Better Pic of Dark Impact

[europro975 75]

http://www.tamiya.de/de/modelle/modellauto...duktdetails.htm

Better picture than those from the show.

Tamiya need to find a better colour, looks dull. 

[Z 0]

I-want-it-I-want-it-Iwant-it-I-want-it-I-want-it-I-want-it-I-want-it-I-want-it...!!!

[MikeT 0]

Look's GREAT!

Front look a little bare though, as if the Diff. is hangin' out front?

 

Mike

[steviedee 0]

i was thinking that too, i cant seeit being a easy clean too ;o)

[Wandy 1527]

What is it about modern buggies?? I mean, why can they not design a body for them that actually looks like it is part of the car, not something that has been run over by an 18 wheeler truck??[:@]

No wonder we're all obssessed with stuff from 20 years ago! [8-|]

[Sammy 0]

Yeah, looks good, BUT:

In this photo (courtesy of timetunnel):

What is up with the steering servo arrangement... [:S]

PLUS, the central shaft looks like it could be in a tube to protect it, or else it's very chunky...?

Sam

[Gruntfuggly 562]

I think the drive shaft is probably about the same as a TL01 shaft, but you're right about the steering servo - shades of M01...

The room for the RX/ESC looks a bit tight too...

Like the wheels though!

[terry.sc 16]

What is up with the steering servo arrangement... [:S]

PLUS, the central shaft looks like it could be in a tube to protect it, or else it's very chunky...?

Sam

The servo is positioned there to balance the receiver and ESC on the

other side of the chassis, the layout dictated by the inline battery

pack. The steering link is solid enough by the looks of it.

The centre driveshaft is that size, at last they have put a decent

driveshaft in there instead of the usual piano wire one in previous

buggies.

[mud4fun 1696]

At first glance I really liked it but after studying that chassis I see several problems:

1) The battery compartment, whilst being a nice idea, doesn't work in practise because if you use the car in grit or dirt environemnts the grit gets into the joints and locking mechanism and is a pain to close afterwards. Also it limits the pack to standard 7.2v and I use larger 8.4v packs so I can't use it.

2) There is very little space for larger ESC's and RX's, I don't want to have to buy the really expensive tiny ESC's to run a new car.

3) The motor is recessed in to the chassis and doesn't have enough airflow over it. In this case it looks even worse than on the manta ray and that was bad enough. I hope they haven't gone with a similar plastic motor mount!

4) As with evrything Tamiya does these days, you'll need to buy hop-up carbon/frp shock mounts because those plastic ones will only last a short time as they sit up quite high and exposed. First high speed roll and they'll snap just like the Manta Ray.

5) It should come with a wide front bumper (something like a falcon one), even though it ruins the looks, the bumper stops those expose front wheels/suspension getting trashed in the first offset front collision. Lets face it, out and out racers aren't going to be using this buggy, it will be mostly bought by inexperienced kids and their dads for bashing about. Bumpers may not look pretty but they'll save a fortune in repair bills!!

On the plus side, it looks like it has good ground clearance and  long travel suspension which means it should handle rough tracks better than most of the current crop of modern buggies.

[Hibernaculum 933]

What is it about modern buggies?? I mean, why can they not design a body for them that actually looks like it is part of the car, not something that has been run over by an 18 wheeler truck??[:@]

No wonder we're all obssessed with stuff from 20 years ago! [8-|]

I agree Wandy.

I just had a peek in here out of curiosity, and the name 'Dark Impact' sounded promising at first.

However, after seeing it, what's different about the look of this car when compared with the hundreds of other buggies made by every competitive manufacturer for the last 15 years? Not a great deal. If someone hadn't announced it as a Tamiya, who'd notice it? Only the name rings a familiar Tamiya bell, as it echoes their attempts to inject personality into their toys, as opposed to naming everything with letters and numbers as other brands do.

