Mssing Something...

[Scorpn 18]

How can anyone say the MO3 has no soul and is uninteresting?

Have you driven one of these bouncy hilariously fun things in a race with 7 or 8 others - all identical and all with their own little quirks, some are lovely others are twitchy, I am happy I have a lovely one.

also the X-5 and X-6 are quite interesting with a bonus of being fast, well sorted race cars as well, have you seen the SIZE of the X-6 wing!! OMG ,

I love my X-5, flattest jumping car I have ever driven, no matter what speed you launch, just flys and lands flat - how cool is that?

[caprinut 0]

There are two types of people who drives rc car, the performance guy and the scale guy..

I'm the latter one.. If you look in my showroom I have only scale cars that look like the real thing or very similar to a actual model..

For me almost every car now days lack of soul, both 1:1 and rc...

For the 1:1 world I think the soul of cars dissapeared 85' ish when steel bumpers was changed for the plastic ****...

I take a retro ride any day over modern cars because of the look, not the performance..

I have two 1:1 cars, Mondeo Mk3 Wagon and a 94' Mondeo wagon..

The Mk3 is my daily driver, handles better than the Mk1, but is boring to look at, I will rather drive my 94' Mondeo, better design, you are sitting better and it's not all plastic fantastic..

One thing I can't stand is huge stupid plastic bumpers, sideskirts etc, it just looks stupid...

Every Audi, Mercedes and a few other makes is too boring to me, even when Audi says agresive design about their RS6 etc, they just look the same as all the other Audi's. They goes like stink, but I think they look boring- boring = C R A P in my book..

But look at a Lexus ISF, that is a awesome design!!!, and I don't usually like jap cars....

Anyway back to rc cars...

I will rather have a vintage buggy, then a new one, soap design bodies does nothing for me... My cars have to look like real deal...

[MadInventor 3884]

There are two types of people who drives rc car, the performance guy and the scale guy..

I'm the latter one.. If you look in my showroom I have only scale cars that look like the real thing or very similar to a actual model..

For me almost every car now days lack of soul, both 1:1 and rc...

For the 1:1 world I think the soul of cars dissapeared 85' ish when steel bumpers was changed for the plastic ****...

I take a retro ride any day over modern cars because of the look, not the performance..

Amen.......

Nothing wrong with the performance of olde 1:1 cars - AC Cobra, ford mustang (65-69), Sunbeam tiger, 60s vette, etc, etc. Most would still blow the doors off most modern 'performance cars'

Although I have to say the MK1 Jag XK8 is probably one of the best looking cars of the last 15 years.....

Ain't no substitute for cubic inches (or in the case of RC cars, volts)

Somethings get meaner as they get older (Quote from the film, Gumball rally)

[HunterZero 76]

Nothing wrong with the performance of olde 1:1 cars - AC Cobra, ford mustang (65-69), Sunbeam tiger, 60s vette, etc, etc. Most would still blow the doors off most modern 'performance cars'

Not around corners, they wouldn't...

American muscle cars produce much less BHP per cubic inch than moden performance cars in stock trim. But it is relatively easy to fettle an old school big block V8 to give more power for more straight line speed. Some American cars produce an alarmingly low level of power from huge capacity lazy V8s.

It's not just the cubic inches alone, it's what you do with it.

But hey, the old muscle cars still do it with a lot more noise, style and soul. That's why people look back at the performance of these things with rose coloured glasses.

- James

[Yonez 180]

I think there are two things that give a car soul to me: Scale looks and mechanical greatness.

Take the scale looks soul. I love my Hotshot and Supershot with their detailed outer gearboxes, complex roll cage, netting, cool wing etc. Beautiful cars that you can really look at and admire the pieces. Then there is the driver and the fact that the driver cage was designed to look like it would accommodate an actual person. At the same time we had things like the Bruiser, which still is my favorite RC car ever. (Please please please re release it)

I agree that with modern buggies this is missing. And the reasons have been put forward admirably here.

