August 15, 2008

Whats new in the Pits – Part II

OS Max 12 XZ

We have put together some more new products from the pits here in Lisbon. We were expecting more new items but it seems most manufacturers are happy with their current cars and so its down to the engine and after market parts makers to come up with the goods. As posted in the gallery yesterday, O.S. engines have released their all new Max 12 XZ, which is currently in use by Takaaki Shimo and Hideo Kitizawa. Only in prototype form now, this completely new engine has performing well in the hands of both drivers and it is expected to be released a short period after this event.

Capricorn clutch tool

More new parts from Capricorn RC with the release of a new IDM made exhaust pipe. It is in use by a large number of racers using Picco based engines, including Mega drivers Yuya Sahashi and Mark Green as well as Team Orion driver Adrien Bertin. Also new from the Italian company is this pinion tool which accepts a lot of different diameter pinions regardless of teeth number, while also included in the set is a tool for gripping both a 1/8th and 1/10th scale clutch bell.

GQ Products new wheels

Hong Kong based GQ Products are running with their new version rim. Seen in use by team drivers Teddy Syah, Per Ola Hard and others, the new rim is lighter than previous versions and following some further development should be available for release in the coming weeks.

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August 12, 2008

Whats new in the Pits

Sirio XXX 12 engine

This is a World Championships and because of this fact you can expect that all manufacturers will be trying their best to win this title and this means that drivers come equipped with the latest, and in some cases prototype, parts. Seen in some of the fastest cars here this week, including the car of Jilles Groskamp, is the new Sirio XXX .12 engine. Only in prototype phase now, it is a completely new motor with all new internals which boasts more power than the previous model but with the same consumption. It seems to be working and if all goes according to plan, the motor should be available in October.

Kawahara chassis

While the Mugen racers here in Portugal are all running the standard MTX-4R, some of the racers including current World Champion Keisuke Fukuda and Dutch racer Rick V are using optional Kawahara parts for extra strength and preformance. Rick V’s car features a thicker machined chassis plate, while on the rear of the car there is a new thicker rear upper link mounting plate that features some additional mounting holes for extra adjustment. Both drivers are also running the pre production Ninja JX12 T01 engines, and while Fukuda has been running the OS based motor for some time now, Rick V only received his just before coming here and the first taste of the new powerplant came on the first practice day last week.

Capricorn Radio plate upgrade

The Kyosho V-One RRR platform seems to be very popular here, however only a handful of drivers, including Takaaki Shimo, are using the Evo 2 version, the others using the previous version. Non sponsored racers such as Daniele Ielasi has upgraded his car by using Capricorn RC manufactured option parts such as this new radio plate that allows the racer to mount the Xray NT1 fuel tank in the car. Other new parts seen on the car of Ielasi include a new braking system, with lightweight brake disc, as well as a new wider rear body mount for more stable mounting of the body shell of which the Blitz Altis and the Protoform Stratus are the most popular choices.

There is still plenty more to discover here, so stay tuned for more product updates.

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August 1, 2008

Euros 1:10 – New in the pits V2

Xenon Max

More new items from Japanese company Xenon, who are present here in Vila Real to support their customers and first up is an exclusive look at their new touring car rubber tire. Called the Max, it is designed to be used as a control tire with the rubber having similar characteristics to the Sorex tire that is currently in use at this weeks Euros. Aiming to be considerably cheaper to purchase than other similar products, the tire has been finalised and is in production, however the insert together with the wheel are still in the final testing stages. Also new from Xenon are some new greases, the first of which is used together with silicone o-rings, such as those used in the cars shock absorbers, while the other grease we were shown is to be used together with driveshafts.

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July 31, 2008

Euros 1:10 – New in the pits

Corally RDX Phi prototype parts

A quick look through the pits here in Vila Real have revealed a number of new products being run and tested by some of the top drivers. Corally racer Marc Fisher from Germany is running some new prototype parts on his RDX Phi. There are new rear uprights that have 1mm lower top mounting points, also the front steering blocks have received some attention together with the new servo saver part that has simpler to adjust Ackermann.

