metalnut

iTrader: (36)

My take on this is based on what I see at my local club, which has many national-level racers and even more good and great racers that follow their lead. When a new chassis shows up, people jump all over it. Let's not kid ourselves, we all love playing with toy cars and we all want something new and shiny to play with. TC6.1 was hot, then Xray T4 2013 came out so everyone got that. People then moved on to other kits, but when 2014 came out, guess what? A bunch of anodized orange hit our track. That orange turned blue when TC6.2 came out, but now people have steered over to ARC, VBC and Awesomatix, but I guarantee that we'll see a number of 2015 T4s show up sometime soon.

Many (obviously not all) people who regularly race RC can afford these toys, so they buy them. Only a small percentage will actually feel and use the benefits of the new/improved geometry and parts, the rest just want something to build and discuss online

That's my $0.02

SpidarX

iTrader: (3)

How important is the addition of the ARS? Seems like this would really be a big improvement for dialing in rear traction. Is this going to be standard on touring cars from here on?

Sean B.

iTrader: (13)

Looks good. I'll probly just keep the 14 though and pick up the roll center top clamps. The rest of it looks kind of just filler.

Dusttt

iTrader: (144)

I am surprised that they didn't follow the trend with the lay shaft bulkheads not being attached to the top deck. I know you can take screws out but it still contacts it.

Car looks good but I am wondering if it will be as fast as my 14 with the smokem T4V7 conversion.

erchn

iTrader: (7)

I still say, the motor and servo mount are solid changes. People underestimate how much the servo moves, and the motor mount on the '14 can definitely cause a tweak in a crash.

erchn

iTrader: (7)

There's no reason to have the lay shaft screws installed through the top deck. It's all about flexibility. I find more steering with them installed in higher bite situations.

malcnz

exactly the reason i stopped buying xray as got sick of having to if i wanted to keep up buying a new car every year and cant see why they dont extend the interval and release some upgrades over this time.

metalnut

iTrader: (36)

Well, I still have a beat up T4 '13, it took some serious abuse on asphalt this summer. If my EVO.6 doesn't work out, I'll be getting the 2015 for sure. I have no interest in any other brand, the only reason I strayed towards Tamiya is for the shaft drive. I'm an Xray fan boy through and through since they make me look like a decent driver and don't shatter when I smash them into pipes

bd581

If you look at it from Xrays business point of view.
Releasing a new/upgraded kit means they don't get left behind with development, they don't have the aftermarket coming in and fixing any problems, plus they will always get the people who must have the newest version of everything.
I don't find it an issue doing what they do. I think its good business sense.

Besides, what's really the difference with them compared to the others?
TC6,then 6.1 and 6.2 all in fairly quick succession.
What is there now, 75 versions of the yokomo BD7?
Now there is a '15 version.
There wouldn't be much more than a year between the TRF418 and 419.

So why the issue with xray?

Brokin Racing

iTrader: (74)

2 Ordered...

Had Xray from FK05 onward & whilst I've bought many other brands (merely for comparisons sake, but no more) I see no reason to change...

Dan

iTrader: (75)

As long as the consumer is willing to keep buying new cars every year, X-Ray will continue to do so. They are a company needing to make money after all. Not sure why people complain, its not like they have a gun to your head.

It doesn't take much investment on their end these days. You think about it, the plastic molds for suspension are re-used for a while (since the molds cost money). The rest of the car is all graphite and aluminum, which only have material cost, no mold is required. They are just cut and machined by CNC. A design change only involves a program change, not an investment in molds like the old days when there were plastic tubbed cars and companies needed to sell them cheaper and in larger volume to offset mold cost.

Bishop

iTrader: (5)

Someone followed up your post with one quite on point, to include a second rear steering system in the box, but not give us even the most basic of other tuning options in the box?, I know it's not a huge deal, but it's just a failing from most makers of these cars.

And yes, everyone fits double jointed CVs, often front and rear now, it's like the number one part everyone must buy, yet with Xray it's one of their most expensive options, and they still don't include it.

Low friction belts also seem to be commonly used by team drivers, where are they in the kits?, front diff is becoming a highly used tuning option, also not in the kit, yet there is now two sets of rear arms and knuckles etc?

I like to see designs that make cars easier to work on, when I see missed chances to do so, I'm always disappointed, I can't help feeling they could have greatly improved pinion and spur access, made the lay-shaft separation better tuning wise.


But, I always look at many kits, and frequently wish I could combine 5 models/brands into what I think would be a near perfect kit, someone is always getting it right where someone is getting it wrong.

I have no issue with the need to constantly release new kits, they do it to not get left behind, even if they are not being left behind, the market demands you do so now.
What does get me though is the constant changes to suit specific team and event needs vs the majority of racers needs, one track wonder cars etc, made to suit one track and or one condition, where it will often be ok outside of that, but will be a gun if the conditions are right.
No idea how you stop the companies doing that though.

blackshark3

Agree completely! I was disappointed when the t414 was out and more so this time.... The CSO T4 upgrade chassis suddenly seems like a T416 lol, and I take the DCJ instead of the ARS anytime. As such, this year again I have one less car to buy in my shopping list, keep running my updated T413 (maybe waitbto buy aftermarket parts of the upper camber link mounts), and happily wait for my reserved TRF 419.

malcnz

I guess I like to see value in a kitset as they arent cheap over here and what bothers me as well is that often they make enough changes to make an upgrade kit to expensive which is clever on there part but not good for the consumer but I guess as long as racers buy them every year they will keep making them.

Bishop

iTrader: (5)

Note, I bought the T414 almost purely because I looked at the toe/roll block system, and had to have that, cheap all in kit tuning, pure brilliance, to me it was the stand out feature and selling point.

I'd like to have seen the new active rear toe system released purely as an option, likewise they should have just had the new bulkheads with bearing roll bars etc as a option, they altered enough though on the new kit though that I suspect some of the new requires you to buy the new car, this seems a common thing now with the brands, they really do want you to buy a new kit to get the new features.

Edit: Taking a second look at the ARS system, I'm struggling to think why they did not just do a quick redesign of the alloy front toe blocks to give you a mount for the inner ARS link, the only reason not to in my mine, is to sell you the new car by making it chassis specific, hopefully someone smart in the aftermarket will CNC some modifyed front rear toe blocks so everyone can use the new ARS system.