But there were also hideous soulless mash-ups back then.

I very much like the design of the Frog and I loved getting the Re-re. But where is the soul in a thing like the Blackfoot? Yes it had a nice Ford body, but that body was hovering way over a frame not at all scale and not at all suitable for the car. In fact it looks like the entire stomach of the truck had just split open, spilling guts down on the pavement. There's no joy in studying the skill of reproducing the car there. Give me a modern Tamiya High lift or Crawler any day for realism over that.

My other joy is the mechanical soul of a machine. Again I think the Hotshot had this. Compared to it's predecessors, it introduced the 4WD system and double wishbone suspension. This made the car a mechanical marvel over the previous buggies with lots of moving parts designed to work. This I think lives on strongly in some of the very latest buggies.

Last year I built a buggy champ, a hotshot re-re, a TRF 511 and a Durango DEX410. While I greatly enjoyed building the re-re's, I totally loved building the Durango and 511. They are genius mechanical engineering with precision, detail and function that just shine. Pair them up with modern brushless motors and their precision machined casings. Get a racing ESC with functional status LEDs and cooling fans. Get high torque all metal gear servos and throw in a LIPO for amazing power. And finally spend time looking over the option parts out there, carefully picking the ones you want, like you did in the old days when you actually drove your car. And when building, carefully spend time assembling, like sanding down the edges of the carbon fiber plates and seal them with Cyano Acrylate; enjoy the building process of a precision machine. To me these machines have great soul. Maybe part of it is that with a full set of race-level accessories they are expensive and deserve your attention and love like you had to in the old days. If you build a box standard Durga to throw on the shelf with just the included bits, you can do that in an evening and neither have to invest money, nor planning, nor thought in it putting it together. It is as soulless as a RTR because you put precisely no soul in it.

When I have non-rc friends over who spot my shelf queens, they rarely pick up the scale looking Buggy Champ and study it. But they do get interested in the obviously high tech cutting edge TRF 511 sitting next to it all shining, looking like it is ready to pounce.

By the way, if you want a technically quirky, easy to break machine, take a look at the Predator X11. It took me well nigh half a year to get the equally quirky, easy to break manufacturers to send me enough of the pieces missing in the kit to complete one. But it certainly is it's own machine.

[MadInventor 3884]

Not around corners, they wouldn't...

American muscle cars produce much less BHP per cubic inch than moden performance cars in stock trim. But it is relatively easy to fettle an old school big block V8 to give more power for more straight line speed. Some American cars produce an alarmingly low level of power from huge capacity lazy V8s.

It's not just the cubic inches alone, it's what you do with it.

But hey, the old muscle cars still do it with a lot more noise, style and soul. That's why people look back at the performance of these things with rose coloured glasses.

- James

True it's what you do with it.

At The Aston Martin Owners Club meet at Silverstone this year there were plenty of Sunbeam tigers eating modern ferraris, astons, porsches,etc round the short course. Some things get meaner as they get older , and it is a British car with a USA V8 (best combintation ). I know of someone who has a tiger that will pull 30-70mph in around a second. The performance of thing is absolutely blistering. By comparison a 5Litre TVR Chimaera is positively asthmatic. (I've ridden in both so am qualified to comment)

But not wishing to start an argument, I've seen lotus elise's hold there own against much more powerful muscle cars at the same event, so I do see what you are saying.

[SteelRat 46]

At Brands they regularly hold "David vs Goliath" type classic car races where the field consists of just two types of car; one V8 Behemoth and one small nippy car. I never forget seeing a race between 1974 Camaro's and Frog Eyed Sprites, and it being amongst the most exciting racing I've ever seen.

This one particular race was basically left to two cars after the first few laps: one sprite, and one Camaro. The Camaro would leave the Sprite for dead in the straights, but the Sprite would make up ground on the twisties. With each lap though, the Sprite was gaining ground on the lead Camaro, before over taking and holding the lead 5 laps before the end, much to the delight of the crowd. Amazing stuff!

