June 30, 2010

New in the Pits – Associated TC6

Associated TC6

With the 1/12th Worlds now over, focus has now switched to touring car and on today’s preparation day we sat down with Team Associated who gave us the scoop on their new TC6 chassis, that is making its international debut at this race. Retaining the same lower front and rear wishbones, C-hubs and rear uprights from the TC5, the rest of the car is different. A focus on LiPo and brushless the most noticeable change is to the chassis which is very narrow and no longer sports battery slots. Mounted on top of the chassis is new bulkheads, which set closer together allow the track width to be made narrower. The spur gear has been set lower and the motor is now positioned 13mm closer to the centre line, which in turns means the LiPo sits further to the outside which means that the car is perfectly balanced down the centre line straight out of the box.

Associated TC6

The new top deck is now longer and narrower but stays at the same height as on the TC5. It acts as the top mount for the steering bell crank, which sports an adjustable bell crank arm which can be swapped out for a 2nd version which gives the driver 6 positions of Ackermann, which when then combined with the 2 mounting points on the steering arm and the second mounting position for the centre pivot of the bell crank give a huge number of Ackermann adjustments. The input lever on the bell crank has also been updated, giving it more linear and therefore slightly slower reacting steering.

Associated TC6

Other changes include extra positions on the shock towers giving you 6 options on the front and 7 on the rear. And although not seen on this car as it wasn’t ready in time, there will be all new shock absorbers that feature a bottom mounted assembly with increased stroke length, which gives 2mm more up travel at the wheel. The front bumper has also been updated, lowering the entire construction something they believe gives the car more steering by reducing the air flow under the car and it also now integrates a transponder mount. Revised lower suspension arm mount screw positions allow you to get at the screws easily as the head is now positioned on the outside. A neat feature is the use of universal parts on the car, meaning that all 4 front and rear bulkheads are interchangeable meaning you can cut down on the amount of spare parts needed for the car. These prototype TC6 cars are only in use by team drivers for now, but we are told to expect an October release.

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June 29, 2010

New in the Pits – Part 2

Yokomo R12

Yokomo are here debuting their all new R12 1/12th scale chassis and it seems to be going pretty well with World Champion Naoto Matsukura currently sitting on top of the qualifying order after 5 rounds. The cars most unique feature is the front monoshock, which unlike the original images of the car, no longer sports a spring. The front springs are now mounted on the inside of the lower A-arms which are actuated using the cars unique suspension system. This link car is pretty standard towards the rear however it does feature a different offset to most other 1/12th scales which means that it uses a unique wheel which together results in better forward traction. Yokomo are still finalising the car’s features but believe it should be available after summer.

V-Dezign Carpet Ripper 4.0

Vesa Yli and his team drivers are here running the updated V-Dezign Carpet Ripper 4.0. The cars rear pivot point has been moved further towards the front of the car which helps reduce lift in high traction, making it not so critical to drive and setup. Vesa has left it though that you can also use the rear pod from the 3.0, with holes present to ensure everything fits perfectly. The new chassis plate sports extra holes to give multiple centre shock mounting positions for further tuning options and the chassis plate will be available in 3 versions to make it possible to mount the new and old Associated front end as well as the CRC front end.

Corally SP12X brace

Corally have only a small update on their SP12X to the rear cross brace which positions the cars LiPo pack, moving it more forward than the standard part.

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June 28, 2010

New in the pits – Part 1

LRP Pulsar Touch competition

Walking around the pits here in Burgdorf there are a number of new products to be seen. As shown in our news yesterday LRP are here with their new charger, the awesome looking Pulsar Touch competition. This glossy blue charger sports a touch screen with graphic user interface as well as integrated high performance LiPo/LiFe balancer that detects differences in cells and automatically starts balancing and is in use by all their team drivers here.

Xenon Spur

New from Japanese company Xenon is their all new 1/12th scale spur gears. Featuring octagonal holes the new shape helps capture grease and therefore keep the balls lubricated at all times resulting in a better functioning and longer lasting differential. Available in 64P they come in a wide range of versions and are made to incredibly high tolerances. Xenon are also debuting their new ride height gauge with integrated camber gauge. This gauge has a huge number of steps with every 1/10th of a millimetre between 2mm to 8mm available. The ride height gauge also doubles as a quick check camber gauge with 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 & 3.5 degrees all possible.

Black Art Carbon chassis

French company Black Art are here using their updated carbon chassis for the CRC 1/12th scale. Featuring some refinements to the front of the molded tub chassis, it uses a special kind of short fibre carbon that prevents shock from being transferred throughout the chassis in the event of an impact. Black Art, who are best known for their body shells, will release the chassis in late September along with conversion kits to allow it to be used with a wide range of other manufacturers cars.

Serpent 120 Link

Serpent team driver Markus Mobers is racing here with the updated S120 Link chassis. Changes include a new rear end that sees the motor moved more to the right side for better balance. Other differences include the new central stabilising rods that replace the cars previously used floating monoshock, something that was necessary when the car went from a NiMh to a LiPo chassis. The car also sports a new flat mounted steering servo plus other little tweaks, but with the car still in the prototyping phase, no date was given for the release.

