ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3 Review: What Changed, RTR vs EXB & Real 6S Performance

The ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3 brings one of ARRMA's best-known 1/7 desert trucks back with a more substantial update than the new paint schemes initially suggest. The core formula remains familiar — long wheelbase, wide stance, 6S brushless power and high-speed desert-truck handling — but the V3 adds a completely revised clipless body structure, more chassis protection, strengthened wheel hardware, updated steering and drivetrain details, and an EXB RTR version for drivers who want the premium hardware straight out of the box.

What has not changed is arguably just as important. This is still not a short-wheelbase stunt truck designed primarily around standing backflips and skate-park launches. The MOJAVE is at its best when it has room to stretch its legs over dirt, gravel, sand, grass and uneven open terrain. Multiple real-world tests of the new truck point to the same conclusion: there is already enormous power on 6S, and the soft desert-focused suspension works best when the surface gets rough.

The bigger question is whether the V3 meaningfully improves the previous MOJAVE 6S, whether the new clipless body is really better, and whether the EXB is worth choosing over the already heavily upgraded standard RTR. Those are the questions this review focuses on.

ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3: The Quick Answer

The MOJAVE 6S V3 is best understood as a major refinement of an already proven truck rather than a completely different MOJAVE. ARRMA has kept the dimensions, long-wheelbase layout and familiar 6S character, but updated many of the details that owners interact with every run.

The biggest visible change is the new clipless body system. Underneath that body, however, the standard RTR has also moved surprisingly close to EXB territory. Both versions share a 7075 T6 aluminum chassis, the same general 4S/6S Spektrum power system, the same vehicle dimensions, the same new body architecture and many of the same V3 updates.

The EXB still adds meaningful premium hardware, particularly around the bulkheads, shock towers, braces and other structural areas, but it is no longer a case of choosing between a basic RTR and a completely different heavy-duty platform.

What Is New on the ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3?

The easiest mistake to make with the new MOJAVE is to focus only on the body colors. The Blue, Beige and limited Yellow schemes attract attention immediately, while the EXB gets its familiar darker black, gray and red treatment, but the more meaningful updates are underneath.

New Clipless Body and Integrated Inner Structure

The previous MOJAVE used conventional body posts and clips. V3 moves to a side-release clipless system related to the design used on smaller ARRMA platforms. Push the release on each side and the complete body can be lifted away without searching for loose body clips.

The body is no longer just a thin shell sitting on top of the chassis. ARRMA has integrated a substantial internal cage, front and rear support structures, inner arches and side protection into the body assembly. The result is better coverage around the chassis and much less room for large amounts of grass, dirt and debris to enter from around the wheels.

Reinforced Wheel Hex Interface

The new wheels include metal reinforcement around the wheel hex interface. That matters on a large 6S truck because repeated acceleration and braking loads can eventually damage a purely plastic hex interface. This is one of those updates that is easy to miss in a product photo but makes much more sense once the truck is being driven hard.

More EXB-Derived Hardware on the Standard RTR

The standard MOJAVE is no longer a stripped-down alternative to the EXB. It gets a 7075 T6 chassis, upgraded emulsion-style shock hardware, reinforced steering components, improved outdrives, updated hubs, larger battery retention and several structural revisions that bring it much closer to the premium model than older RTR-versus-EXB comparisons might suggest.

The New Clipless Body Solves Old Problems — but Creates New Trade-Offs

The V3 clipless body is more than a convenience upgrade. ARRMA has effectively turned the body into part of the truck's protection system, combining the shell, inner cage, side structures and debris guards into one large assembly. The result is quicker access to the chassis, better coverage around the wheels and noticeably less room for grass, dirt and loose debris to collect inside.

That integrated design also helps explain why the new MOJAVE can take hard hits without immediately exposing suspension and drivetrain parts. In many crashes, the body becomes the first structure to absorb the impact rather than leaving the chassis and arms to take the full load.

The trade-off is that the body now does much more work than before. Because the release mechanism is built into the same structure that can flex, twist and collect debris, a very hard impact can temporarily change the alignment of the catches, while fine sand around the side buttons can make the release less smooth. These are not guaranteed problems during normal use, but they are realistic consequences of moving from simple body posts and clips to a more complex integrated mounting system.