But off road RC continues it's mostly irrelevant journey toward oblivion these days. Ever since RC manufacturers discovered the perfect design for speed, somewhere around 1993 or so, they all threw realism out the window, and have all churned out the same buggy year after year, with different names. Flat cockpit, tinted windows, high rear wing, disproportionately tall front shock towers, minimal stickers....these are the common traits that result in the perfect machinery for quick assembly and quick racing, and that's all the manufacturers care about.

But to many of those who remember vintage days of RC, it's the RC equivalent of a modern pop song being bleated by a bunch of manufactured teenage models with no artistic talent.

There's simply no soul, no rough edges, and no realism.....(is this what the Beatles or the Stones or Pink Floyd lived and died for?)

In terms of how this bodes for the future of "RC buggy modelling", at least 'Dark Impact' seems an appropriate name.

cheers,

H.

[Wandy 1527]

So eloquently put Hibernaculum, couldn't have said it better myself!

1980's Tamiyas = Abba, Queen, Stone Roses etc

Modern Tamiya = Westlife, Steps, Girls Aloud etc

[:@]

None UK posters wont have a clue what I'm on about but take it from me, the second group of 'artists' are dire!![]

[Gruntfuggly 562]

Good analogy - not sure I would have chosen Abba and Queen though...[]

[mr_pushrod 5]

So eloquently put Hibernaculum, couldn't have said it better myself!

1980's Tamiyas = Abba, Queen, Stone Roses etc

Modern Tamiya = Westlife, Steps, Girls Aloud etc

[:@]

None UK posters wont have a clue what I'm on about but take it from me, the second group of 'artists' are dire!![]

 

Girls Aloud do have their plus points though......

[supergreg 1]

At first glance I really liked it but after studying that chassis I see several problems:

1) The battery compartment, whilst being a nice idea, doesn't work in practise because if you use the car in grit or dirt environemnts the grit gets into the joints and locking mechanism and is a pain to close afterwards. Also it limits the pack to standard 7.2v and I use larger 8.4v packs so I can't use it.

2) There is very little space for larger ESC's and RX's, I don't want to have to buy the really expensive tiny ESC's to run a new car.

3) The motor is recessed in to the chassis and doesn't have enough airflow over it. In this case it looks even worse than on the manta ray and that was bad enough. I hope they haven't gone with a similar plastic motor mount!

4) As with evrything Tamiya does these days, you'll need to buy hop-up carbon/frp shock mounts because those plastic ones will only last a short time as they sit up quite high and exposed. First high speed roll and they'll snap just like the Manta Ray.

5) It should come with a wide front bumper (something like a falcon one), even though it ruins the looks, the bumper stops those expose front wheels/suspension getting trashed in the first offset front collision. Lets face it, out and out racers aren't going to be using this buggy, it will be mostly bought by inexperienced kids and their dads for bashing about. Bumpers may not look pretty but they'll save a fortune in repair bills!!

On the plus side, it looks like it has good ground clearance and  long travel suspension which means it should handle rough tracks better than most of the current crop of modern buggies.

Agree. I would really like to jump in here and say 'wait till we got it in our hands, but there are more neg points to add just from the picture:

6) side-by-side cells won't fit, so it can't be made for todays racers at all.

7) It does not have a slipper clutch, so it's nowhere near competitive when using hot motors (which you can't use at all with above meantioned heat problems)

[XanderP 1]

It looks sweet (on the outside) but to be honest I would rather spend a bit more and get a proper racer like a Losi!

[DJTheo 2]

At first glance I really liked it but after studying that chassis I see several problems:

1) The battery compartment, whilst being a nice idea, doesn't work in practise because if you use the car in grit or dirt environemnts the grit gets into the joints and locking mechanism and is a pain to close afterwards. Also it limits the pack to standard 7.2v and I use larger 8.4v packs so I can't use it.

2) There is very little space for larger ESC's and RX's, I don't want to have to buy the really expensive tiny ESC's to run a new car.

3) The motor is recessed in to the chassis and doesn't have enough airflow over it. In this case it looks even worse than on the manta ray and that was bad enough. I hope they haven't gone with a similar plastic motor mount!