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January 10, 2010

New in the Pits – Part 2

New in the Pits - Part 2

Seen for the first time in International competition, this pre-production version of the all new Kyosho Touring car is being raced at this year’s DHI Cup by European Championship finalist Christopher Krapp, who tells us that the new car is much better balanced for use with LiPos. Developed by Shin Adachi, it features bigger bore shocks, which are also longer, new shock towers front and rear, new rear hubs, new stabilizer points front and rear and a higher top deck for accommodating LiPo packs, such as the latest Team Orion version installed in his car. The motor mount is also new and brings the motor 1mm closer to the centre line for better weight distribution.

New in the Pits - Part 2

A creative feature of this new car is the drive shaft system, which utilises a cluster of balls to connect the diff or spool to the CVD drive shaft. Due to grooves in the spool or diff drive cup, power delivery remains the same, however it’s when the suspension is under load that this system comes into its own. Conventional drive pin systems have a tendency to bind the suspension and so oil or grease is used, but it never provides truly smooth shaft travel. Thanks to the use of balls, this system glides in and out, even when under load, meaning no binding and better suspension operation.

Christopher tells us that the belt configuration of the new car is still being tested and that he uses the tradition belt layout, but that in Japan they are still doing back to back tests with the belts switched from left to right which allows the electrics to be mounted closer to the centre line of the car.

New in the Pits - Part 2

After extensive testing by former European Champion Jonas Kaerup, local company RGP have released a new diff grease here at the DHI Cup. The high quality silicone grease, which is extremely resistant to heat, is being used by a number of the top drivers here including Marc Rheinard, Viktor Wilck, Yannic Prumper and Steen Graversen because of it makes for a very smooth differential action. Available in 11 or 30 gram tubs.

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January 8, 2010

New in the Pits – Part 1

New in the Pits - Part 1

As mentioned in an earlier report, racers at this year’s DHI Cup are using the new LRP VTEC CPX control tire. Specifically design for carpet racing, this pre glued tire features a low profile design aimed at preventing traction roll on medium to high grip tracks. Another neat feature is that because the supplied rim is semi transparent, the scrutineers here who are checking the cars after the runs can easily see if any illegal or treated inserts are being used. To spice up the look of the wheel, LRP also offer decals in two different styles, giving them a BBS or spoked wheel finish.

New in the Pits - Part 1

Also new from LRP in the pits is the SXX Stock Spec speedo, which is so new that the examples that the drivers are using here are still prototype versions making this the debut race for this ESC. Being used by Alexander Stocker, Thomas Larsen, Carsten Madsen and Henry Salmen, the Stock Spec has been created specifically for this class and features dual ADPCmax Software that allows the driver independent adjustment of the feel and power delivery from the speedo. There are also some optional capacitors available for the SXX, which offer lower resistance resulting in more power.

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November 21, 2009

New in the Pits – Overview

New in the Pits - Overview

With a break in the action following qualifying we have a collection of new products showing up at the Offroad Meeting in Italy. First up from our sponsors Fast Race is a new range of optional chassis plates for the Associated RC8, Xray XB808 and Mugen MBX-6. Made from 4mm thick high quality aluminium, they are heavily and strategically machined to be lightweight yet retain their strength and stiffness. Another nice feature is that the plates feature a groove below the front and rear differential casing that can be fitted with an o-ring to retain the transmissions grease as well as keep dirt out. Another nice feature is the use of small steel balls under the downstop screws, that protect the chassis and over time offer a more consistent setting, due to the prevention on wear in this area.

New in the Pits - Overview

Fast Race also showed us the new range of Alpha engines that they have the exclusive distribution for in Italy. Available in a 5 port and two 7 port versions, they are a good quality and high performance engine. As seen in Austria Fast Race also have new wheels, which are now finally in production and available for sale in both white and fluorescent yellow.

New in the Pits - Overview

Kyosho are present with the first batch of newly arrived Inferno conversion kits to turn the regular MP9 into the MP9e. The cars did very well on their debut, taking 2nd and 3rd in the Brushless buggy final last night. Also seen on these and the gas powered Kyoshos are the new light blue springs that fit between the current blue and lime versions and new light green springs that fit between the current lime and purple springs.

New in the Pits - Overview

Bitty Design have a big presence here at the event. The Rabitti brothers are showing off their new range of Fighter buggy bodies that we wrote about a few days ago as well as their new range of BD branded clothing. The body painting specialists also have a great selection approximately 100 pre painted bodies, all featuring a unique design.

New in the Pits - Overview

New brand EZ Power from Italy are showing off their wares including this Novarossi made XS engine, a 5 port motor that features their own internal specifications. EZ Power also have a complete range of exhaust systems in the works to go with their new motors as well, with a range of manifolds, fuel tubing and air filters also available. For electric racing, with whom they supply Fabrizio Teghesi, there is a complete and extensive line of LiPo packs, from RX versions all the way up to competition packs for touring cars as well as brushless powered 1/8th scale buggies. They are currently looking for worldwide distributors.

New in the Pits - Overview

Hobao driver Jon Howell is here with a lot of prototype parts on his Hyper 9. New straight front and rear lower wishbones, as well as new front upper wishbones and steering knuckles, currently in plastic, all help to to reduce low speed turn in and increase high speed turn in by giving the car more caster. Other new parts include new diff casings with extra mounts for attaching rubber boots on the driveshafts, new rear shock tower, new rear uprights and new one piece aluminium shock tops.

View our event image gallery here.