badassrevo

iTrader: (12)

It's ok. I have the best of both worlds! An electric Losi 8ight.

Jack Smash

iTrader: (35)

Alot of places I have talked to have seen a resurgence in electric offroad. Last year at our club, electric was probably 15% of the racers. The last race we had it was about 50%. People are finding electric cars to be less time consuming and easier to maintain.

DanGriffin

Scott54 - aren't all rc cars toys? You should feel fortunate that your track gets as many electrics as it does nitro cars. Theres not a track in my region that is that way.

Ed237

iTrader: (11)

I appreciate someone who actually knows something about the issue helping to put it in proportion. Thanks to Lars we know its more about the decline in electric tracks, kits, sales etc, than pulling out of racing alltogether:

electric offroad is losing to nitro offroad . . . I love electric offroad, and it's unfortunate to see..

Its hard to argue that one right now. Just as long as the committment to racing continues and the Drake and the whole team still get to go to the nitro off road worlds, whenever or wherever that is!

annie_himself

iTrader: (5)

I think electric off-road is coming up. Look at all the new buggies, Academy, Kyosho, B44, whats next? Losi is losing out now.

JamesnMeyer

iTrader: (41)

So based on what Lars has said, Losi is dropping out of the 1/10 scale scene to focus soley on 1/8 scale. Perhaps it's their lack of interest in the 1/10 scene that accounts for their drop in sales.

schmelme

iTrader: (13)

Lots of good points brought up by some people. I agree that the 8ight is losi's bread and butter now and they need to ride that wave while its going. But the fact they didnt even try to compete at the ROAR onroad nats and are dropping out of the worlds doesnt say much for Team Losi Racing as its called.
I think it would be different story if losi had found success with the current electric stuff but they really havent. They need a spark with a car to see a surge of sales like the eight created. I also agree nitro is king now but for the midwest nitro is a short season compared to the indoor electric racing. We cant keep an AE kit on the shelf and the fact that they have local,national and worldwide success cant be ignored. Lots of people run what the fast guys run thats why the 8ight is selling ,cant argue that. Keep an eye on the kyosho team. Gil is racer, who want to build RACE cars and trucks.

CarbonJoe

Which is the reason that Gil Losi Jr. left Losi and went to Kyosho.

CarbonJoe

That threw me for a loop marshalling the buggy race at Reagan Park a few weeks ago. I thought that you flamed out since it wasn't making any noise, at least until you goosed the throttle.

quakeass

iTrader: (3)

Gas is big now. Wait for the cold and the snow and everbody goes back to indoor racing with EP buggys and trucks.

AzBobby

iTrader: (1)

X-Factory had better source their 4wd car parts from somewhere else.



Yea just call the BJ4WE factory for your parts. oh wait i mean AE, wait again i mean TT.

it is disturbing to see that this is Losi's new position. i agreee that they are getting to involved in the Toys R Us brand cars. and for what another 3 grand a year as opposed to like 8 or even 10 grand a year alone from all of us also rans, in buying new kits. worse yet i love my 8ight, yet i am even more glad now that my RC8 is on order.

POUNDITRACING

iTrader: (10)

just because losi is not sending any drivers dosen't meen that the car won't be there. It just means that someone else is paying the bill.

I agree that you hae to ride the wave of the 8 and the 8T.

As for the electric side there was someone in charge of designing the new cars and they have found another team now. I drove AE for a few years and just recently switched and I have had nothing but headaches. Evetything from Tranny cases, A arms, E-clps, screws coming loose in the middle of races, Stripped chassies,and warnout t-plates. I'm more consistant with Losi but sure do miss having the fast laps.

Lars Johnson

iTrader: (5)

i did not say they were dropping out, just that the big market - world wide - is nitro offroad. It's business - you have to put focus on the hot market, or you will starve. Toyota didn't stop selling 4Runners because they can't keep Prius' on the lot. Losi is not going to stop selling 2wd or 4wd kits, just because they're skipping this years' worlds. You guys ever stop to think that they might be working on something new? this is purely speculation from me, but for example no one had a clue about the prototype JRX-4 in Italy, and they simply showed up and threw it down.

point is - most people in the hobby have no idea what goes on behind closed doors, at any chassis/motor/battery/tie rod/paint/ballcup manufacturer. They're not sending a team to the worlds, but they are willing to ship Drake to gas races in Italy, then Columbus, then England, then Arizona, then Nevada, then North Carolina, then (fill in the blank)... If that doesnt tell you guys what their focus currently is, i dont know what more can be said.

I'm glad to see tracks like the one Jack Smash referenced, where electric is picking back up. I wish it was the same way in Colorado. However, i've got 3 dialed nitro tracks within 2 hours of my house, and a 4th under construction. And yes, i know there are 84,729,012 4wd cars out there right now - but why are there not the same number of 2wd's? are they That hard to design? Are other companies scared to try and compete with AE and TL? I know Kyosho's given it a shot, and a good one at that - where's everyone else?

Lars Johnson

iTrader: (5)

Also, Matt Chambers made the 2wd and Truck A's, running for Losi/Novak. And actually, there were more Losi cars than AE's in the 2wd Mod main...

gasser

iTrader: (3)

I agree with Lars 100%. The main market is in 8th buggy and Arena Truck. Losi had 8 or 9 (more than any other manufacturer) drivers qualify for the 08 IFMAR Buggy Worlds a few weeks ago at the buggy Nats. and my money is on all of them being at the Worlds. The 8ight and 8ight T have probably out sold any other buggy or truggy kit 3 times over in the last 12 months. If you look at the top 40 from the 8th buggy Nats you will see most of the very best offroad racers in the US.