Arrma Notorious V5 Review. What’s New? Better Than The Outcast?
If you think that the Outcast is too overpriced and you want a cheaper alternative, then, the Arrma Notorious V5 is the one you’re looking for!
Actually, it’s hard to distinguish between the Arrma Notorious V5 and the Outsacst since they look like until you see the details.
In addition to that, a lot of people see the Arrma Notorious V5 as a better alternative for the Outcast since you can have a lot of features as well as a great performance at a less expensive price.
Not to mention that the Arrma Notorious V5 got some updates over the V4.
Well, It this really true? Will you have more value on the Notorious than the Outcast? Is it really worth it? What about the V5? Is it worth it?
These are the questions that we will answer in the next few lines…
Buy the Notorious V5
Read Also: Arrma Outcast 8s Review. Most Powerful Arrma RC Car Ever?
Arrma Notorious Design
Arrma Notorious Body
If you’re familiar with the Arrma Outcast or have seen our full review of it, you’ll notice that the Arrma Notorious V5 has the same body as the Outcast. This is if you didn’t think that they’re the same RC car.
However, there is something about the Arrma Notorious body that you won’t find in the Outcast, it’s the paint.
In fact, the paint of the Arrma Notorious V5 body can be scratched quickly, this technique is done on purpose so when you scratch it, it will look like a metal body that is realistic. Especially that this body is more classic than the one on the Outcast.
The Arrma Notorious body comes in two colors, Black and Blue, the paint is simple with no graphics all over it except for the sides on the doors precisely.
The front
When it comes to the front, it’s almost like the Outcast, it’s more classic though, there are some additional curves there that give you the feeling that this is a 90s design.
The headlights also are different, they’re more like normal rectangular ones with a small grill in the middle.
On top of the hood, there are two clips linked to the body so that when you take them off, they stay connected to the body to avoid losing them.
In the middle top of the body, you’ll see the strongest roll bar on any RC car, the same roll bar comes with the Outcast. This roll bar is so important since it absorbs all the shocks to protect the body as much as possible.
There are no skids to give that extra protection to the top which is disappointing, but the roll bar is doing a great job.
The Rear
When it comes to the rear of Arrma Notorious body, you’ll see those two other clips as well as that big wing that we can’t ignore of course.
By the way, this spoiler is not connected to the body, but to the chassis.
So, if you’re looking at the body alone, you’ll see that it’s so simple, just some redlight stickers on the back.
Overall, the Arrma Notorious V5 body is the same as the Arrma Notorious V4, nothing has changed.
There were some changes in other areas of the RC car that we will talk about in the next sections.
Other than that, this body is well designed and unique especially regarding the painting technique to add a more realistic look to it.
Buy the Notorious V5
Read Also: Arrma Typhon Best Review. Everything You Need To Know!
Arrma Notorious V5 Chassis
Here is the thing about the Arrma Notorious V5 chassis, it looks almost like the Chassis of the Outcast.
What makes the difference is the width of this chassis. In fact, the chassis of the Outcast is wider than the one of the Arrma Notorious V5.
Also, some details are different of course.
The front
As mentioned earlier, the chassis of the two RC cars are almost the same, except for some details like the front.
The Arrma Notorious V5 comes with the same bumper, but there are no braces after it to add more security to the suspension system.
There is a small space though between the shock and the suspension arms, so it might be enough to handle the pressure of the crash.
Right after that, comes the shocks and the suspension arms, they look the same in the building and the structure as the Outcast.
They’re connected to the shock tower which is adjustable in case you want to have an aftermarket body.
The great thing about this chassis is the protection that is providing it for the internal parts. On each side in the front, two big bumpers prevent the mud and dust thrown from the wheels from entering.
The chassis of the Arrma Notorious V5 is a metal chassis, it s hard to bend if you’re jumping high, you can even support it with another metal layer to increase its life span.
In the middle of the chassis, you’ll notice that the Arrma Notorious V5 is not the same as the V4, they’re totally different.
In fact, now you can’t distinguish between the chassis of the Outcast and the one of the Notorious V5. It’s hard except if you see the size.
As you know, there is a passing bar taking all the way from the front to the rear, it’s not divided in the middle, it’s a one-piece like the one on the Kraton 8s. This bar is supported in the middle.
What’s different than the Outcast is the other two bars that meet in the middle of the chassis, they’re not Aluminum, they’re built-in plastic.
Other than that, the Arrma Notorious V5 comes with all the internal parts that any other RC car comes with including a motor, an ESC, a servo, and a receiver as well as others.