[kaiser 8]

At Brands they regularly hold "David vs Goliath" type classic car races where the field consists of just two types of car; one V8 Behemoth and one small nippy car. I never forget seeing a race between 1974 Camaro's and Frog Eyed Sprites, and it being amongst the most exciting racing I've ever seen.

This one particular race was basically left to two cars after the first few laps: one sprite, and one Camaro. The Camaro would leave the Sprite for dead in the straights, but the Sprite would make up ground on the twisties. With each lap though, the Sprite was gaining ground on the lead Camaro, before over taking and holding the lead 5 laps before the end, much to the delight of the crowd. Amazing stuff!

sounds just like the vintage race we had this weekend @ lime rock park.

the best racing is between the camaro's and mini coopers. i love seeing the little guys win.

[Challenger-RT 0]

If you are one of the lucky Toyota Hilux 58028 owners then try to do this - perhaps after a busy day at work:

- open the cabinet and take a deep breath of this vintage rubber-oil-paint-polish mix

- hold her in your hands and feel the 6,5kg weight

- look at this polished scale metal parts

- take her to the ground and let her run

- hear the sound of the gears changing from noisy in the 1st till nearly silent running in the 3rd

- put this RC gem back into its cabinet and look to the drivers face - he smiles like you now

=> I don't have the same feelings with one of the new cars I own.

[qatmix 794]

All models are exactly the same.

Just products, built to make money.

As has been mentioned. The soul is just something you bind to them when you form an association of your experiences with the product. To say one car has more soul over another isn't anything other than subjective. I have modern cars that mean as much to 'me' as old ones.

To 'me' 3 speeds are terrible things, I worked all summer and sold my holiday buggy to get a hilux. It was slow, dull not fun on the beach and looked like a toy. I soon sold it and bought another Hb and started enjoying rc again.

There have been many kits that I have liked since then. Cr01, txt-1, ta02, voltec fighter, madcap, The Ta05 has been a giantkiller at my local club so much that now it's become the most popular chassis there, so thats a cool car for me. Needless to say the TRF cars are all superb, and the guys at work all flock around when they see the carbon and aluminium bullets.

So as has been mentioned it's all our own perspective. Some may think that old cars had more soul, but that's in no way a factual statement. There are a lot of great cars out there, ditch the old girls and get a new car and drive, race, crawl or just bash it about and start having fun again

[HunterZero 76]

All models are exactly the same.

Just products, built to make money.

Sometimes, cars are not built just to make money. Sometimes, you get the occasional unleashed burst of creativity from someone who's been given the green light by the bean counters to make something different, which gives birth to something unique, that is not compromised by being built exclusively to make money.

It's these cars that usually have soul.

- James

[HunterZero 76]

But not wishing to start an argument, I've seen lotus elise's hold there own against much more powerful muscle cars at the same event, so I do see what you are saying.

The complemetary saying for "aint' no substitute for cubic inches" was coined by a certain man associated with Lotus, called Colin: To go faster, you "simplify, then add lightness."

- James

[SteelRat 46]

All models are exactly the same.

Just products, built to make money.

As has been mentioned. The soul is just something you bind to them when you form an association of your experiences with the product. To say one car has more soul over another isn't anything other than subjective. I have modern cars that mean as much to 'me' as old ones.

To 'me' 3 speeds are terrible things, I worked all summer and sold my holiday buggy to get a hilux. It was slow, dull not fun on the beach and looked like a toy. I soon sold it and bought another Hb and started enjoying rc again.

There have been many kits that I have liked since then. Cr01, txt-1, ta02, voltec fighter, madcap, The Ta05 has been a giantkiller at my local club so much that now it's become the most popular chassis there, so thats a cool car for me. Needless to say the TRF cars are all superb, and the guys at work all flock around when they see the carbon and aluminium bullets.

So as has been mentioned it's all our own perspective. Some may think that old cars had more soul, but that's in no way a factual statement. There are a lot of great cars out there, ditch the old girls and get a new car and drive, race, crawl or just bash it about and start having fun again

Understand what you're saying, but largely disagree.

