scoobydo

iTrader: (1)

For a long time Yokomo used to be the IT car if you wanted high end.
However, now with HPI and Tamiya putting out similar top end cars, Yokomo took a hit. The world is a great car, but it now has competition. Throw Xray into the mix and many racers now have a multiple of cars to choose from for top end luxury cars.

JayBee

iTrader: (31)

Which car/cars are competition with the SDW? I see only Tamiya...

- jaybee

Jeff Brown

I don't think it is a "Japan Death Grip" as it is.......... they are simply putting more money towards it. The US is all about carpet/foam tire racing. Not many people spend time and/or money anymore for the rubber tire scene. A car is a car in the hands of the best in the world.

Jeff

RCknight

iTrader: (5)

More and more I want a car company that has the upmost quality in mind and continues to do R&D work. Making things easier to use and work on. There are so many car companies out there it's amazing any of them can make a profit. The market is flooded. In this business you better make yourself stand out. Apparently X-ray and HPI's Pro 4 have done it.

I would say that AE and Losi are not deversified enough. I know AE said they would never make little toys, but they have changed their philosophy now. In this business, if your just going to make race cars, you better get it right. Very risky on car design alone. My two cents.

Downforce

You guys talk about these American companys and you forget the little known fact that HPI is an American company. I met Tasura Wantanabee(I know the spelling is off) and he started HPI when he was in school in Calif. He moved the headquarters to Japan but still lives in Calif.

Green?.....I thought Josh with CEFX took that?

Potato

I don't think ALL of the U.S. is about carpet/foam tire racing. I live in California and have not been to a single carpet track. All I race on is rubber on asphalt. I remember years ago when touring car racing was just getting started. They were just Tamiya TA01 and TA02's racing around a parking lot track made from old firehose in front of the local hobby shop. That was the original appeal of touring cars - their rubber tires and suspensions made them perfect for the less than perfect parking lot surfaces. Where pro10 cars could not run, touring cars could. They were easy to get into, easy to drive, and easy to race. I don't see the rubber tire scene in the U.S. dying any time soon. For it to die would mean the death of the very thing that started it all.

Entropy

Probably coz of Cali's proximity to Japan and Asia...

vi3tishduy

In colorado, I havnt heard of any carpet or foam tire racing, I only use rubber...

vi3tishduy

On your oppinion wahts the best japanese R/C company well, that produce good 1/10 ETC's... PM ME!

lem2

iTrader: (6)

What ever kit we have--- as long as it makes us happy.
We can own several kits but still drive only one at a time, that's why from 5 kits, i sold everything and left with my yoke which, makes me happy!

Maybe the US made companies are conervative in their R&D since they were still winning races with their kits, but now that the Tamiya's/Xray and other kits are dominating they may go back to the drawing board or hire a better driver.

american kits are made to work perfectly with lesser bling factor and that the Americans now want a car that has a lot of Bling Factor that could be found on the other non american kits.

Bottom line is---- whatever makes us Happy!
Peace and Happy Racing!

Jeff Brown

I am not talking about the local scene and obviously this thread isn't either as they are talking about the Worlds........ that is fine that tracks are using Rubber tires and carpet. Obviously on asphalt they are using rubber tires.

I just meant all the big races in the US are catering to the foam tire market......... Novak Race, Snowbirds, US Indoor Champs...... even ROAR the last 2 years was foam tires.

I'll run rubber tires on carpet but the going trend is foam tires on carpet. I don't see AE or Losi spending time testing on rubber tires......... whether it is carpet or asphalt. Tamiya and HPI are putting a lot of effort into the racing scene.

Besides, asphalt racing in Asia is what it is here in the US. It is tough to prepare for something if you don't spend a ton of time preparing for. I spent a lot of time getting ready for the Worlds. Doesn't make up for years of testing.

Jeff

speedxl

In Florida thats all we do is race asphalt with rubber tires. And Its great. Almost like and equalizer of sorts because the grip is lower so driving style and finnese are a major role in be sucsessful. On foam its who ever has the biggest brass balls and can hold the throttle longer.
The asians and eurpeans enjoy this type of racing, and unless you have time doing it you wont understand. Thats why they dont care to test on foams as here in the states. As long as the people in this country stay narrow minded about racing it will never be what racing in Europe and Asia is. The gap will just get bigger!

lem2

iTrader: (6)

Wish we had EP Foam race here in Manila, but i guess its will be pretty expensive for us. Foams are mostly used on Nitro cars here in Manila. When we used to have Carpet track we just run 26 or 28 sorex. Still have my 1/12 which I ran at our asphalt track and just two batteries and the foam tires are a mess.

Peace and Happy Racing!

johnbull

Having read through these 2 pages I see that 95% of the posts have been written by people in the US.

With the greatest respect I think you need to look further than that.

How many of you know, for instance, that the TC3 has been European touring car champ for the last 3 years, despite very aggressive attempts to dethrone it by other manufacturers.

Associated has won more World championships than probably all the other manufacturers put together.

But what bugs me is the fuss about X Ray. Ok so they won a couple of big ones in the states recently, but considering the effort they put into it, what else have they ever won.....anywhere!

We under estimate manufacturers like Schumacher and Corally yet they both have world championship tags to carry with their names. Does this mean nothing?

As for the Japs, Yokomo do it all at too small a level when it comes to racing Internationally. They have Masami and he is brilliant - dare I say the best. When a very young Hara drove for Yokomo he won a World Championship. I am quite sure that if Yokomo put a bit more effort into it they would be winning more. They are relying too strongly on Masami, but brilliant as he is, we have to admit he is getting on a bit.

Tamiya have only recently started taking RC racing seriously. They picked some world class drivers - mostly very young, and look what they have done.

HPI have Hara - probably the quickest all rounder.

I could carry on - but I won't get any work done.

Frank McKinney

HPI is not a strictly US or JP company, there is a US, JP and EU branch and they all do design work, testing and racing for the cars.

AE has won more World championships than the other manufacturers, but in off-road, 1/12 and 1/10 scale. They've never won a TC World Champs.

Just to throw more fuel on the fire, the recent issue of Radio Race Car International (a UK magazine) has a report of the recent TC world champs and under a picture of the AE team talking at the side of the track it says, "'well guys that was c***'...! Team Associated ponder what might have been"

The Japanese market is just so high-speed that manufacturers feel they have to release several new option parts a month, and when racers think they've maxed out a car, the move on to another one (a generalization of course). So they're always pushing the envelope.

Besides, a car is only as good as its driver. Hire the best drivers and you get the best results. Off-road guys can point to Losi's results in recent years as an example.