We will talk more about these parts in the performance section.
Buy the Notorious V5
The Rear
In general, the rear part of the chassis has the same structure as the font except for the suspension arms that come as double in the front while there is just one suspension arm in the rear for each wheel.
The spoiler of the Arrma Notorious V5 is so huge. It is similar to the one on the Infraction and the Outcast perfectly fits the body and gives it a great look.
And we can’t forget the wheelie bar that is hiding under that big spoiler, it’s the same position as the wheelie bar of the Outcast to make your RC car able to go on a 90° degree! (You should have some skills to do that!)
Other than that, the Arrma Notorious V5 chassis is incredibly built despite having less protection and reliability than the Outcast chassis.
Buy the Notorious V5
Read Also: Arrma Limitless Full Review. Is it Really Worth It?
Arrma Notorious V5 Performance
The Arrma Notorious V5 is an off-road RC car that you can drive in-road as well.
It can reach up to 60mph using a Spektrum™ Firma™ 4074 2050Kv Brushless Motor, Spektrum Firma 150A Smart ESC with 6s Lipo battery and an S652 Digital Servo.
To run at 60mph, you need to replace the pinion gear with the one that comes in the box with the car.
You can run the Arrma Notorious V5 on a 4s Lipo battery if you want to limit the top speed and the acceleration as well.
The motor comes with no fan or heatsink, maybe because it doesn’t have any heating problem, or, you should have one to prevent damage.
Unlike the Outcast, the Arrma Notorious V5 doesn’t come with a lot of different versions, the only version that is available in this one we’re reviewing, there is no EXB version that comes with no electronics either.
This means that this RC car is ready-to-run.
Here are some more details about this RC car:
Arrma Notorious V5
Max Speed: 60mph (97Km/h)
Spektrum™ Firma™ 4074 2050Kv Brushless Motor
Spektrum™ Firma™ 150A Smart ESC
Spektrum™ S652 Digital Servo
Spektrum™ SR315 Dual Protocol 3-Channel Receiver
Spektrum™ SLT3™ 2.4GHz 3-Channel Radio
Multi-terrain dBoots® BACKFLIP™ tires
Buy the Notorious V5
Read Also: Arrma Big Rock V3 Review. Top Secrets Why You Should Buy It!
What’s new? Arrma Notorious V5 vs V4
As we’re reviewing the Arrma Notorious V5, we mentioned some new updates and changes that occurred in the new version like the new body, the new chassis as well as the change of some electronics.
The biggest changes though were in the chassis as well as the electronics, this means that the performance has also changed to be better, stronger, and faster which is true!
The first thing that you’ll notice when comparing the Arrma Notorious V5 vs V4 is the change of the material of the chassis from plastic to aluminum which is better since it can strengthen and increase the reliability of this RC car.
The other big change that has occurred is at the level of the receiver and the transmitter, these two were supported by Tactic which has changed to Spektrum which is much better.
In general, those were the major updates that made the Arrma Notorious V5 the RC car that we see today, powerful, strong, and reliable.
When it comes to jumps and high altitudes, you don’t need to worry about your Arrma Notorious V5, it’s not like that fat Outcast (Outcast fans, just kidding), in fact, this is a light RC car, so jumping won’t break it, especially that there is a metal chassis down there!
So, just enjoy jumping and back flipping because this is the Arrma Notorious V5 specialty!
Arrma Notorious V5 Transmitter and Receiver
As we mentioned before, the Arrma Notorious V5 transmitter and receiver have been updated from Tactic to Spektrum.
These two are doing a great job and will help you get the most out of your Arrma Notorious V5!
In fact, the receiver is the Spektrum™ SR315 Dual Protocol 3-Channel Receiver which is waterproof. This receiver is able to connect with the SLT and the DSMR which are other types of protocols that help you connect to other transmitters.
The transmitter on the other side is the Spektrum™ SLT3™ 2.4GHz 3-Channel Radio, you can upgrade this transmitter to the DSMR.
This will allow you to unlock some features like the Spektrum Dashboard App where you can see all your RC car’s info like the temperature of the motor as well as the top speed and actual speed.
There is also another cool feature which is the Active Vehicle Control (AVC).
This feature helps you maintain a straight direction when driving your RC car especially off-road where it’s easy to lose control over your Arrma Notorious V5 because of the lack of grip.
In addition to that, you have the ability to control the intensity or the impact of this feature on your RC car using the transmitter.
