what has losi become....
11-20-2008, 02:14 PM
#46
I love building things, but that being said....an RTR is by far and away cheaper to get started. I am not racing pro level, or anything above your basic races. Really....I haven't even started to, but want to race. I can't drop 500+ on one car to race once a month. The only track around here is 1+
hours away, and I can't afford, nor want to drive that much. I understand some of you can/do. A kit has it's place in the market, as do RTR's. But just because someone can afford to run an RTR and not a kit, and doesn't build it out of the box doesn't (in my opinion) make them any less than those who do. A lot of it is the driving from what I see...top of the line car....crap driving...may as well have bought a RTR. Once I run whatever I get for christmas a while, i plan on upgrading and building a car for onroad. One I will actually build. I just have to get my foot in the door first. Warm up to things, see what prices are and how quick I would needs parts.
It's marketing to the needs of the people who are paying and keeping your LHS alive. But thats just me, and that probably doesn't mean a thing
hours away, and I can't afford, nor want to drive that much. I understand some of you can/do. A kit has it's place in the market, as do RTR's. But just because someone can afford to run an RTR and not a kit, and doesn't build it out of the box doesn't (in my opinion) make them any less than those who do. A lot of it is the driving from what I see...top of the line car....crap driving...may as well have bought a RTR. Once I run whatever I get for christmas a while, i plan on upgrading and building a car for onroad. One I will actually build. I just have to get my foot in the door first. Warm up to things, see what prices are and how quick I would needs parts.
It's marketing to the needs of the people who are paying and keeping your LHS alive. But thats just me, and that probably doesn't mean a thing
XXX-T CR = 254$
DX2 Radio = 170$
Brushless ESC\Motor Combo = 180$
Etc....
the list went on and on.....I just did not have a grand to drop to jump back in high end, as I have been used to in the past. So...I bought a used Speed-T for 180$ less than MAP, will make a few changes, and run it as is. When I get some more cash coming in, I will upgrade to a DX3S or DX3R, and possibly to a sensored ESC\Motor combo....
But a RTR will get me back to racing faster....
11-20-2008, 02:22 PM
#47
There aren't to many manufactures out there that only focus on race kits (xray is one of the only ones I can think of). Losi are still winning all the major racers and have the best line of racing kits out there (1/10 scale isn't as big as what it was years ago and there is no need to redesign their kits as there is no problems with it). As with Castor bringing out the 1st 1/8 buggy, get over it, no slipper kit installed just looks like a nitro buggy with a conversion kit 
There is hundreds of 8IGHT-E's (the ones sold from Losi) out there, how many Casters is there? Oh that's right, there not out yet 
There is hundreds of 8IGHT-E's (the ones sold from Losi) out there, how many Casters is there? Oh that's right, there not out yet
11-20-2008, 02:30 PM
#48
If this was announced like a month ago I don't see how it could be first considering the Losi has been in the stores at least that long. Never seen a Caster racing car / kit before. My point remains the same. Nobody wants to give Losi credit for giving racers what they want, but they are always quick to talk all sorts of chit!
11-20-2008, 04:26 PM
#49
All they do now is change the body/tires/chassis and call is a new car. I know Traxxas and AE have done it but NO where near as much as losi has. They do have a few good racing kits though.
11-20-2008, 04:50 PM
#50
This isn't the first thread of its kind... and I'm sure it won't be the last...
Why is it such a problem for some folks that Horizon/Losi invests so much into RTRs? They still have top of the line race kits... If you don't want an RTR... don't buy one... but understand that there is a much larger market for them with people buying RTRs and Mini/Micros to bash than with racers.
It's always great to see new folks at the track, even the novice with an RTR! We need more folks... if our market keeps dying... there won't be anymore race cars!
The only downside to the Horizon/Losi deal is the quality of the hardware... Losi used to be hands down the best quality on the market.. now they are the same as everybody else... i'm talking about screws, hingepins, axles and shock shafts etc.. from China... they are cheap in quality.. oh well.. guess they have to make money...
