R.I.P. - RP
Yes it's true, those of you who are fans of the RP Mini tires (and Take Off Touring Car tires) will have to hoard whatever you've got left... Because they aren't making them any more. That's it - finished.
Confirmed today by the US importer Shawn Palmer at Schumacher USA. He basically said that Take Off/RP tires had a specific chemical compound in them which is now no longer available. So they are now concentrating on the OEM market (Original Equipment Manufacture) which is not so fussy about ultimate grip and wear as the race market is.
Interestingly enough, this confirms what we've been saying for some time about the lack of this one particular chemical causing an r/c rubber tire shortage worldwide. It explains where the HPI X pattern went, why Pit Shimizu said bye bye, why the Tamiya tires (Type A's and Superslicks specifically) are suddenly crap, and why RIDE tires (previously an rc-mini favourite) aren't as good any more.
Seems that replacing this one chemical isn't easy....
If you want to read the full story direct from Shawn Palmer, the thread is
here
Bye Bye RP....