For most owners, the gain is still meaningful: the body is faster to remove, the chassis stays cleaner, and the truck gets more external protection. Hard bashers should simply understand that the clipless system is now part of the impact structure, not an isolated latch mechanism. If the body takes a major hit, checking that the side catches and lower mounting areas are still aligned should become part of the normal post-run inspection.

How Fast Is the ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3?

ARRMA's 60+ MPH claim is realistic on 6S, but outright top speed only tells part of the story. In suitable conditions, the stock V3 has shown that it can reach roughly 60 MPH and even edge into the low-60s on pavement, while still carrying speeds in the low-50s across grass and other off-road surfaces.

What matters more is how much performance is already available before the trigger ever reaches full throttle. The 4074 2050Kv motor and 150A 6S system give the MOJAVE enough torque to lift the front end, break the rear tires loose and accelerate hard even on surfaces that cannot make full use of the available power.

That means the practical speed limit is often set by the terrain rather than the electronics. On pavement, the truck has enough grip and stability to use much more of its top-end speed. Move onto loose dirt, grass or rough ground and throttle control becomes more important, because the soft suspension, body movement and reduced traction can make a full-power run much harder to manage.

This is also why chasing more power is not the obvious next step for the MOJAVE 6S V3. In stock form, the truck already has more performance than most surfaces can consistently absorb. A healthy 6S battery that maintains voltage under load, combined with good throttle control and the right terrain, matters more than simply increasing C-rating or looking for even more motor power.

Soft Suspension Is Part of the MOJAVE Formula

The MOJAVE 6S V3 is intentionally tuned with more suspension movement than a typical high-speed road-oriented basher. That softer setup allows the wheels to follow broken terrain instead of forcing the whole truck to skip across it, which is exactly what a long-wheelbase desert truck needs when speed is carried through dirt, gravel, grass and uneven ground.

The trade-off is visible as soon as the surface becomes smooth and grip increases. The chassis leans more through corners, the rear can move around under throttle, and hard landings use a large amount of suspension travel. Drivers coming from a stiffer monster truck or truggy may initially interpret that movement as a lack of control, but much of it is simply the suspension doing the job it was designed to do.

Once the terrain gets rough, the logic becomes much clearer. The long wheelbase keeps the truck settled while the suspension absorbs repeated bumps underneath it, helping the tires stay in contact with the ground and allowing the MOJAVE to carry speed where a stiffer setup would become nervous or start bouncing.

This also explains why big-air jumping is something the MOJAVE can do rather than what defines it. Its long wheelbase and relatively modest tire diameter give it less rotational authority in the air than a short-wheelbase stunt truck, while the suspension is better suited to absorbing a sequence of rough impacts than repeatedly launching and rotating the chassis.

In other words, body roll and suspension movement are not accidental weaknesses of the V3. They are part of the same setup that gives the MOJAVE its strongest trait: the ability to stay fast and composed when the ground stops being smooth.

More Body Protection Comes with a Higher Center of Gravity

The V3 body is doing far more work than the shell on the previous MOJAVE. The integrated cage, inner fenders, side structures and clipless mounting hardware improve protection and help keep debris away from the chassis, but they also add a meaningful amount of mass above the chassis line. The complete body assembly has been measured at roughly 3.3 lb, so this is not a small change in how weight is distributed around the truck.

That extra mass does not make the MOJAVE V3 unstable, but it does slightly change its character. Compared with the previous generation, the truck carries more weight higher up, so there is more inertia working against it when the chassis changes direction quickly. The result is a little more body movement, a stronger tendency for the rear to rotate under power, and less margin before the truck tips onto its side when grip suddenly builds on rough or uneven ground.

This is the price of the V3's more protective body architecture. The older truck benefited from a lighter shell and slightly lower effective center of gravity, while the new version gains better chassis coverage and impact shielding. Neither approach is automatically better; they prioritize different things.

For the way the MOJAVE is intended to be driven, the compromise is reasonable. On loose dirt, sand and open terrain, the tires can slide before the chassis loads up enough to traction-roll, and the long wheelbase still gives the truck a stable, predictable feel at speed. The higher center of gravity becomes more noticeable when aggressive steering, high grip and heavy throttle are combined at the same time.

So the V3 is not simply “more top-heavy” than the old MOJAVE. A better way to describe it is that ARRMA traded a small amount of low-center-of-gravity agility for a body system that provides substantially more protection, debris control and structural support.

ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3 vs Previous MOJAVE 6S

If you already own a well-sorted previous MOJAVE 6S, V3 is not an entirely new driving experience. The wheelbase, general dimensions and overall desert-truck character remain familiar.

The reason to upgrade is more about convenience, protection and revised hardware than a dramatic increase in straight-line performance. Owners who are happy with their existing truck should not expect V3 to suddenly transform what a MOJAVE is. New buyers, however, are getting a more thoroughly developed platform from the start.

ARRMA MOJAVE 6S RTR vs EXB: Which One Should You Buy?

This is arguably the most interesting question surrounding the V3 because the standard RTR now shares so much with the EXB.

The EXB is objectively the higher-spec truck. Its machined 7075 shock towers, aluminum bulkheads, upgraded braces, aluminum servo mount and other premium structural components are real improvements.

But the standard RTR is arguably the more interesting value proposition because so many traditionally premium features have moved downstream. One detailed comparison measured less than a one-percent total weight difference between the two trucks, and because their dimensions, body design and power systems are effectively the same, their basic driving behavior is also extremely similar.

If you are planning heavy repeated impacts, substantial power upgrades or simply want the highest-spec factory build, the EXB makes sense.

If you want the MOJAVE experience on stock 6S power and do not specifically need every aluminum upgrade, the standard RTR is much harder to dismiss than previous generations.

Durability: Is the New MOJAVE Still ARRMA Tough?

The most revealing V3 durability tests were not the clean jumps. They were the bad landings.

The truck has been landed nose-first, tail-first and under throttle, and in several tests the chassis, suspension and drivetrain remained intact. The full-width body works almost like external armor because many impacts reach the shell before they reach the suspension arms and drivetrain components.

That protection matters because both versions are heavy 1/7 vehicles carrying substantial speed. The 7075 chassis also held flat through repeated impact testing.

The body itself is more likely to become the sacrificial component. That is not necessarily a design failure — absorbing damage before it reaches expensive drivetrain parts is often desirable — but owners doing extreme skate-park-style bashing should expect the body mounting structure to be one of the areas that eventually receives stress.

Choosing the Right Battery for the ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3

The MOJAVE 6S V3 does not need an unusually large or extreme battery to feel fast. Its stock 4074 2050Kv motor and 150A 4S/6S system already deliver more performance than the chassis can fully use on many loose surfaces, so battery selection is better treated as a balance of fit, runtime, voltage stability and installed weight rather than a search for the highest capacity or C-rating.

For full 6S performance, there are two equally valid ways to build the 22.2V system: one 6S pack or two matching 3S packs connected in series. A single 6S keeps the installation simple and reduces the amount of wiring and charging management. Dual 3S makes more sense for drivers who already use 3S packs in other vehicles and want more flexibility from the same batteries.

The first limit is physical fit. ARRMA publishes maximum battery dimensions of 158 × 48 × 70mm, so voltage alone is not enough to determine compatibility. Larger-capacity packs can become wider, taller and heavier even when they are still labeled 6S, and wire exit position and connector clearance also need to work with the MOJAVE's battery area and strap system.

Weight deserves particular attention on the V3. The revised body already places more structure above the chassis than the previous MOJAVE, so adding the heaviest battery that will physically fit can further increase inertia, braking load and rollover tendency. For most drivers, a well-sized 5000–6200mAh-class setup offers a more useful compromise than maximizing capacity simply for a longer runtime.

C-rating should be viewed the same way. The goal is not to buy the largest number printed on the label; it is to use a healthy pack that can supply the stock 6S system without excessive voltage sag. Once that requirement is met, battery condition, internal resistance, weight and physical fit become more meaningful than chasing progressively higher discharge ratings.

For drivers comparing both formats, the ARRMA MOJAVE 6S Battery Collection includes suitable single 6S and matched dual 3S options selected around the V3 battery space.

The MOJAVE uses an IC5 main power connection, while many CNHL packs use EC5. EC5 and IC5 can be considered together for the main power connection when physical fit, polarity and wire clearance are correct, but a standard EC5 battery does not provide Spektrum Smart battery communication or Smart data.

Who Should Buy the MOJAVE 6S V3?

Buy the Standard RTR If…

• You want the full MOJAVE 6S driving experience without paying specifically for every EXB aluminum component.
• You plan to keep the stock 6S power system.
• You mainly drive dirt, gravel, grass and open bash areas.
• You value the new body system, 7075 chassis and updated V3 hardware.

