Not to beat this Assassin issue to death but hopefully to finish it......
The Assassin actually came way after the TC3 but it came around the time when the XXX-S and the KX-One came out. Those like the Assassin when running direct drive, ran a SINGLE belt. Except that the Assassin with its direct drive required a very large spur in combination with a very small pinion in order to gear a stock motor properly. I've heard that some had found it to be difficult to gear especially if you were to try some of the higher reving motors at that time (i.e. binary stock). This is why gear reduction is necessary.
So anyways if the Assassin's direct drive cabability was so advantageous, why didn't evolve as a drivetrain layout for the RDX?
Also if the single belt idea was so good, why is everyone going against it by designing new two belt low CG layouts?
So I guess the primary issue when considering a car or chassis design is NOT how well a car is able to "make" speed; but how well a car is able to "carry" speed into the turns, chicanes and hairpins.
