SCHUMACHER >>> Schumacher had an excellent presence at the show this year, showing off many of their own products, as well as products from companies that they distribute in the US, such as Titanium Racing and Take Off tires.

New from Schumacher is the Menace 21 stadium truck, featuring a 4WD drivetrain, a .21-sized engine, and a 3-speed transmission. While everybody else is battling it out with the biggest monster trucks possible, Schumacher has opted for speed, claiming the Menace 21 to be the fastest production 4WD truck available with speeds of over 70MPH out of the box. To make everybody happy, the Menace is available both as a ready-to-run and an "almost" ready-to-run, so you can save some money and use your existing radio gear. It also features a completely sealed drivetrain, aluminum shocks, an alloy chassis, and much more.

Also sitting in the Schumacher booth was the prototype for the MI2 sedan, the follow-up to Schumacher's successful Mission. For the moment, the MI2 retains the same basic layout as the Mission, but offers a number of improvements. One of its more interesting features is a removable, adjustable battery tray, that allows for minor adjustments in the battery pack's placement. Many other sedans offer front/rear pack placement, but the adjustment is usually so severe that it makes no sense to change it; with the MI2, the batteries can be slightly adjusted to suit a particular track or driving style.

			Cars and trucks on display at Schumacher's booth. The Menace 21 trucks sit at the top of the podium, along with the Nitro XTR 3E, the Nitro Fusion, and at the bottom, the MI2 prototype.

			The prototype of the successor to the Schumacher Mission, currently dubbed the MI2. Notice some of the subtle differences, such as the placement of the drivetrain, the suspension mounting blocks, and the adjustable battery tray.

			Close up views of the bottom of the MI2 and its adjustable battery position.

			Schumacher's current production touring car, the Mission. The car has seen success all over the world and has proven that dual-belt cars are still quite viable in today's racing environment.

			After a devasting fire that gutted their European factory and destroyed tens of thousands of dollars worth of machining equipment, Titanium Racing has made a triumphant return to the marketplace and their product lines are expanding once again. Schumacher is the US distributor for Titanium Racing.

			These lightweight, titanium-alloy CVDs are some of the lightest, smoothest feeling CVDs we have encountered. To maximize durability, Titanium Racing has added a small steel "sleeve" at the pin joints, minimizing wear.

			With an excellent variety of colors and patterns, these Hot Works touring wheels are now available through Schumacher. There's never been an easier, cheaper way to dress up your car!

You can visit Schumacher on the web at www.racing-cars.com.

SERPENT >>> The big news from Serpent this year was their new 950-R 1/8th-scale on-road car. In addition to everything that made the Serpent 950 the top choice of racers around the world, the 950-R features adjustable wheel-base and roll center, a lay down throttle servo to lower the car's center of gravity, adjustable front belt tension, and new suspension parts and changes to the front of the car. How good is the Serpent 950 series of cars? Ralph Burch Jr. just won the 1/8th-scale ROAR Nationals with his! Sadly, my photos of the new car did not turn out, though I suggest you read about the new car on Serpent's web site below.

Also on display at Serpent's booth were its 705 and 835 on-road cars, the Nova Mega engines it distributes, and products from Hudy and XRay (both of which have their own listings in this show coverage -- be sure to check them out). Serpent was also showing a new nitro engine break-in bench, the first product of its kind that I can remember seeing in a long while.

			The Serpent 705 is one of the top nitro touring sedans on the market today, borrowing heavily from the concepts that have made Serpent's 235mm and 1/8th-scale cars the top of their class for years.

			Although 1/10th-scale 235mm racing is not as popular as 200mm classes in the United States, it is still a great way for 1/10th-scale drivers to get a feel for the bigger cars, and remains a popular class worldwide, supported by IFMAR and other sanctioning bodies. The Serpent 835 is at the top of its class, and can be configured in both 2WD and 4WD versions.

			This is the new Serpent Engine Break-in Bench for your nitro engines. By using a controlled-load break-in process, the procedure used by this bench will ensure proper fit of the internal components of a nitro engine, allowing for longer life and higher power output.

You can visit Serpent on the web at www.serpent-usa.com.

SMARTECH >>> Smartech is the common name for the Perfect International Group, a multinational conglomerate of toy manufacturers and distributors. Many of Smartech's products are R/C-related, with different sorts of land vehicles, boats and even helicopters. Smartech was showing nearly all of their 2004 product line-up at the show, including a number of nitro-powered racing sedans, ready-to-runs, Euro-trucks, off-road buggies, and much, much more. For a complete product listing and line-up, check out their website below.

			Some of the many vehicles and models being shown off in the Smartech booth. With many, many different ready-to-run kits available, the company is a hobbyist's dream come true.

You can visit Smartech on the web at www.smartechracing.com.

SVM CRONO >>> SVM Crono is likely best known for their excellent large scale vehicles, especially in the 1/5th-scale arena. Their MK series of 1/5th-scale on-road cars has redefined price and performance in the genre, with fully ready-to-run kits coming in at just over $1000. Boasting 4.8+ HP Zenoah engines that run on standard gasoline and pre-mix oil, the MK cars have plenty of power and can get close to 40 minutes of run time on a single tank.

This year marks the release of SVM Crono's new MK6 car, a replacement for the MK5 pictured below. Sadly, my photographs of it were lost, though I encourage you to check out SVM Crono's website below for all the details. Meanwhile, it's worth noting that the new car will have all of the same great features that the MK5 had, with new additions, tons of alloy parts, and a comparable low price.

Meanwhile, the MK5 RTR is still available, for a street price of about $1100. The kit includes Hitec large-scale servos and a complete Airtronics MX3 computer radio system, an 1100 mAH receiver pack along with a dual-purpose charger for the receiver and radio batteries, a pre-painted, pre-trimmed body, pre-mounted tires, and pretty much everything else taken care of so you can hit the track right away. SVM Crono also makes the RS01 1/8th-scale offroad buggy, which is available both in kit and ready-to-run versions. The RTR version includes the same radio equipment as the MK5, and even a starter box for easy starting. We can't wait to see what this company comes up with next, since their designs are always innovative and well-constructed, and their prices can't be beat.

			The RS01 1/8th-scale buggy from SVM Crono. Available in either kit form or as a ready-to-run, the RS01 is powered by a Crono RS3 .21-sized engine made by Novarossi, boasting 2.40HP. With close attention paid to the race-worthiness of the buggy, there is no doubt that the RS01 will be competitive right out of the box, even as an RTR.

			SVM Crono's current production 1/5th-scale car, the MK5. Available as a complete ready-to-run kit, the MK5 includes absolutely everything you'd need to race besides fuel, and is competitive on the track out of the box. You'd expect to pay a ton for this, but the price is better than anything else we've seen. A new generation of the car, the MK6, is just around the corner.

You can visit SVM Crono on the web at www.svmcrono.com.