politics
frankly, i think its all politics.i never liked shaft driven cars to tell you,but i have to be fair.i own a 1998 kawada sv-10 alcyon 2 belt saddle pack car.its old,but it can still kick a tc3 ,or any newer cars butt (well at least half of the field). this is what i learned about shaft and belt cars. belt driven cars are inherently easier to drive, and have slightly less steering,and also less twichy. shaft driven cars are more on the edge,they seem to have less rear traction.my honest opinion is that,as long as you keep all 4 inserts and tyres the same,and make sure your shocks are of equal length,and your car is tweaked correctly,AND lastly your front springs 1 step harder than your rears,i think your tc4 can be competitive.no doubt about it.i have never driven a tc3 or tc4,but if someone would give me an old tc3, i would be very happy to try it out.my point is if u have money to throw,then get the xray,they will probably change the design to a newer one by the end of this yearanyway (i hate how manufacturers do that),but if i had little funds and want a car that i can get parts for 5 years down the line,i would stick with the tc4.