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Moth
Truck Hauler(rental) The
trend towards smaller cars may be slipping to the other extreme with the
unexpected use of one of the biggest cars in the divisions less than unlimited.
The Moth Truck is the smaller of the two "big cars"... but that doesn't
mean it doesn't dwarf conventional rides at a whopping seven tons (dry
weight: 6 tons). First
off, when you get a car like this moving, you don't even want to think
about slowing down, so brakes don't matter. Since you don't want to lose
traction, and therefore speed, the tires have been upgraded to 16" billits.
While it would be nice to have great shocks and a better engine, it just
isn't cost effective. To get that all-important ramming speed, this model
comes equipped with nitrous oxide. Ideally, you should only need 1 boost
to get to top speed and never have to slow down, but things don't always
work out, so you've got 2 more chances. As you might have guessed, this
car handles like a brick. Turns must usually be made in big sweeping arcs,
and you can forget about evasive maneuvers. But, in the hands of a skilled
driver,its limited capacities can be used to drive over and annhilate
just about any opponent. As if that weren't enough, this truck is armed
too, with a definate theme. If you're looking for a nice, comfy ride, this ain't it. Used models have couch seats are often old and covered in duct tape, and the little padding they offer doesn't do anything to help all the bouncing this car does. Even driving on concrete feels like an earthquake. There isn't even a place to put your drink! Aside from the tires and the good positioning of all the weapon mounts, this seems like a stupid vehicle. The engine is so small that you could keep your luggage under the hood. And that is apparently the point... rather than getting a silly small car, you can use a silly big car. In this way, you can beat the little people at their own game. Not the game of midget combat, but the game of handicapping yourself... and still killing people! So, until someone can find a way to make 30 caliber machineguns kill people, driving wimpy big cars appears to be the answer to the Speedy Gonzales' of I76. This is a good idea in theory, but our test driver was unable to make Fat Man do anything resembling an intelligent attack on an oppenent. But it seems that if you've put in enough hours behind the wheel (as Toxy apparently has), this car can be effective. Car:
"Fat Man" What's Hot... People making fun of you, then getting squished, Fun to watch peoples' dead cars fly across maps after being rammed, 12 tires for the price of 4, making 2 firedroppers spit out superfire What's Not... Terrible handling, the big .45 target painted on your head, 0-60 in several days |
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The
weight of the car is one of its many faults. Acceleration and turning
are always a chore, no matter what equipment you use. But the truck's
greatest fault is also its greatest asset. For totally destroying your
opponents car in one stroke, the weight of this monster is the only weapon
you need. This truck emboies every aspect of a car that was born to ram.
Nicknamed Fat Man (info on Little Boy still to come), this model uses
the bare minimum equipment on just about everything.The
shocks, breaks, and engine are all stock. But there is a method to this
madness. 
The
cherry red Fat Man comes equipped with 3 high output napalm hoses on fixed
mounts in the front, and dual firedroppers in the rear. This allows the
driver to cook people as he is coming _and_ going, occasionally ramming
them in between. When horn technology is upgraded, sometime in February,
you will also be able to honk at your opponents as you run them down.
Nothing beats the deafening sound of the Moth Truck's horn followed by
crunching and exploding. And to top it all off, the price tag for this
baby reads $15,000. Making it ideal for div 15 combat. The true nemesis
of this type of car is a .45 shot to the head. There is no other weapon
that is devastating... they all work equally well on a car this big and
slow. Small fast cars are harder to hit, but you usually only need one
solid ram to kill them. The bigger cars are easier targets, but often
require 2 or 3 impacts. On the plus side, the Moth Truck has enough armor
that even mortars can be shrugged off for a while. And needless to say,
this car performs porrly in small or hilly arenas. You should stick to
flat open spaces like the salt flats.