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What a fantastic find! I did not know about this model.

I like your posts Mokei, most the times you come up with something new to learn about both, Tamiya and the hobby itself. Thanks for that. :)

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What a fantastic find! I did not know about this model.

I reckon most Tamiya fans don't. I didn't either until I bought the "Complete Works of Tamiya" books. Highly recommended for fans like you, who don't "only" have interest in the mainstream models.

I like your posts Mokei, most the times you come up with something new to learn about both, Tamiya and the hobby itself. Thanks for that. :)

You're welcome. Maybe you would be interested in this too?

https://www.facebook.com/mokeikagaku/posts/646918952101711

And this, even if not directly Tamiya, it's still Tamiya-related:

https://www.facebook.com/mokeikagaku/posts/650315331762073

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Sure thing, the XR311 & Lamborghini Cheetah are great looking cars and probably a bit overkill in terms of mechanical development back in the day. And of course I loved what you shared earlier about the promotional reel for the XR311 vehicle.

You might want to have a look at these:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=122031&sid=23692

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=122017&sid=23692

Now I don't have any feeling towards any of the "Shot" buggies in any fashion, but I do appreciate your input so we could learn more. Actually I believe you should post the information here in the forums. I understand most TCers will not react to that, but I think it would be interesting anyway. :)

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Sure thing, the XR311 & Lamborghini Cheetah are great looking cars and probably a bit overkill in terms of mechanical development back in the day. And of course I loved what you shared earlier about the promotional reel for the XR311 vehicle.

You might want to have a look at these:

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=122031&sid=23692

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=122017&sid=23692

Thanks a lot! I knew all the pics of the beige Cheetah that you've posted, except for the one with the two ladies holding their Cheetah bps'es! ;-)

Didn't know you had posted about the olive drab Cheetah though as I then would have mentioned you rather than Lambocars.com as the source! M

aybe it's only my interpretation, but from your text it could seem as if the olive drab Cheetah was the only one with a rear-mounted Chrysler engine, but I guess you know that all Cheetahs had that. So did the LM001. Just the LMA and LM002 had automotive Lamborghini engines, whereas the LM004 had a marine Lamborghini engine and the LM003 had a diesel, all front mounted.

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Thanks a lot! I knew all the pics of the beige Cheetah that you've posted, except for the one with the two ladies holding their Cheetah bps'es! ;-)

Unfortunately I had to cover their breasts. I've been warned & moderated so many times I'm nowadays running on my last TC life...

Maybe it's only my interpretation, but from your text it could seem as if the olive drab Cheetah was the only one with a rear-mounted Chrysler engine, but I guess you know that all Cheetahs had that. So did the LM001. Just the LMA and LM002 had automotive Lamborghini engines, whereas the LM004 had a marine Lamborghini engine and the LM003 had a diesel, all front mounted.

Unfortunately I am not too knowledgeable on this specific vehicle, but I believe the Chrysler engine was actually installed by the owner. That would explain the problem with the odd wheelbase that you can see in the pictures.

By the way, here's a few pics of the XR-311 I've just found while surfing the net: :)

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Am i correct in thinking that both designs where rejected by the US armed forces as they where basically not up to the job ?

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Unfortunately I am not too knowledgeable on this specific vehicle, but I believe the Chrysler engine was actually installed by the owner. That would explain the problem with the odd wheelbase that you can see in the pictures.

I'm in no way an expert on the Cheetah either, but all credible sources I've been through state that the Cheetahs had Chrysler engines. Including a book on Lamborghini I have that was co-written by longtime Lamborghini chief test driver Bob Wallace. After all, the Cheetah isn't really a Lamborghini design. It was designed and built by Mobility Technology International with the intention of Lamborghini taking care of the serial production and to some extent, the marketing. And it was the Chrysler engine and its rearmounted position that more than anything else would kill the Cheetah. With the heavy engine hanging out in the rear, handling was poor and also, the engine was by far not powerful enough for the heavy vehicle.

The wheelbase issue on the olive drab Cheetah is indeed strange, but can't in no way be related to the Chrysler engine.

In the promotional brochure made for the Cheetah back then, you can easily see that the engine is a V8 (distributor) and not a Lamborghini V12 (and also not the other engine Lamborghini had at the time, the small 90 degree V8 (2 to 3 litre displacement). Instead it clearly looks like a conservative US V8.

11130082_10152711713647407_2684949808308

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b6d0d41856d4dd2269c6c2f9842a55bc.jpg

I've been collecting Cheetah and XR311 information and pics for some years, so I already have these pics, but seeing the Military Police version of the XR311 again, make my fingers itch. I would be just great to build another XR311 with this look and it wouldn't be too hard either. As far as I know, only US Army versions of the XR311 existed, but making Navy and Air Force versions of the Tamiya XR311 is tempting too. Like this one for instance, shown on the cover of an RC airplane magazine in the late 70's.

