Tamiya TRF503 announced with picture
 

http://www.thercracer.com/2014/01/42...announced.html

Looks like a nice evolution of the 511 :)

Also the new 2WD should be announced as well

I'm getting addicted to Tamiya again :)

K

Thanks for the heads-up Qatmix, I wonder how long it will be before these new kits are available to buy?

Really looking forward to seeing the new 2wd :-)

501X arms front, WO driveshafts and BB etc. Looking good!

Oh Tamiya Tamiya, why do you do this to me, releasing such a sexy piece of kit after I've finally gone elsewhere!

Only Tamiya would announce all new off-road race cars just AFTER ditching their off-road team :o

I know, however it looks great (added a few more details)

I think I know what I want for my birthday this year :) .. or maybe the tractor ;)

It does look great, I am very conflicted haha! I guess we are looking at a spring release date which is just as we stop all 10th scale for the summer round here :(

would be nice a new tfr201

I'm quite surprised to see this release - like many of us probably. I must say it's spec is not highly surprising, but that is a good thing, they're building on a highly rated belt-drive platform - as far as I know anyway! :) Also, they seem to go from one extreme to another: Until now we're modding and hopping up Tamiya's, and this car has got an impressive spec and even a brass weight kit included!? :o

Based on the spec sheet I don't see a big item they should have done differently on the car...and to be honest with Tamiya's recent non-TRF releases and weird decisions on the TRF-front it's become a bit unpredictable what they'll have in store! :lol:

By the way, some more pictures:
http://tamiyablog.com/wp-content/upl...g_2014-164.jpg
http://tamiyablog.com/wp-content/upl...g_2014-152.jpg

Funny to see in the text in the first picture (on the left) they say 355mm wheelbase... I suppose that should be it's total length? :lol:

Interesting to see thay have gone for an aluminium lower chassis plus metal centre pulleys as well.... Seems just about everyone is going for metal lower chassis these days - bandwagon anyone ?

I cant see that the 'new' 2wd will be radically different either, maybe just using up all the stock of the 201 parts with the XR & XM conversion kits into a all-in-one box ?

It's not surprising. With power and battery life no concerns anymore for 5 minute heats, cars don't have to be as light as possible. In fact a heavy car is a lot more stable over bumps and jumps, so weight can be a very good thing.

Aluminium chassis plates are an easy and cheap way to achieve that extra weight low down on the sprung mass of the car. Besides, aluminium chassis plates (when not elaborately machined with slots and stuff) should prove to be cheaper than carbon plates. A small benefit might also be that an aluminium plate can better dissipate heat than a carbon one. And last but not least, I think you'll find the 'usual' chassis plate alloys (6061-T6 and 7075-T6) to be stiffer and more durable than most carbon fibre in the RC industry (which often contains relatively few layers of carbon for it's thickness, reducing stiffness and strength).

Well i will buy one and retire the 502.2 i have. I like the idea of a metal lower plate,if its simular to to XM on the 201 it will bring better handling.

Even thou i doubt it will be any cheaper just because of the chassis materials have changed.

jK

Oh i agree that a car doesnt have to be as light as possible these days, but the extra weight of a milled ally chassis ( which this new 503 is ) verses a carbon one will be very minimal.

Cost of a milled & anodized ally chassis over a straight carbon one ? Again minimal - in fact the carbon ones would probably be cheaper.

Heat dissipation, well possibly it might help a tad, but i cant remember ever having problems with over hot motors anyway in a carbon chassis - in my 501x & DB01r they run quite cool - just have good ventilation and a motor heatsink :)

Stiffness.... hmmmm again maybe, but a) does the TRF 4wd platform NEED to be any stiffer ? The 501x and 511 are already very stiff... And b) not so sure about being more durable in the real world. Ok the ally chassis might not break or shatter like a carbon one would do so you might be able to finish the race you are in, but if you have hit something that hard it will definitly be bent or at the very least tweaked. And thats my main bug-bear with ally chassis in general. Once they are tweaked its impossible to get the car set up again properly. It might not be broken in half like a carbon one, but its then got to be replaced anyway.

Better handling being ally instead of carbon ? Maybe, but you would have to do back-to-back tests to confirm or deny that one and on different tracks. Marc Rheinard might be able to tell them apart, but im a very average driver so i very much doubt i would notice the difference on a double-decked 4wd chassis tbh !

Anyways enough of that as it doesnt really matter - it looks to be a very nice car & its a TRF so im sure we will all buy it no matter what its made of :D

I just hope its not too expensive and spares back up is decent...

About Damn Time Tamiya :drool::drool:

Looks like db01 front arms (soft trf501x ones), dn01 rear arms. XV01 rear hubs. New WO driveshafts. No more lost pins...

more pics here
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
http://tamiyablog.com/2014/01/tamiya...3-chassis-kit/

Looks pretty awesome to be honest... :o

Very nice although a bit surprised to see them continue to use 10mm hexes on front and pins on rear. Everyone else seems to be going 12mm hex all round.

Typical Tamiya tho, looks stunning.

Very nice! Why not include a new body, which would be the cheapest part!. Not sure that it'll tempt out of the 502X though. Open belts on dusty tracks?? The new Losi 22-4 has an enclosed system for similar spec. So the 503 will need to be keenly priced and well supported.

Mmmmm....the 201XM and Egress 2013 have left some big dents in the racing budget of late!

Additional: a close look at the Parts tree shows (bottom third of image) nice blue 12mm hex's near the new universal joints:
http://tamiyablog.com/wp-content/upl...g_2014-163.jpg

Id you look a some of pictures that has the prototype chassis.. you will see 12mm clamping hexes for the rear ...:D... also there is a way to run 12mm ones on the front as well... and only have a 1.5mm wider front track :p