I still own and race Losi cars.. it's your choice!
Remeber.. it's supposed to be fun!
Jerome
Why is it such a problem for some folks that Horizon/Losi invests so much into RTRs? They still have top of the line race kits... If you don't want an RTR... don't buy one... but understand that there is a much larger market for them with people buying RTRs and Mini/Micros to bash than with racers.
It's always great to see new folks at the track, even the novice with an RTR! We need more folks... if our market keeps dying... there won't be anymore race cars!
The only downside to the Horizon/Losi deal is the quality of the hardware... Losi used to be hands down the best quality on the market.. now they are the same as everybody else... i'm talking about screws, hingepins, axles and shock shafts etc.. from China... they are cheap in quality.. oh well.. guess they have to make money...
I still own and race Losi cars.. it's your choice!
Remeber.. it's supposed to be fun!
Jerome
11-20-2008, 06:33 PM
#51
i may be one of the few that like building the stuff when i purchase it.. however if it lowers the overall product cost to sell it preassembled then i will deal with it..
11-20-2008, 06:55 PM
#52
building r/c was the best thing I liked to do, I can't aford a $300 kit now.
11-20-2008, 07:10 PM
#53
why the hell do i keep seeing these threads. whats a huge track winner at my track?! a losi! losi if you haven't noticed is making different cars and trucks to intrest other people that just wanna mess around with the hobby. ive seen the 1/18 scale trucks at our track on practice days and then more and more. if you mean to trash the mf2 and cr trucks and buggies you dont know what your talking about.
11-20-2008, 07:57 PM
#54
This is mostly nostalgia talking. If you had fun racing a Losi before and now you can't, then you tend to get mad at them for not making something new. You had good times with the products, you feel proud of your Losi, you get attached to the brand. You loved the company.
But it's a company - not a person, not a non-profit organisation. When they were small, they could target a small market. They could afford to focus fully on racing. Now they are big, they have to find bigger streams of revenue. If that means selling Losi burgers, then that's what they do.
The only people who have any business telling a company what they should or shouldn't do are the people who own it.
There's no point in getting angry at Horizon or the Losi brand or Gil Sr or Gil Jr. They sold good products, made some money, built a brand, and sold it when the price was right. You bought the products and had fun. That's the whole transaction. Nobody promised anybody anything more. There are no villains here. Nobody came and broke up the band.
But it's a company - not a person, not a non-profit organisation. When they were small, they could target a small market. They could afford to focus fully on racing. Now they are big, they have to find bigger streams of revenue. If that means selling Losi burgers, then that's what they do.
The only people who have any business telling a company what they should or shouldn't do are the people who own it.
There's no point in getting angry at Horizon or the Losi brand or Gil Sr or Gil Jr. They sold good products, made some money, built a brand, and sold it when the price was right. You bought the products and had fun. That's the whole transaction. Nobody promised anybody anything more. There are no villains here. Nobody came and broke up the band.
11-20-2008, 08:40 PM
#55
Let's take a step back for the most part Kyosho is considered one of the 2or3 elite racing company's in the world and they make mini-z's, monster trucks, motorcycles, helicopters, die-casts and much more and no one has a problem with that (and should not). If you don't like "TOY RC" don't buy one I currently don't run Losi stuff but I had a 8ight and 8ight-T and really liked them. If you look ay ANY off-road race around this world and a LOSI will be right there fighting for the win. I grew up a "LOSI" guy running electric in the wars with"AE" and they are different company now but this hobby is different. I work at a Hobby Shop 1 day a week and what Losi and Traxxas are doing is bringing countless people into this Hobby which is the idea. There has been many people who came in and bought a LST or T-maxx and 3or4 months down the road they come back and become "RACERS". Like it or not RTR is the best thing to happen to this hobby if you want to by a kit you still can for 95% of the cars out there. If you race (Off-Road) this weekend there is a good chance you will have to beat a Losi or get beat by one to get the WIN.
