Originally Posted by
theblackmik
Thanks for all the replies!
Based on your replies, it seems that there is a huge difference in terms of performance for old vs new rc chassis, is this really the case for these entry level RC's?
I tend to believe that newer isn't always better, with that bejng said, would the TA05 v2's motor mounting position (better based on what I've read vs TB04 due to better tunability) compensate for it's aged design?
If you want the fastest entry level that'd be an Xpress xq1s, but I'm also a Tamiya fanboy. You're right that newer isn't always better, that was the case with the TA05 -> TA06 and the TB03 -> TB04. Both newer cars had inefficient drive trains but they are still good cars, just not optimal.
Where the motor is mounted is pretty much personal choice in terms of handling, but the reason the TB04 motor mounting is worse, is due to it being perpendicular to the drive shaft whilst the TB03/05 is parallel. In short, shaft drive cars have torque steer, and a perpendicular layout creates even more torque steer. Belt drives have parallel drive trains, along with the belt dampening the power delivery, making it smoother.
Back to old vs new, the TA07 and TB05 are more refined mainly because of the slim and symmetrically flexing chassis, where as the older cars had large tubs that also had large holes cut out for the motor, making it flex unevenly. I could probably type an essay on the refinements Tamiya has made over the years, but they are arguably better in everyway. The TA05V2 is still a great car that could probably beat a lot of cars in the right hands, but those same hands could be driving a TA07 and be faster.