New Steering parts on the Schumacher Mi3.5

Over at the Schumacher pit, the whole team are running the company’s new Mi3.5, which is much lighter than the original Mi3 and is better suited to rubber racing with the use of soft plastics in the car to help generate grip. Also seen on the car of Chris Ashton, is a new servo saver part, which is very similar to that seen on the RDX Phi, allowing for easy Ackermann adjustment. The steering round mounting positions are in the same position as on the original servo saver yet in this configuration it just seems to work better.

Xenon Tire Performa

Our friend Taru from Xenon has made the trip from Japan to be here and he was showing us their tire additive ‘Tire Performa’, which is in extensive use by the racers on this track. While not new in Japan, released over a year ago there, in Europe the product has just become available.

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July 23, 2008

Euros 08 – New in the Pits (Part II)

New Motonica rear end

As the drivers continue to get their laps in, in a bid to find those extra few tenths of a second and improve their run times, we took a look through the paddock to discover more new products and developments. Current European 1/10th scale Champion, Dario Balestri, is testing a new rear end on his Motonica. The car is using a prototype aluminium rear upper wishbone mount as well as prototype upper wishbones and the Italian is pleased with resulting changes in handling.

New Novarossi manifold

In the Novarossi cabin we were shown some new products that the company is testing, including a manifold. At the 1:8 Off Road Euros two weeks ago there were problems with the interputation of the new EFRA on manifolds and following clarification at the meeting on the Crete Island, Novarossi have been quick to exploit the new terms of the ruling which states the diameter of the inlet and outlet of the manifold should be 13mm. The prototype part complys to this regulation but uses a larger 15mm diameter tube (right) in an effort to gain more power. The company has seen some improvements but they say it needs further testing before they decide whether it should go into production.

Novarossi back pressure radiator

Also new from Novarossi is this back pressure radiator that their team drivers are currently running on their cars. Mounted inline with the back pressure tubing, it helps cool the gases that are flowing through it with the device measuring upwards of 80 degrees celcius when measured after a 5 minute run. Early indications from their drivers show that it does help and using it gains them a small advantage in run time, however the Novarossi team are still coming up short in this area.

KD Racing Chassis’

Also shown to us by French company KD Racing, are these machined aluminium and titanium parts. Available for Kyosho, Mugen, Serpent and Shepherd cars, these new chassis come in two versions, light and ultralight, with the difference being the amount of machining that has been done to it. The light chassis gives a saving of 50 grams, while the ultra light version, which is noticably lighter when holding it, saves 80 grams. KD Racing also have a number of other option parts including titanium mid axles, brake discs and and 2 speed oneway carriers, as well as full sets of ceramic bearings. Racers wanting custom machining can contact them with their request, with contact details being found on their website here.

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July 22, 2008

Euros 08 – New in the Pits

Back pressure adjustment

While the action on the track is heating up as the drivers finalize their setups, we took a look through the pits to see what was new here at the event. Most interesting thing being tried is this back pressure adjustment needle on the car of Massimo Fantini. Mounted in the pressure line, it can be adjusted to best suit the present conditions and is currently being tested as a way to help conserve fuel. As always at gas races conserving fuel is super important and other racers are trying similar things, with many of the front runners adopting the CRF Constant pressure device in an attempt to make the 5 minutes.

Lightened Collari axles

Also new, and spotted on the Kyosho Evolva M3 of Alberto Picco, are these Collari made lightened spring steel axles that are designed to be used together with wheel nuts to keep the wheels perfectly true. Available for both the front and rear of the car, they have been lightened through the milling of small grooves around the outside of the outer edge.

Serpent fuel tank

Another interesting thing to note is that a lot of the Kyosho Evolva M3 racers are running with a different fuel tank to the standard version. It seems the Serpent tank is the most popular and helps cure the fuel pick up problems that the original tank apparantely suffers from.

Steel Battery plate

New on the bench of Adrien Bertin are some new optional parts for the Evolva M3, some like the aluminium front upper suspension arm brackets we have seen before, but others like this steel battery plate are new and similar to versions on other cars, adding weight to this optimal place on the car.

Matrix disk wheel

Finally, for now, the front disks that come with the Matrix tires are in use by factory Kyosho racers Ilia Van Gastel and Adrien Bertin. Said to make the turn into the corner smoother, they remain as a seperate disk over the spoked wheel to retain the flex benefits of such a wheel combined with the better aerodynamics of the disk.

View our image gallery here.