Losi enters a new class: short course buggy

[rangerg]

Someone may have already posted it (but I checked), did you all see Losi's new short course buggy:

http://www.losi.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=LOSB0107

It will be a great rival for the Kyosho Ultima DB. I know hard-core buggy fans don't like the looks of these, but I much prefer them to the look of the trucks and they seem like they would be really stable and fun to drive. Does anyone have either the Kyosho or Losi one or seen them in action? Opinions?

[call-911]

I dig the looks. Someone needs to seriously make some more realistic wheels and tires and I'd consider scoring one.

[shirochanwrx]

Cool. It looks like a direct competitor for the Ultima DB.

The Ultima looks 10x better, but that is just the body.

It would be nice if this were to be the harbinger of new popularity of "realistic" 1/10 (or 1/8) scale open-wheel racing. The current rash of non-SC offerings are increasingly disappointing. The original RC10, the old-school Tamiya buggies, and many vintage Kyosho off-road cars at least suggested real-life off road recreational or racing machine. Starting with all of the long-suspension-armed 1/10 buggies and their easier-to-drive step-children, the 1/10 scale "stadium" trucks, the r/c vehicles became more and more difficult to present as having "scale realism".

Now, if they make class rules that state that the wheelbase can be *anything* up to a certain maximum to ensure that people with older and even vintage r/c cars can put new wheels on their cars and join the party, that would be pretty awesome. Also, class rules should allow any open wheel body, including all the great VW-clones out there, which should attract all those people being told that they can't race their Baja-bodied Slashes with the full-fendered folks.

Someone needs to figure out the easiest way to put short-course tires on a vintage RC10 / JRX2 without losing too much width.

[Lowgear]

I like the looks of the Ultima DB a lot better but I am extremely pleased at the presence of more scale realism in the R/C world. When vehicles with four wheel independent suspension, silly putty looking bodies, and large low profile tires are being touted as monster trucks you know there's a problem.

[JK Racing]

I had one in hand this past weekend. Car is great, it truly looks very scale (does need different tires). After they hit the market, I will probably pick one up for my boy to race in Rookie class, that is until there is a class for themselves, then it comes back to Dad...

[RCveteran]

I like it, I wonder what I need to convert my XXX-SCT to it?

[fredswain]

I'm only just getting back into RC after a 20 year hiatus. What is a "short course" and why are the cars different? I've heard the term used but I don't know the difference. Back in the day there was no short course per se. You just had different tracks or different sizes and set the car up accordingly.

[JK Racing]

I like it, I wonder what I need to convert my XXX-SCT to it?

Chassis, front shocks, front shock tower, full body set w/roll cage, front bumper, rear bumper...that I could see, it was body on, couldnt see the "guts".

[jwscab]

so my question is....are these really 1/10 scale? It's been bugging me with these short course trucks being like almost 2" longer in wheelbase....seems like they are like a 1/8.5 scale or something.....

[rangerg]

Kyosho's DB is officially called 1/9th scale.

[Diggley]

WHAT?!

An R/C buggy that actually looks like a real buggy?

What's up with that??


Seriously,

I'm impressed. That looks like a pretty decent car!

The wheels are wrong for a true scale look. Maybe Losi couldn't secure the rights to make the classic VW style Centerline replicas.

Let's hope RPM steps up soon and makes some new (scale) SC & buggy wheels.

[JK Racing]

The wheels are wrong for a true scale look. Maybe Losi couldn't secure the rights to make the classic VW style Centerline replicas.

The wheels are a carry over from the SCT, save money, use the same part....

I personally would love a set of wider rear/skinny front for the buggy....heck even on a SCT it wouldnt be all that bad.

[GJW]

the losi looks wicked as does the db from kyosho! anyone got a db? i can get my hands on one cheap! are they strong and of decent quality?

[Rich Trujillo]

The wheels are wrong for a true scale look. Maybe Losi couldn't secure the rights to make the classic VW style Centerline replicas.

The wheels are a carry over from the SCT, save money, use the same part....

I personally would love a set of wider rear/skinny front for the buggy....heck even on a SCT it wouldnt be all that bad.

We had designed up some more "scale" size tires and wheels, however, some of the things we have to consider is the dealers. Many nowadays do not want more "SKU's". We felt rather than trying to force more new wheels and tires to the market (a truly untested market), we would make this as dealer and consumer friendly as possible. You can use any of the XXX-SCT wheels on this buggy. We also went with a narrow chassis in hopes of capturing what the Short course and Desert buggies look like.

In testing, these were awesome to run together. What is great is that it is neutral and easy to drive like a Short Course truck but jumping better since you do not get the "kiting" or "parachute" effect from the SCT bodies. I'm also hoping that running a buggy like this on the track will help take racers to the next step of a buggy like the Twenty-Two which is a much more precise handling type buggy.

Only time will tell, keeping my fingers crossed that this is a hit.

Thanks,
Rich

[sneako43]

The Ultima DB inspired me to do this:

rc10db03.jpg (212.45 KiB) Viewed 1580 times

rc10db03.jpg (212.45 KiB) Viewed 1580 times