Whether something has soul or not has a lot more to do with just the nostalgic attachment you put on it from a subjective point of view.

"Good" and "capable" only matters in a competitive environment. Whether something is fun or not, has no bearing at all on it's technical abilities, but is (I agree) largely subjective and depends on how you enjoy RC. If you're a racer, as I assume you are, then the technical abilities of a particular kit are going to be the things about it that you're focused on. Someone like me who likes scale looks and those little quirks that make it interesting, then the "perfection" of a race capable car will serve no interest whatsoever. Especially if it looks like a roller skate.

And just for emphasis:

Some may think that old cars had more soul, but that's in no way a factual statement

It's only not factual in as much as soul isn't a quantifiable property and therefore cannot be measured, but I feel you're discounting the opinions about what soul IS for the people that think the older cars have it.

If anything, the soul that I feel my cars have is more about the bit of myself I've put into them, rather than what they were when they came out of the factory. Maybe that's what it's all about?

[markbt73 5316]

If anything, the soul that I feel my cars have is more about the bit of myself I've put into them, rather than what they were when they came out of the factory. Maybe that's what it's all about?

Yep - DNA evidence, in the form of skinned knuckles from working on 'em. That's what gives a machine "soul." If your hands never touch tools to it, it's not really yours anyway.

[HunterZero 76]

Yep - DNA evidence, in the form of skinned knuckles from working on 'em. That's what gives a machine "soul." If your hands never touch tools to it, it's not really yours anyway.

Man... How much do I not want to know what some people do with their RCs to leave 'DNA evidence' all over them...

- J

[Dirbee 0]

How about giving soul to the car you want. Iff you want modern performance with old-school looks, this should be no problem.

I've seen a modern chassis transformed to a very good looking Hornet in someone's showroom. I can't remember who's, should have put in in my favourites...

[Origineelreclamebord 45]

How about giving soul to the car you want. Iff you want modern performance with old-school looks, this should be no problem.

I've seen a modern chassis transformed to a very good looking Hornet in someone's showroom. I can't remember who's, should have put in in my favourites...

I think I know which one you mean. Someone converted a DF03 to a DF03 with a Hornet body and actually also part of the tub from what I remember

I think this is the Youtube of TC member Grahoo (as his Poprod Mk.II and modified Hotshot are also found on this channel), I can't find it in the showrooms anymore though.

[Dirbee 0]

Yes, that's exactly the one I meant. Doesn't that look soulfull

Great track aswell eh. I wish we had a track like that over here. I'd love to have a go on there...

Anyway, the point off course is, iff you want to do something about those roller skate looks of these modern buggy's... Get inventive.

I'd love to see a similar conversion for a Grasshopper. I've allways loved that body-shape and the fact that it's a hard body makes it even greater.

Who knows, I might even give it a go myself.

[Rabiedmushroom 2]

I think the Tamiya cars and buggies that have soul are the ones that either had a Driver, or could easily fit a driver in. With a proper Driver's name, no matter how silly it was. Wow that was then really You sitting in the driving seat!

I also think that a car's soul is proportional to the amount of challenge it is to build and drive them. Lets face it many of the vintage Tamiyas were technically rubbish compared to the recent range, but you have to put more effort in to get it going well and constantly mend them. It creates a bond that a functional modern thing lacks. Perhaps for that reason it tugs on the heart strings of us Brits because we have a national habit of backing losers, old technology and underdogs!

Edit - P.S. for the guys above - I converted my Bear Hawk body to fit my DF03 similar to the Hornet link. Andy Antsinpants has helped give it some soul that the uninspiring Avante MkII was lacking

[merckx 1]

my frog has soul, its fun to drive but challenging.

my madcap has soul, its really quick and handles half decent.

my TRF201 has a soul, it just rips. everything, period.

they are all good, just different, and very rewarding in each their own way