Dare I suggest it? At the risk of being flamed to death....
Nearly all the major manufacturers have a FWD TC now. X Ray, Awesomatix, Destiny, etc, and the list goes on.
And the list of appropriate bodies grows every week from Bitty, Protoform, Rcon, etc.
The actual full-size TCR series is going blockbusters! So do we head down this road for r/c as well?
The potential to attract people other than our existing racer database is huge, because they LOOK like real race cars....

Why not? The risk we have is diluting what little driver base we have among more classes, probably more an issue over here than in the east but if thats what people want to race I am not against it.

I had an FF03 once and remember it as being one of the easiest on roaders to drive (that was with a Honda Civic lid no set up on the local street) , I've looked at the T4F but can't rationalize it right now.

I think the way TC Bodies are going, they don't look like anything people can relate to, the Trucks had that appeal but over here that flamed out very quickly as people took it too seriously and conflict ensued.

Or 1/12 which look like moving door stops, they tried making 1/12 here a GT style body class until the local fast guy found he shaved 0.3 a lap by going to the wedge so everyone else followed like the proverbial blind sheep

I think entry level needs to be that entry level, rtr TT01 / TT02 with kit bodies and bearings only upgrade. That never lasts though. We open it up to experienced racers to get numbers, to promote the class, they trounce the field and the new guys get discouraged figure screw this I'll just hack around the car park it's cheaper.

Catch 22.

To grow the hobby we need to change OUR attitude. We need to have less emphasis on classes, RCRA rules, trophy meets, control motors, and all the other bs that we've shoveled on ourselves and just go out and have fun, and encourage others to do just that.

I like the back to basics TT01/TT01 RTR idea as well. The pace of the lead cars in supposed beginer VTA and stock 21.5 classes is so fast, a genuine beginer would struggle to be competitive in a $300 RTR package. Bring back the Tamiya series of yesteryear and watch the sport grow again.

Is the intent to provide a FWD experience, or aim for the TCR looks? If the aim is looks, why not run a class using FWD bodies on normal TC chassis? Easy way to test the waters, no need to buy new chassis.

This - so much.
If you look at the different clubs and the way some people act from an outsiders point of view - it is a real turn off. Because there are guy\gals 30+ years in age racing toy cars and getting upset when it doesn't work.
Thats not fun for anyone or any kid.

However this seems to be accepted as the norm in this hobby. From sponsored drivers to those that call themselves champion drivers. In fact I have had a so called champ driver tell me out right, "no one cares about your attitude or how you treat others - what matters is I win and thats what people see on social media."

That is so, so wrong! Even that kind of thinking with this hobby is wrong - yet its allowed to happen (More off road in my experience) - and that is whats wrong, core people and clicky groups that really just keep to them selves for that .001 edge that they wouldn't DARE share with anyone.

Personally I have seen a club where people didn't do that, where they shared tips and setups and all helped each other. Because the drivers made the diff, not the cars. IMO that needs to be the norm and that will grow the hobby.

As a hobby we need to be more conscious of how we present ourselves to the outside world. Look at the state of things now:

We have a regulatory body which has had no change in the past few years, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest they are very argumentative when challenged.
We have sponsored Drivers in the 'lower tier' classes of 21.5 and 13.5. Sorry when I started the big wigs raced Mod
Social Media is just continual advertising. Every backyard pundant has a blog and a facebook post after an event "thanking his sponsors"

To an outsider this looks like a professional sport that they shouldn't even try to venture into, which it is NOT. We do not have cash prizes, we're a bunch of grown men fighting it out for a $5 trophy and some of what you see is pretty disgusting when viewed in the scheme of things.

Personally I'd like to see clubs cut the crap and push for the newer drivers, run an entry level class like a TT-01 or TT-02 stock spec, have 'seasoned' drivers available to help them and to marshall that race and give feedback on their driving, how to get better. It is not and should not be beneath them but again thats attitude, one of the hardest things to do over here is to get a team driver to actually go out and marshall!

Maybe a year or so where there are NO STATES OR NATIONALS. Get back to grass roots club racing, having fun and helping each other out, not hoarding your set up like the proverbial codes to the nukes.

Maybe what I envisage is a bit idealistic, people tend to get very defensive when you suggest that maybe they are part of the issue, but in this case maybe we all are.

Yeah, I'd have thought perhaps starting a FWD class firstly. The TCR bodyshells will naturally follow suit.

As for FWD bodies on 4WD TC chassis, assuming a club doesn't push the ROAR-approved body rule too hard, then I don't see why you couldn't. I was planning on doing this myself anyway.

Really! This is a thread about TCR and there have been some other discussions on entry level classes both of which which RCRA are unlikely to ever regulate and you have put a little dig in about your petty differences with the electric committee. Wrong place and time.

I have no interest in petty little digs, I'm not that subtle

My only interest here is a conversation in growing the hobby, whether that be FWD tourers or Novice specific events or Tamiya Dancing Trikes

But YOU mentioned RCRA not me (I could have been referring to Ifmar, Efra, Roar, The Stonecutters....), and frankly they are not really something that I pay much attention to these days. It's just toy car racing to me, which is why I started running mod, no motor bs to deal with

This is after all meant to be a fun hobby right?

As a life long FWD RC fan I think a TCR class would be great -as long as it doesn't just become yet another 4WD TC class, just with different bodies. One of the many things that disappointed me about the FWD rules at AOC was the copy and paste from 4wd TC attitude to the rules.

I think at the moment we have a couple of opportunities to cash in on connections to "real" racing - TCR, VTA/TCM and doing something like a one chassis control class and stick some 911 bodies on them.

What we have to not do is instantly start having a hundred events for them and try getting them in every state and national event. Any rules should be simple but absolute.. and whats the point of "trialing" a class with unrelated chassis's etc that will handle totally differently to the intended ones - just over complicates the whole thing

As for a few other things mentioned, the only thing I'll say is - Its time to stop trying to build on a base rule set that has to be at least 30 years old and to start trying to be proactive rather than reactive all the time - IMO the whole Awesomatix FWD is a perfect example of that

Well my original thread got hijacked into other areas but its back on track now. I'm not talking Tamiya class, or entry-level class. I'm talking competition-grade FWD chassis, WITHOUT the mega-aero 'dont actually look like anything' sedan shells. I'm talking the readily available semi-scale TCR type shells.
And also...NOT the 'normal' motors, how about the Hobbywing systems from the Minis, more than enough power, and $150 all up and no 'motor of the month' club.
I don't for a million years think it will happen, I'd just like to see something other 3 or 4 classes that all have the same chassis and bodies and the only difference is the motor.
I'll post my address later so people can firebomb my house for daring to suggest this.