Clamp Down • The Flux Tork 2200 kV brushless motor is held in place by two clamps at both ends of the can. With top-facing clamp screws, this makes motor removal much easier. The clamps can be moved inward or outward on the chassis for critical gear mesh adjustments.

Racing Limbs • If you've seen a D8 or Ve8, there's nothing new here. The Vorza Flux HP shares the same suspension as its racing-spec brothers. This includes big-bore aluminum shocks, solid-type suspension arms, over-sized ball ends and steel turnbuckles.

Cell Movement • To accommodate various battery sizes and capacities, the Vorza Flux HP's battery box features a nifty sliding mount. This does two things: allows you to adjust the length to fit whatever battery you choose to use, and to alter the battery position relative to the rest of the chassis forward or backward, to adjust the weight balance.

1. Big Bore - The Vorza Flux HP's big-bore shocks are the same found on their top end racing version Ve8 and D8 chassis.
2. Standing Upright - The steering servo sits upright for easy access.
3. No Discs - Unlike other electric 1/8-scales, the Vorza Flux HP relies on the ESC for braking.
4. Be Cool - Powered by an HPI Blur ESC, the ESC itself features a built-in cooling fan to keep temperatures on the low side.
5. Swaying Motion - Front and rear sway bars are standard equipment.

TESTING
With previous testing of the D8 and Ve8 under my belt at Revelation Raceway in Montclair, Calif., the Vorza Flux HP found itself on familiar dirt. The weather was on the cool side (it was raining the week previous) and I was interested to see if the Vorza Flux HP could take to the course like its full-race relatives. Motor, ESC and battery were identical to the Ve8, which meant it all came down to chassis settings and a little shift in weight bias.

ACCELERATION AND SPEED • Comparing gear ratios between the Vorza Flux HP and the Ve8 (13.76:1 vs. 10.75:1, respectively) the Flux should have more strength down low since it is equipped with the same motor, ESC and battery. Sure enough, pull the trigger and hold on, as the 4S battery gave the Tork brushless motor an abundance of voltage. Acceleration was strong, but top speed was not so fast. It wasn't a lack of power, as the Vorza would kick out as much dirt as possible when I pulled the trigger; instead it was the stock gearing, which had a lot of overhead to run at higher speeds if the stock pinion gear was bumped up a few teeth. To test this I installed an 18-tooth pinion, and it helped top speeds a lot.
Rating: 10/8

BRAKING • Slowing down the buggy was a task left completely to the Blur ESC, as the Vorza Flux HP came out of the box with no mechanical brakes whatsoever. That didn't bother me though, as it made braking consistent and fade-free. The only thing to remember is that, because braking is done electronically, you can't adjust them on the fly without extra tools (a PC or optional programming card).
Rating: 9

LOW-SPEED SPEED HANDLING • Once again, thank HPI Racing for giving the Vorza Flux HP the D8's suspension, as this machine exhibited virtually the same handling characteristics as the non-RTR rigs, which is a good thing. With a nice, tight turning radius, I had little trouble with the low-speed corners. I did have to turn a little earlier due to the kit servo, but beyond that the Vorza Flux HP was comfortable on the dirt. Upgrading the steering servo to a faster unit would make the buggy even more nimble on the low-speed obstacles.
Rating: 8

HIGH-SPEED HANDLING • At the top end of things, the Vorza Flux HP made use of its racing wings by being very predictable and controllable at higher speeds. The slower servo made steering less twitchy, a helpful "safety net" when going this fast. Also, with more of the weight bias towards the rear, the buggy gained a hint of understeer, making it track nice and straight down the long stretch. Although testing was done with a possibly overpowering 4S pack, the buggy would feel more controllable if you kicked it down to a 3S, which is what the manual suggests.
Rating: 8.5

ROUGH-TRACK HANDLING • Forgive me if I constantly relate the Vorza's equipment to the D8/Ve8, but I can't help it; they share the same components. In the case of rough-track handling, the Vorza Flux HP also uses equal-length shocks on all four corners. Swaybar thickness, shock piston and shock oil values are also the same; the only difference lies in a slightly different spring rate in the rear. Regardless of that small change, the Vorza Flux HP took to the rough stuff like a champ. The low CG component layout helped keep the buggy as flat as possible on uneven terrain, and steering may have felt a tad slow on response (due to the stock steering servo) but it still had front end grip when maneuvering on, over, or around bumps and dips.
Rating: 9

JUMPING • With the battery/ESC on one side and the motor, receiver, and steering servo on the other, the Vorza Flux HP had a pretty even left-to-right balance. In the air this kept the buggy from leaning sideways, and jump angle could be modulated with small trigger movements while in air. Down-siding jumps was easy; however at times the rear end of the chassis would smack the ground on flat landings. Longer shocks might fix this, but it didn't seem to hamper the handling, so it's ok.
Rating: 9

WRENCHING
Maintenance • First and foremost, the clamp-down design of the motor mount on the Vorza made motor access a breeze. Two top-facing screws are easy to get to, and once you rotate the clamp out of the way the motor lifts right out. The same goes for the steering servo and ESC. Because the Vorza does not have mechanical brakes, that means even less parts to maintain. Finally, working on the suspension components is a typical job requiring no special tricks.
Rating: 9

WEAR AND TEAR • HPI Racing is known to put out some tough machines, and the Vorza Flux HP follows that line. With a thick aluminum chassis and competition-tested suspension, the Vorza Flux HP can handle the abuse. The exposed main gears were fine, as the low-slung body helped keep out dust and dirt away from the chassis components. They even include molded guards for the top of the front shock tower. The only possible items that might be of concern are the rear axles. Up front the Vorza Flux HP uses tried-and-true universal driveshafts, but HPI decided to use regular dogbones for the rear wheels. However all the parts that make up the buggy are high-quality stuff, so you needn't worry.
Rating: 9

TUNING • With a suspension that's virtually identical to the Hot Bodies race-bred machines, the Vorza Flux HP has all the standard tuning options you'd need to change the handling to your liking. Out of the box the Vorza Flux HP is a good all-around ride, but feel comfort knowing that practically every suspension tuning upgrade available for the D8 and Ve8 also works on this machine.
Rating: 8

CONCLUSION
Don't let the RTR label fool you, the Vorza packs championship-winning components underneath. And, because it's an RTR you could bash or hit the track right away. Having electric power eliminates all the nitro-needle tuning fuss, and at the end of the day you'll find that the Vorza Flux HP finds its home in the backyard just as much as it works well on the track.