Other than that, the Arrma Notorious V5 transmitter comes with some beginner-friendly features like the throttle limit where you can limit the acceleration to 50% or 75%.
If you’re a beginner and this is your first RC car, this feature will help you master driving it before unleashing the full power. It’s cool, isn’t it?
Buy the Notorious V5
Read Also: Arrma Kraton 8s BLX Full Review After 1 Month. Everything You Need To Know!
Arrma Notorious V5 Upgrades
Each RC car should have some aftermarket parts, and so does the Arrma Notorious V5.
In fact, you can have so many Arrma Notorious V5 upgrades and parts especially the ones built-in Aluminum where you will strengthen the reliability and the handling.
They’re widely available, some of them are expensive, others are cheap, and others are affordable. It depends on the quality you want.
But, in general, the Arrma Notorious V5 parts are really affordable.
You can buy anything like the Aluminum wheelie bar, Aluminum suspension arms, new aftermarket body, shocks, Aluminum gearbox, Aluminum Steering Blocks, and many more…
So, whether you want to upgrade the Arrma Notorious V5 because you want to, or you want o to replace a broken part, you’ll find what you’re searching for easily. No worries about that!
Buy the Notorious V5
Buy the Notorious V5 Parts
Read Also: Arrma Granite 4×4 Review. Everything You Need To Know!
Annoying Things About the Arrma Notorious V5
Actually, the fact that the Arrma Notorious V5 is similar to the Outcast makes you reassured since the Outcast is well known for its reliability, which is a good thing.
The dark side of this fact though is that the Outcast comes with a different version and the most similar version to the Arrma Notorious V5 is the 6s Outcast.
This is a good thing for the company since they will earn money whether you buy this RC car or that one.
However, for you, it may be a little confusing, they have almost the same shape, the same performance, and even the same features.
Maybe the Arrma Notorious V5 is a little cheaper, some of you will decide based on the price, but it’s still confusing for a lot of people!
That’s because the first question that comes to mind is “Why the Arrma Notorious V5 is cheaper than the Outcast while they have a lot of common things!” what’s the difference?
In general, that is a bad side that made me ask myself what’s the reason for creating two similar RC cars for almost the same price.
Still, if I were you, I may choose the Arrma Notorious V5 over the Outcast, otherwise, I would choose the Outcast 8s and not the 6s. I’m spending money anyway, so, why don’t I spend it on the best quality, right?
Other than that, the Arrma Notorious V5 is really a great RC car and you’ll enjoy owning it.
Great Things About the Arrma Notorious V5
Everything that has been said on the Arrma Notorious V5 is great and incredible.
Still, some of the great things that I liked about this RC car is this new update from V4 to V5.
There is a big improvement in terms of performance, handling, and reliability.
So, if you already have an Arrma Notorious V4, you should definitely go to the V5, it’s much better.
The realistic body paint is also something that I see for the first time on an RC car, it’s creative and perfect.
Maybe if you love saving things to stay for a long time with you, you will hate scratching this RC car, but it’s fun at the same time.
Buy the Notorious V5
Read Also: ARRMA Infraction V2 Review. Everything You Need To Know!
Arrma Notorious V5 Price
As mentioned earlier, the price of the Arrma Notorious V5 is affordable especially since it is less than its similar RC car the Outcast 6s.
At this price, you’re almost having the reliability, the performance, and the handling of the Outcast without spending so much money.
So, that’s the bright side about this Arrma Notorious V5 price.
You can check it here and buy it by clicking the button below:
Buy the Notorious V5
So, Should You Buy It?
Well, as you saw in the review, the Arrma Notorious V5 is an amazing RC car with great features and qualities.
The fact that it has a lot of competitors from the same brand like the Outcast 6s and the Typhon (Even if the Typhon is not in the same category) can make you confused.
What’s special about the Arrma Notorious V5 is those different exclusive features like the realistic body paint which is not available in the Outcast or any other Arrma RC car.
So, if you love these special things, just go ahead and buy the Notorious.
Otherwise, I would consider it within the list of choices, or you can do as I said earlier if you’re spending money anyway, add some more and get the big Outcast 8s, it’s worth it!
So, what do you think? Which one will you buy? The Arrma Notorious V5 or the Outcast?
I would love to see your comments down below!
See you soon in another review…
Buy the Notorious V5
Buy the Outcast 8s
Read Also: Arrma Felony Full Review. Is It Worth It? (Not What You Think)
#arrmacarsreviews