tcfree

Yes you are correct the new AE ride will be launched @ the fair!!!!

Ste.

ottoman

iTrader: (13)

Eight months man your going on 8 years (TC3) Maybe its time for a new car

ff01

have ever seen the car in irl ?
i have

ruinn

Car still rocks for what and where I run. Stock and 19 turn.

robk

iTrader: (22)

Hmm...corally won like two Roar mod titles in a row on carpet, not to mention the numerous stock and 19t wins. All that with a 3 (4??) year old car that is only now being replaced. Considering AE has lost a lot of drivers (Baker, blackstock, etc) they do ok. Not to mention, it took Xray a LONG time to get to where they where. That pivotball car was not going anywhere at the beginning. Only when they got decent talent and got the c hub suspension working did they really start making hay (FKO4). But you expect AE to shoot a car out in under a year's development and magically kick everybody's ass with it. Xray does have a great product and great drivers, but they have built on like 5 or 6 years of development in touring cars only. The 1/8 buggy didn't happen until they had the TC worked out. I just don't get how Associated is supposed to come up with an all new platform and have it be dominant in under a year? Granted, I'm waiting to see how the car works out too, but you're comaparing apples to oranges (prototype vs. 007).

wallstreet

iTrader: (24)

Yeah i agree with Rob



and like rob i will get this car...... Bob you read this .... rob and i love you

ruinn

no you are absotuely correct, no one wanted the XRAY until it did what? WIN. Now what percentage of people at your track have them? I don't expect AE to develope a car in a year but if they want people to buy the car, they have to hire the personel and win races and that is all there is to it. Do you think they would be building a new car if the TC4 was still winning every weekend? The problem is that they waited until the car was getting beat consitantly before they made a started developing the new car. They sat on there hands for I don't know how many years collecting. There is no doubt in my mind they will make a come back but they could have stayed there if they would have been on top of their game.

Joel Lagace

iTrader: (4)

You know what?

I have always felt that AE shot them selves in the foot when they released the TC4. Not because it sucked. But simply because they released the wrong car! They should never have dropped the TEAM car first. To many people crapped on the car for not looking new. IF they had released the FACTORY TEAM as the TC4 debut, i bet you they would have sold way more units and when the TEAM was later released to the budget crowd i bet it would have been better received.

If this car comes out looking like the rest, the loyal AE drivers will likely grab the thing. What will make it a better hit is if they can price cut the rest as well.

ottoman

iTrader: (13)

AE isnt a huge company with a dozen engineers. Remember after the TC3 they also came out with the NTC3.... the B4, T4 the new nitro gas truck... the MST and now the new 1/8th scale buggy and some others I cant think of at the moment. They are spread pretty thin with one guy doing the TC5 design and development.

ruinn

spread thin I don't buy that, like you said earlier 8 years for new TC. I don't consider TC4 new car, just a tc3 with a bit of a face lift. There was really no need to buy TC4 if you had a tc3 with mods done.

Dasupacat1

iTrader: (25)

It's hard to believe AE putting all pressure on one guy to design this thing. No wonder it looks like a XRay.

Dane

iTrader: (26)

I think this new evolution in touring comes from how relatively young the class is. The TC3 was one of the first cars to truly have potiental to make the scene grow and it did. Losi came out with the XXX-S which provided very similar performance but TC3, being one (if the first) competitive car, was still a crowd favorite. In theory, AE was smart to upgrade its platform to accommodate many of the racer's specs but unfortantley took it to a new level of performance. Timing was huge in this process because shortly after, Tamiya figured out the belt platform with the 415 which surpassed every car, including the TC3/4. AE stayed stuck in the old design and tried to push the limit of the design with the FT TC4. The new belt revolution isn't happening because of new suspensions or geometry but relies heavily on the fact that belts work better and can now attain CG that the TC3's shaft had and lower.

With that said, AE must try to stay competitive. They were once the best and are now nearly inexistent. Unless something comes from R&D that changes the scene again, I expect another clone car. Right now, durability and ease of adjustment/maintance are the items in contention as most of the new cars are all fast. The TC3 molopoly is over for all companies.

It makes no sense to bash AE for coming out with another XRAY because all the cars that we call fast follow a similar recipe. AE must change for the best and will be back in the game - they just allowed this revolution to knock them backwards and at the current rate, it will be nearly impossible to come with another "TC3".

Have pride with what you drive and respect AE's effort - regardless of the past devastating combo between timing and laziness.

ttso

iTrader: (1)

I'm comparing early photo of TC5 and the latest one from DHI. The bulkhead seems changed slightly, I guess it's for production purpose as ned bulkhead seems easier to manufacture. However, something really catch my eye with HUGE concern.

The suspension arm kingpin holder, seems to screw from inside the bulkhead, the Xray T1 style.

This would make the inbound toe-changing a big headache. Xray T2 correct this with screw from outside of kingpin holder, a perfect solution. I only hope the production version of TC5 has the same screw from outside on kingpin holder.

nitro_racer23

I hope the TC5 is kind on rubber tires because with battery technology and the power were getting from brushless motors it starting to chew tires quicker. im sure most tire manufactures are upto the challange.
just my 2 cents

cheers
Chris

ruinn

AMEN.