4) As with evrything Tamiya does these days, you'll need to buy hop-up carbon/frp shock mounts because those plastic ones will only last a short time as they sit up quite high and exposed. First high speed roll and they'll snap just like the Manta Ray.

5) It should come with a wide front bumper (something like a falcon one), even though it ruins the looks, the bumper stops those expose front wheels/suspension getting trashed in the first offset front collision. Lets face it, out and out racers aren't going to be using this buggy, it will be mostly bought by inexperienced kids and their dads for bashing about. Bumpers may not look pretty but they'll save a fortune in repair bills!!

On the plus side, it looks like it has good ground clearance and  long travel suspension which means it should handle rough tracks better than most of the current crop of modern buggies.

1) Sorry, but 8.4V racing died in late 80s, no else manufacturer has it as its racing illegal and thanks to modern batteries capacities not needed. Also its obvious its not meant to be basher for endless mud driving, Tamiya has other cars for that.

2) The buggy is desgined for modern RC and not us vintage fans using vintage Acoms LOL and it would be silly to destroy the weight distribution or make the body less aerodynamink just for that. What will you criticise next, the lack of space for 2nd servo and Rx battery?

3) Most modern cars have similar motor mounting, mass distribution is far more important to cooling for races as there cars aren't run continuously for hours.

4) Interesting that you can tell the robust- and stiffness by the eye, wish I had similar view.

5) Long bumpers are also not used for years, also you can't project TS A5 part weakness to other cars. Also this car won't replace the DF-02 which will still be the beginner kit.

According to the "problems" you described they should have just released a HS or TS based car, sorry but you can't generalise your personal/special needs (very rough track with railway sleepers) for all RC world.

Cheers

[DJTheo 2]

"7) It does not have a slipper clutch, so it's nowhere near competitive

when using hot motors (which you can't use at all with above meantioned

heat problems)"

Personally dont see why it would have more heat problems than other modern good buggies like Losi XXX-4 http://www.rctech.net/events/chicago2002/p...i_xxx4_1024.jpg or Kyosho ZX-5 http://www.rczone.co.il/articales/kyosho/l.../lazerzx5f7.jpg also am sure slipper clutch will be available at its higher spec version, as I wrote before it will probably cost half of ZX-5 in this spec, so you can't compare them 1:1, just when Tamiya releases a TRF version.

Cheers

[supergreg 1]

Sorry Theo, both cars have enough space for mounting a heat sink, the Dark Impact has not.

I agree on your second point. Let's see what time brings.

[SJoerD 2]

Hot off the press! My secret contact has told me an improved version of the Dark Impact has been released, and it will be avaliable from Tower Hobbies. []

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti00...LLM9&P=7%22http://www.modelsport.co.uk/?CallFunction=ShowSpecification&ItemID=24407&menu_path=NWM'>

[XanderP 1]

Good one SJoerD!

[supergreg 1]

LOL and it has the old style front one damper unit. nice! []

[DJTheo 2]

Sorry Theo, both cars have enough space for mounting a heat sink, the Dark Impact has not.

I agree on your second point. Let's see what time brings.

Those cars have the motor inside the body, while DI outside of it where cooling is much better. Also I think it looks especially bad on the top view pic, from the side it seems even a sink might fit, but am not sure.

Cheers

[terry.sc 16]

I agree with Theo re: mud4funs comments.

1) This looks like it is targetted at the racing beginner, no racetrack

will ever have as much dirt as Ians own track. Can't think of any

modern car capable of fitting more than a 6 cell pack in it. In fact

racers are experimenting with 4 or 5 cell packs with low wind motors as

it is easier on the electrics and need less maintenance than using 6

cells. Neil Cragg won the off road world champs using a 12 turn motor

and a 5 cell pack.

2) There is a huge amount of room for radio gear compared to any other 4wd race buggy on the market.