11-20-2008, 08:49 PM
#56
What has Losi become?
The most dominant high end competition RC company in the world. Yeah, they also have begun to sell lower end stuff, too.
I simply cannot grasp how people can think Losi "fell off" somehow and is now all about being a Traxxas-type company.
They have a model capable of winning world championships in just about every class. Can any other company match that?
"But, but, they don't make anything new!" They just exploded the 1/8 scale world with the 8ight, an entirely new design that went straight from production to the top performer of a very competitive class. That is absolutely unprecedented and a mind-blowing product development accomplishment.
I understand some people get frustrated when they see the Losi name on a fairly low end RTR, I do too, I just don't think they are truly thinking about what they are saying.
Maybe we should have an official "Whine About Losi Thread" so we can have it all in one place, rather than a new thread every few weeks.
The most dominant high end competition RC company in the world. Yeah, they also have begun to sell lower end stuff, too.
I simply cannot grasp how people can think Losi "fell off" somehow and is now all about being a Traxxas-type company.
They have a model capable of winning world championships in just about every class. Can any other company match that?
"But, but, they don't make anything new!" They just exploded the 1/8 scale world with the 8ight, an entirely new design that went straight from production to the top performer of a very competitive class. That is absolutely unprecedented and a mind-blowing product development accomplishment.
I understand some people get frustrated when they see the Losi name on a fairly low end RTR, I do too, I just don't think they are truly thinking about what they are saying.
Maybe we should have an official "Whine About Losi Thread" so we can have it all in one place, rather than a new thread every few weeks.
11-20-2008, 09:02 PM
#57
Tech Master
iTrader: (47)
It was stated earlier...Losi has two different brands. Losi and Team Losi. One is for the general RTR market and obviously the Team Losi brand is for racing. It's a business folks...they there to make money. With more money there is more R&D. With more R&D we have more innovations. Look at what Losi did with their big bore shocks...original and innovative...what kit doesn't have them now!?
11-20-2008, 09:04 PM
#58
Toyota showed Porsche how to sell something to everyone not just the auto enthusiast. Before Porsche was known as a drivers car, a racers car. Cars that won in races, you could take that 356,speedster or 911 from the showroom and go race....they where race cars for the street. R&D went into things like the 917, 908 and such, then that motor tech went into 911 GT cars, still comp racing cars and then it ended up in that 911 or even a 968 that you could drive on the street....But there are a entire group of people out there that you where not selling cars to...people that think Porsche is cool and if they only made an SUV...makes me want to puke.
Now they sell a GREAT many more cars that every soccer mom with any income wants to have. The company has changed its focus, from racing to selling more cars, and that means putting crap like the Cayman that just puts more cars in driveways, great if you sell something to people driving 2.3 kids to basketball, a horror if you long for the days of "real Porsche"....losi is doing the same thing.
Now they sell a GREAT many more cars that every soccer mom with any income wants to have. The company has changed its focus, from racing to selling more cars, and that means putting crap like the Cayman that just puts more cars in driveways, great if you sell something to people driving 2.3 kids to basketball, a horror if you long for the days of "real Porsche"....losi is doing the same thing.
11-21-2008, 01:02 AM
#59
And while I'm quite aware the big picture is massive compared to this little thread, these threads happen for a reason, and they demonstrate how big a hit the reputation of Losi has suffered, especially within what would have been at one point their hard-core market.
11-21-2008, 01:31 AM
#60
i didn't start this thread to trash losi or their products. i totally agree that RTR cars/trucks are needed in our hobby to help it grow. the main point i was attempting to make was that it seems to me that with the eight and the eightT being the exceptions to the rule, that losi has forgotten about the people who helped them become the successful brand that they are and that is the racing community. sure bashers are needed as most will eventually become racers when they want to. also just a sidenote, associated followed losi into the mini market (rc18 series) and then when it seemed not to work for them they stopped pushing the issue, losi hasn't. but i still expect to see losi in a toys r us store in the near future. keep racing and support your LHS