as it has a motor on each wheel. If so could you post a picture explaining how you made it or just itself? Maybe you could post a video on Youtube about the different Lego remotes?

    Cheers

  36. This is awesome. Thanks for sharing. Have you considered placing the IR receiver and everything else within the diminsions of the wheels, so the wheels themselves protect the parts and the car can be controlled even upside down? Do you think this is possible?

  37. Yes, it is possible, but I am not sure if it would be better protected. You would have to place it at the end of the car since you do not want the receiver to be blocked when upside down.

  38. I have ended to build this model one week ago, exactly twin to Cristoph’s original off road car.
    The car is highly efficient, but its main feature is the simplicity of the design. I dont know if the car uses or not 100% of the available power or torque with 4 M motors but there is a real fact : This car is really fantastic, very powerful and employes few pieces. With less pieces the relation weight / power improves a lot
    Finally the building process is too simple. Look this detail: The battery box is at same time the chassis
    Congratulations Christoph Bartneck

  39. Sorry 4L (not 4M) motors.
    An additional point
    The difference using V2 vs V1 IR is total, is very very important to use the new V2 IR to get a maximum perfomance

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