🏎️ Pan Car
An on-road racing car built on a flat plate chassis with very little suspension, used mostly in 1/12 and 1/10 classes.
They are extremely light and efficient, which makes them fast on carpet and smooth asphalt but useless anywhere rough.
What it actually does
A pan car is an on-road racer built around a flat, flexible chassis plate with minimal suspension — the chassis flex itself does much of the springing. They are extremely light and extremely fast on smooth, high-grip surfaces.
In practice
Most are rear-wheel drive with a solid rear axle and independent front suspension, running foam tyres on carpet or asphalt. Because there is so little suspension, setup happens through chassis flex, side springs, ride height and tyre choice.
Worth knowing
Pan cars are surface-specific to an extreme degree. On anything less than a smooth, prepared track they are unusable, which is why they live almost entirely at dedicated venues.