XRAY - Model racing cars

Any word yet for a release date in USA?

The plastic braces are actually an upgrade from the aluminum ones. Most pros run the plastic braces because they allow more flex to produce more traction. Aluminum is stiff and doesn't allow enough flex for the chassis.

The wing stays have always been plastic.

there are 5 total hinge pin holders (3 front, 2 back)

quote by Oli "However, I just can't help but feel they've cut a few unnecessary corners to reduce costs on the XT8:"

I wonder how much it would have cost to equip it with all the extra goodies. It would be a safe guess to say that Xray worked up the considerable cost increase to equip it with all the alum stuff and then stepped back and said,,no way,,that would be a huge price to pay. I'm sure there would have been a great many people to pay that price for all the hopups, but for the newbie just getting started in truggy racing, the initial cost just for the kit would put a person into sticker shock. (you still have to factor in the radio gear,motor,pipe, ect to get the thing on the track.)

I'm sure there was a bottom line in customer cost to make it availible to everyone really interested, That and keeping the overall weight down. By the estimated RTR stats on the Xray site it looks like just over 8 1/2 lbs.

Just my opinion.

Oli:
You also missed out that it comes with CVD's instead of Universals, which is pretty poor IMO.

My intention was to trade/swap my unopened T-Prospec, ?150 engine & ?50 pipe for the XT8 when it was released (bought a .28 engine thinking it was what was the norm as i'd seen some RTRs had .28 ) however now im wondering if i might as well just start building the T-PS up and wait 12 months for Xray to get their s*** together and release something that IS a Luxury RC car instead of a cost-cutting version of a Luxury car.
I could sell the engine & pipe and get back ?100, and still have a truggy thats got premium parts, or I could have the truggy i really want which is about ?100 less (retail) than the one i'd be getting rid of and losing another ?100 from selling the engine & pipe.
If i was getting the best Xray had to offer it'd be a no-brainer, now i feel like im getting an inferior product from Xray to what they could/should be offering.

CVDs instead of Universals
Plastic braces instead of Alum.
Plastic wing brace instead of Alum.

And tyres? i'd rather buy what i'd need for my local track than have to 'pay' for whatever Xray decide every customer should have.
Keep the stinking tyres and put that money into the bits were being 'cheated' out of getting as standard.

Since when has Xray been about appealing to the masses with something affordable? Its always been premium quality wherever theres justification for doing so. How can you justify leaving out Universals?

There's 1 reason, and 1 reason only that these items arent included, and thats to match the buggy price! Its got nothing to do with customers thinking its overpriced, its an Xray you have to pay for the best. Its got nothing to do with not including OTT luxury items which are expensive and offer no significant improvement over a cheaper alternative. Instead it seems Xray would rather price-match their own cars than offer customers the best product for a justifiable price.

dont forget, the original xb8 had none of this... that was their first buggy, then it evolved into what it is today... i'm sure the same thing will happen with the truggy.. there will probably be a 'tq' version or something similar down the track... Also, not everyone wants to spend the big bucks and have top of the line everything.. its only full on racers generally who want the best, and will therefore pay the difference.

http://teamxray.co.uk/productdetail-350002.php
XRAY XB8-EC - 394.99 GBP

http://teamxray.co.uk/productdetail-350200.php
XRAY XT8 - 10 GBP

Guess that explains the cost-cutting thats been going on

Both are listed as 'deposit' so obviously thats what the 10GBP is refering to, but i dunno if the 395 price is intended to be known at the moment but surely that'll be the price the truggy will be released at.

I am hoping that the pictures posted are that of the XT8R and not the real deal . . . just hoping, cuz what everyone else says is true: why skimp out on the truggy? I mean c'mon, E-clips? What logical excuse can they give us? "To bring back the experience of E-clips flying into your eyes"? LoL

I think most of us will agree that we really don't care anymore bout the price. Just give us what we want. This hobby isn't really cheap to begin with, and most of us with Xray Kits already know what we're in for. Qualilty and Peformance has a price to pay. So far Xray has been doing that, but the truggy just seems to have missed it's train ride to the "luxury department"

So please please please . . make mine luxury.

Why would universal joints be superior to constant velocity joints? Anybody heard a release date for the truggy in the USA.

The only bebefit I see is the ability to service / maintain / repair them. IE replace worn pins etc... Beyond that I am not sure?

PaulC2K mentioned in an earlier post that he thought it was pretty poor of X-RAY to have CVDs instead of U-joints on the truggy. I have always felt that CVDs were an upgrade from U-joints.

I guess the 2 are pretty much the same thing really, but item-wise they're slightly different

XRA355209 Xray CVD Universal Drive Shaft F/R - Hudy Spring Steel™


XRA355200 - Xray Universal Drive Shaft F/R - Hudy Spring Steel™


As PAPA says, they're much easier to keep clean and less chance of binding because of it.
A quick price list at the site those pics came from have the price difference of $2, thats less than $10 to the total cost, but if you want them fitted to your XT8 it'll cost you $29 each, so chump change it certainly isnt at $116.

Essential to the running of the kit? No, but a hop-up many people would want/expect (and 'get' if its a XB8EC your buying) adds less than $10 onto the retail price, but to buy them seperate adds a whole lot more, and i dont have an option of paying $10 to swap them, only paying $100 to have them extra.

$8, thats the difference... Still, heres a set of tyres you possibly will never find a geniune use for.

The EC is 'Premium', the XT8 is 'premium on a budget' and i dont understand the reasoning behind this decision, they've purposely made cut-backs to allow the XT8 to go on the shelves for the same price as the EC. Why the concious decision to remove items worthy of the EC to price them the same? if it costs more to produce a truggy then i think people would sooner foot the bill for what Xray clearly think is cost-effectively the best they can offer, because to go out an buy them seperately costs a whole lot more.
I know the cynics answer already, but if it was just to get your cash why dont they want the cash from the XB8EC customers?

If something is good enough to be included on the EC, what makes it not good enough to be on the XT8?