3) Motor is mounted in the same position as any 2 belt chassised buggy,

including the Optima Mid and Lazer and those don't have overheating

problems. Vents are cut into the top brace above the motor. A metal

motor mount can be seen in the picture with holes for attaching a heatsink above the motor.

4) The durability of the shock mounts depends on their design and

material. Most buggies have had shock towers of this design for years

without problem. They are also somewhat more substantial the the two

separate uprights on the Manta Ray. Yes, Tamiya has made a plastic car

and the serious racer would end up throwing most of it away and

replacing with hop ups, but Tamiya always does this. Tamiya made the

TRF414, TA-04Pro, TA-04R, and the basic TA-04 racer which I suspect was

the biggest seller which owners then hopped up.

5) I agree with Theo, if you just want to bash you are better off with

a DF-02. Modern buggies can take some serious hits to the front end

before they break and for a racer a wide bumper just isn't wanted. I'm

sure someone (even Tamiya?) will offer a wide bumper if they feel there

is a market for it.

 Re Supergregs comments

6) It wont fit side by side cells.

I agree this is a problem for most

racers and I'm sure the high spec version likely to follow should

accomodate them. Most beginner racers will have no problem. The JRMCA

rules for touring cars limit them to stick packs, don't know if it is

the same for buggies. If it is then there is no reason for Tamiya to

fit side by side packs - after all Tamiya only make stick packs. I

would be disappointed if there was no way to fit a proper race pack in

it.

7) It doesn't have a slipper clutch but it's not that much of a

handicap to the club racer. The gear cover is shaped to fit a slipper

clutch so it will certainly be a hop up option for those who want one.

I think it certainly has potential, certainly it will have none of the

torque problems that all other modern shaft drive buggies have. With

most others due to their direct shaft drive if you adjust the throttle

when the car is jumping the car will roll to one side or the other, not

helped by their offset weight distribution. Hopefully Tamiya will bring

out a full bore race version but price wise it must compete with the

ZX5 to be successful.

[bender 0]

I've gotta agree with Terry and DjTheo, there is a lot of promise in this car that quite a few don't seem to be picking up on.

Firstly, with regards to cells - I'm not totally convinced that side-by-side stick packs wont fit. We'd be better off to wait until we see one in the flesh before making that judgement.

Secondly, yes this car seems to be budget orientated but that has always been Tamiya's strategy. Sell 'em a cheapie then pile on the hop-ups []

FYI, the prototype of this car was tested at last years Japanese Nationals - and it used a double deck carbon fibre chassis! Now, I'd prefer the TRF version to come with a graphite composite tub similar to the basic car (no need for undertrays) but either way, if they release a TRF version- it will address many of the basic car's apparent shortcomings.

I'd also say that a slipper clutch will be an option eventually - the gear cover is already moulded for it.

Finally, the great thing about this car is not it's standard equipment, or race readyness, it is simply it's revolutionary design.

Both the motor and cells mounted down the centre-line will improve the cars balance, and make it be able to change direction quickly.

Using an "old style" shaft drive method allows the motor to be mounted laterally - thereby eliminated the torque-steer and chassis in-balance of other shaft drives. Whilst it wont be quite as efficient as a ZX5 Lazer, with todays cells that wont pose a problem[]

The suspension design is very effective - long arms combined with no chassis overhang front OR rear mean that there is less chance of the car digging-in on ruts or off jumps etc.

Having the shocks mounted inside their respective towers means that weight is taken from outside the front and rear axle lines and concentrated more centrally, it also means better protection for both front and rear shocks.

I hope this car is a great success. I love racing a Tamiya competitively in on-road (415MSX) and I'd love it even more to be able to drive a competitive Tamiya off-roader (it's been 13 years since my trusty Top Force was retired)[]

[bjr250 23]

Rakusei, one of the big Japanese model shops is starting pre-orders the 29th of March at a cost of 10,800 yen (RRP is 18,690 yen with tax).

http://www.rakuseimodel.co.jp/index_top.php