November 9, 2008

New in the Pits – LRP X12 & SXX

LRP Electronic are here in force with Reto Koenig and Jurgen Lautenbach on hand to help their team drivers get the best out of their electronics this week. On Friday we had the first exclusive shots of the new Vector X12 brushless motor from LRP and of course that is the motor that the team are using here during the 1/12th scale Worlds.

Also new is the company’s prototype ESC, called the SXX, which is making its race debut here at the RCS. Much smaller than the previously available Sphere TC spec ESC, the new controller uses a metal plate set into a plastic frame, to which a heatsink fan combo can be applied but currently isn’t necessary for the 4 cell 1:12th scale class. The new ESC, which is also here in Nosram colours, features a revolutionary copper core cooling technology to keep the internals at a low temperature, while the controller software now has 10 power profiles to select from for finer adjustment of power delivery. Also new is what the company calls X.Brake which provides stronger braking, and it too has 10 adjustment settings which can be set by the 2 new externally mounted buttons. Expect a March 2009 release.

View our event image gallery for more photos. 

November 9, 2008

New in the pits – Xray XII

As mentioned yesterday on our news page as well as in our 1:12th scale introduction piece, Xray are the latest manufacturer to enter the market, with the XII. We were able to get up close and personal with the LRP X12 powered example belonging to Factory Xray driver Alexander Hagberg from Sweden. Already in it’s second version, following feedback from the team after a recent test at the RCS track, the car is in appearance at least very similar to other brands on the market. Chief designer Juraj Hudy, who has limited experience of the class, says that while the car may be similar in appearance to others out there, that is more a reflection of the state of development of the class which has seen chassis design developed to a point where extra performance can only be found in small refinements. Featuring a T-bar, which some believe would be more suited to a lower traction surface, as opposed to the trailing link design seen on the CRC and Associated cars, the cars debut later today will be closely watched by all racers and manufacturers present.

More images of the XII can be found in our event gallery here.

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.

View our image gallery here.

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.

View our image gallery here.

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.

View our image gallery here.

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.

View our image gallery here.