10986431_10152711774502407_1846010735176

Furthermore, though you've seen it already Mongoose, for those possibly interested, here's the XR311 brochure that I scanned a couple of years ago:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.429623860497889.1073741843.208099459316998&type=3

And finally, a scan I made from Tamiya News issue No. 81 (March 1979), showing Japanese fans' creativity with the XR311 and Cheetah:

https://www.facebook.com/mokeikagaku/photos/pb.208099459316998.-2207520000.1428701902./510804189046522/?type=3&src=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-vie.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xap1%2Ft31.0-8%2F10380254_510804189046522_8611975369914498107_o.jpg&smallsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fscontent-vie.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-xap1%2Ft31.0-8%2Fs960x960%2F10380254_510804189046522_8611975369914498107_o.jpg&size=1979%2C2048&fbid=510804189046522

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Am i correct in thinking that both designs where rejected by the US armed forces as they where basically not up to the job ?

Yes, that's basically right. I don't remember why the US Armed Forces rejected the XR311, but the Cheetah simply was too heavy, its engine too weak and the CoG way too far to the rear. Also, FMC sued MTI (the company behind the Cheetah) for violation of their copyrights on the XR311 (the Cheetah was in many ways a copy), causing problems for MTI and Lamborghini. Also, MTI and Lamborghini were financially weak at the time and couldn't further develop the Cheetah. A Mrs. Pharis, the wife of MTI CEO Mr. Pharis, turned to Mr. De Lorean for help, but was turned down, both because he considered the design immature and because of the vehicle's excessive weight. MTI ended up selling the project Teledyne Continental Motors who was unsuccessful with it too.

The XR311 was designed and built by the military vehicle subsidiary of "Food Machinery Corporation" and not Ford Motor Company (both abbreviated FMC) as commonly believed. So when the XR311 was rejected by the Armed Forces, the project was sold to AM General, the company behind the Humvee / Hummer. So the legacy of the XR311 (and to some extent the Cheetah) still is actively alive today!

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were you able to secure the kit? Or how much was the winning bid?

As for the XR311 or the Cheetah, i can see why the army rejected it. It can't carry much and is huge. Is may look good for a General to seat in for parades. A pick up would probably be better use for the army.

Now Tamiya will be re releasing the TA02 chassis, they should consider making it fit with the XR311 body to make it 4WD, which the real model is.

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were you able to secure the kit? Or how much was the winning bid?

Unfortunately not. I bid $300 for it and it ended at $346. I expected it to get quite a lot more, but obviously, this kit only appeals to a relatively small group of collectors.

Now Tamiya will be re releasing the TA02 chassis, they should consider making it fit with the XR311 body to make it 4WD, which the real model is.

TA02 might suitable, but imho the TL01 is better suited, being so narrow that a full depth interior is still possible. Here my TL01 XR311 (257mm wheelbase) and TL01"S" Cheetah (250mm wheelbase) which are still not quite finished, but which I guess demonstrate pretty well how suitable the TL01 chassis is. The XR311 body is from a Matsushiro Speed Buggy, which is more or less a copy of the Tamiya body, but much more durable. This is the reason I chose it over the Tamiya body and most small parts from the Tamiya body can be used to detail it, but it has some drawbacks. Accordingly, I've started on a third model using a Tamiya XR311 body. A lot of work though. The chassis is easily adapted though. Virtually the only problem is getting the dampers and damper towers packed under the narrow and low noses, with necessarily different solutions for Cheetah and XR311.

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11096489_10152723943752407_3733251319531

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Yes, that's basically right. I don't remember why the US Armed Forces rejected the XR311, but the Cheetah simply was too heavy, its engine too weak and the CoG way too far to the rear. Also, FMC sued MTI (the company behind the Cheetah) for violation of their copyrights on the XR311 (the Cheetah was in many ways a copy), causing problems for MTI and Lamborghini. Also, MTI and Lamborghini were financially weak at the time and couldn't further develop the Cheetah. A Mrs. Pharis, the wife of MTI CEO Mr. Pharis, turned to Mr. De Lorean for help, but was turned down, both because he considered the design immature and because of the vehicle's excessive weight. MTI ended up selling the project Teledyne Continental Motors who was unsuccessful with it too.

The XR311 was designed and built by the military vehicle subsidiary of "Food Machinery Corporation" and not Ford Motor Company (both abbreviated FMC) as commonly believed. So when the XR311 was rejected by the Armed Forces, the project was sold to AM General, the company behind the Humvee / Hummer. So the legacy of the XR311 (and to some extent the Cheetah) still is actively alive today!

Having driven a number of Humvee's i have to say that i can well belive that their a relative of the XR311 . Their slow , under powered , too heavy and a pig to drive . A real sack of excrement . Give me a Land Rover Defender WMIK any day when the rounds start flying .

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