Buy the EXB RTR If…

• You regularly bash hard enough to appreciate stronger machined structural parts.
• You plan future power upgrades.
• You specifically want aluminum bulkheads, 7075 shock towers and higher-spec chassis hardware.
• You prefer buying those upgrades from the factory rather than adding them later.

Keep Your Previous MOJAVE If…

• Your existing truck is already reliable and upgraded the way you want it.
• You do not care about the clipless body system.
• The new debris protection and revised hardware do not solve a problem you currently have.

V3 is a better starting point for a new owner, but previous-generation owners do not suddenly have an obsolete truck.

ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3 Pros and Cons

What We Like

• Realistic 60+ MPH potential on stock 6S power.
• Excellent rough-terrain suspension behavior.
• Standard RTR now shares many high-end components with the EXB.
• Strong 7075 T6 chassis on both versions.
• Improved wheel hex reinforcement.
• Much better integrated debris protection.
• Very convenient clipless body access when the system is clean and aligned.
• EXB now available as a complete RTR rather than requiring a separate electronics build.

What to Keep in Mind

• The heavier body structure raises weight above the chassis.
• Soft suspension creates noticeable body roll.
• The truck can become tail-happy when too much throttle is used on loose terrain.
• No AVC stability control with the included SR315 receiver setup.
• Clipless body releases can be affected by severe body deformation or debris contamination.
• The EXB carries a premium even though the standard RTR already shares much of the core platform.

FAQ

Is the new ARRMA MOJAVE 6S the V3?

Yes. The current refreshed 1/7 MOJAVE 6S release is commonly identified as the MOJAVE 6S V3, making “ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3” a useful way to distinguish it from previous versions.

How fast is the ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3?

ARRMA advertises 60+ MPH capability on 6S. Independent testing of the new truck has produced results from the mid-50s to low-60s mph, including a recorded 63 MPH road run under favorable conditions.

Does the MOJAVE 6S V3 have AVC?

The included SR315 receiver does not provide AVC stability control. The truck remains highly controllable, but drivers must manage the substantial 6S power themselves.

Is the MOJAVE 6S EXB faster than the standard RTR?

No meaningful stock speed advantage should be expected simply from choosing the EXB. Both use the same general 6S power architecture and 2050Kv motor. The EXB's main advantages are upgraded structural and durability components.

Is the MOJAVE 6S good for jumping?

It can jump and has demonstrated strong durability during hard landings, but jumping is not its main specialty. The long wheelbase and relatively small wheels provide less mid-air rotational control than a short-wheelbase stunt truck. High-speed rough-terrain running is where the MOJAVE feels most natural.

Is the clipless body better than body clips?

It is much more convenient during normal use and provides excellent integrated debris protection. However, sand around the side buttons or severe deformation of the body can make the system harder to release, so it is not without trade-offs.

What battery does the ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3 use?

The truck can run one 6S LiPo or two matched 3S LiPo batteries in series for full 6S performance. ARRMA publishes maximum battery dimensions of 158 × 48 × 70mm.

Final Verdict

The ARRMA MOJAVE 6S V3 succeeds because ARRMA did not try to turn it into something it was never meant to be. It is still a big, fast, long-wheelbase desert truck that becomes more impressive as the surface becomes rougher.

The new body system adds convenience and much better chassis coverage, although it also introduces additional weight and a few new durability considerations. The standard RTR now includes enough EXB-derived hardware that it is arguably the smarter choice for many drivers, while the EXB remains the version for owners who want the premium aluminum hardware from day one.

Most importantly, the stock 6S power system does not feel underpowered. Real-world tests reaching approximately 60 MPH and beyond confirm that the challenge is not finding more power — it is learning how to use the power the truck already has.

If your idea of a good RC session is covering a huge amount of rough ground quickly, throwing dirt from all four tires and letting a long-travel chassis work underneath you, the MOJAVE 6S V3 remains one of the most distinctive large-scale bash trucks in ARRMA's lineup.

More ARRMA and RC Car Battery Options

For model-specific battery options, visit the ARRMA MOJAVE 6S Battery Collection. You can also explore LiPo Batteries for ARRMA Cars or browse the complete RC Car LiPo Battery Collection.