XRAY - Model racing cars

With the recent legislation change regarding natural gas in the US causing a dry up of Pro Nitro and China shutting down manufacturing of nitro for a couple of months nitro fuel price has jumped dramatically. I've read reports that Sidewinder (my preferred fuel) Byrons and O'donnells have double in price at some hobby shops in the US.

In Australia most the nitro comes from Nitro X who buys/manufactures in Malaysia and are being approached by larger companies to sell the nitro which is forcing the cost of nitro up 25%.

I imagine the pressure will be reduced after the Olympics but I doubt nitro fuel will ever return to the current prices.

Furthermore, when you factor in environmental concerns and the speed of evolution in brushless technology you can easily predetermine the future of our hobby.

Don't get wrong I love nitro engines and hope they will always be the dominant category but realize the cost will only grow leaving those who can afford it running nitro engines.

I feel the current situation is only going to convert more people to brushless. The governing body of RC in Australia is currently working through their rules and regulations so they are in place as interest grows.

Should XRay be concentrating resources on dedicated brushless buggy's and truggy's or making conversion parts optional?

I will stick with nitro for as long as I can, but when I'm forced to convert I would much prefer full Xray brushless designed vehicle and not a Moster/Novak converted mutant.

What do others think about our current fuel problems and XRay dedicated brushless cars?

I'm glade you made the topic. I am eagerly waiting for more and more news about production-level 1:8 brushless-cars... Piktor and Losi are already testing their prototype 1:8 electric buggies and there are many different conversion-kits out also. Caster has finished its buggy already and its coming out. They have gone public, so there must be at least one or two other big companies on the job!

It seems so that the new class will be Electric 1:8 Offroad Buggy. Haven't yet seen one truggy prototype from any manufacturer.

I really hope that Xray makes the move and develops electric conversion kit for XB808. Even today there are many conversions done all over the world. 100% electric buggy would be nice also for 2009-2010, but at the moment its a bit day-dreaming.

I will go electric as soon as there are more people doing the same thing. I think it might be as soon as winter 2008/2009 concerning club-races.

I don't think that raising cost of gasoline has anything to do with it. Nitro-fuel is sold with very high profit margins and I think you can buy it with the same price or even cheaper in 5 or 10 years. You can get cheap nitromethane and methanol even in Europe, the most expensive part of the fuel will be good oil.

The reasons for me to go electric:
- it costs almost the same to get electric buggy or ic buggy
- no mess with nitro-engine tuning, flame-outs, dead glow plugs
- no messy fuel and oil all over the place
- you don't have to get a new 300+ engine every 25-30 hours of driving
- no refueling needed so you don't need a friend in the pits during runs.
- overall cost is MUCH smaller with electric buggy
- you get more power and torque from electric brushless motors, too much
- you can concentrate on driving and forget about one big hassle, the nitro-engine.

The only problem I see at the moment is that there are no rules for 1:8 electric cars. But how wrong can you go when you take IC 1:8 car and put electric motor, esc and battery on it.

I have already sold all nitro airplanes to go 100% electric and hoping to do the same with the cars asap. I hope Xray makes the step and joins the companies producing electric 1:8

I love the smell of nitro and I love the sound of 10 angry nitro engines battleing. I'll stick to nitro even if it will cost more. But for indoor-racing I think 1:8 electric would be awesome.

You are lucky in Europe with the fuel prices.

I look at the conversion kits and think they do their job in aiding and electric motor to be used while working around the existing nitro architecture.

A brushless conversion kit would not have a balanced weight and neutral handling which is integral to super handling characteristics of the 808 in standard nitro form.

Designing and building a brushless car from the ground up is the only answer to pure performance and driveability we expect from XRay.

As stated before I will hold onto nitro for as long as I can but I think it's inevitable I'll have to change before too long and when I do I hope XRay is ready.

Of course they will be ready but lets hope it never comes to that. I couldn't imagine getting the same buzz from racing listening to that pathetic whistle of brushless motors, i might as well put some bowties on my starterbox.
I would imagine there would always be someone making fuel, i know i would make my own if it became too expensive. The day the tree huggers ban nitro racing is the day i sell up.

i love also the endless ways your ride is unique, clutch setup, engine, engine tune, fuel, you lose all that with electric.....nitro has way more scope to keep you intersted. I bet you could not get two .21 nitro engines the same even if they were the same model.