What are the disadvantages of the X-6?

[ttboyy2k]

Are there any drawbacks or disadvantages of the X-6 layout as far as handling goes? Are the mid-engine 2wd's any faster than the rear motor 2wd's on the market as far as the average racer would notice?

[Paul_Sinclair]

I saw this thread when it was posted, and I've been watching since in hopes that a customer would respond. As a company representative, I prefer to stay away from assesments of our cars because my answers are usually (and understandably) seen as biased. People haven't reponded, though, so I'll try to be as fair as I can.

I think the biggest disadvantage of the mid-motor layout is the same as one of its strengths: its different. The car requires a different driving style to become faster. Rather than coming into the corner straight to the apex, braking and pivoting the car around, and then punching it out, the X - 6 excels when driving smoother, broader racing-style lines and working to carry corner speed. If you try to drive it like a standard-layout car, the rear end can want to step out as you get back on the throttle, especially on a slippery-er surface. By adapting to the smoother lines, though, the X - 6 can carry more corner speed, require less acceleration out of the turns, and I really believe is overall faster.

Driving the X - 6, you don't realize how much extra corner speed you have until you start racing it with other traditional cars. When you're driving it by yourself on the track, it sometimes doesn't feel especially fast, and it can feel loose coming out of corners on slippery tracks (see above). But then you start a race with 9 other cars, and unless you adjust you literally hit those cars on their motor guards on every corner! I've heard similar statements from customers all around the world, of all skill levels.

Probably the best thing I could recomend is approaching someone with an X - 6 and ask them about it. Ask if you could take it for a few laps. Try it for yourself - I'd like to think you'll be impressed.

[Stu]

Paul is spot on there (of course). For me the really important point is that the car is fast when it feels slow - this is exactly what a driver needs, especially if his thumbs are not the best there is.

On meduium/high grip tracks the car has been ACE, there is no way I'll go back to a rear motor car at places like Bury or Southport. (When Jimmy want's his car back I'll be buying one of my own.) On low grip tracks there seems to be less of an advantage, you have to drive to the cars strengths - on high grip you can just nail-it's-ass.

Although the team drivers seem to favour the 4-gear transmission I am sold on the way the car goes (on high-grip) with the three gear box, I like the way it keeps the car flat and as easy to drive as a 4wd.

[Brewer95]

My X-6 was the first 2wd buggy that I had ever driven in anger and I have to agree that I drive it like I do my X-5. I almost run the touring car line in high grip situations as you can really keep the corner speed up and make the car almost flow round the track.

I have found the car a little more difficult on really bumpy tracks but I believe that this is more to do with setup than the car itself. I just find the car really easy to drive and really well balanced.

[niggs98]

it certainly fly's well i know ive not been able to fly the large table top at epo untill i drove this car and it is almost to easy now

[hickston]

I love my X6, my results have improved every race since I got it this year

c final regular with losi, 1a, 3b's with the X6 and the first regional of this year was a c with the losi again.

Disadvantages

1) I cant jump it properly yet. I suspect this is partly to do with the huge wing and mostly to do with a lack of skill. The wing is alterable obviously. Removing gurney certainly helps and doesnt seem to affect the downforce for the rest of the track (in the dry). The lack of skill I'll just have to keep working on.
* actually I decided to clarify this, there's 1 jump at bury I cant jump properly and to be honest alot of other people cant either. At southport where the jumps seem to be smaller, it seems to jump very flat!! *

2) I struggle to drive it in the wet. If I get on the power too soon, I loose the back end. I'm not saying it's not the same for every car though, rear ended or mid motored and to be honest I usually end up around the same place as people of the same ability as I do in the dry, ie see excuse 1, lack of driver skill

3) The gearbox can be tricky to fit/maintain (does this count as a disadvantege??). There's 4 screws that hold it in place. I've not had to rebuild it at the track yet, but given it took me a good while to get it in in the first place, I wouldnt like too

I honestly cant fault the car though, the things above are so minor when you consider how drivable the car is.

[stefke]

I've always been a "smooth" driver. I never liked the "point and shoot" driving style that has been dominating 2wd offroad for the past 10 years. That's why I prefer 4wd over 2wd and that's why I changed my B4 to a Losi CR this year because the Losi IMHO drives a bit smoother compared to the B4 with it's sometimes rather random rear end.

Are you saying that the X6 (or another mid-motor car) would be better suited for my "smooth but nowadays slower" driving style ?

Ps : is there another body available for the X6 ? It's all a matter of taste, but i find the current one FUGLY. Reminds my of that old Traxxas from the late 80'ies early 90'ies

[Gayo]

Originally Posted by stefke

Ps : is there another body available for the X6 ? It's all a matter of taste, but i find the current one FUGLY. Reminds my of that old Traxxas from the late 80'ies early 90'ies

TRX-1s were the bomb !
My mate Oliv996 uses a Cat 2000 body and I must confess it's sexy.
http://www.one-ten-rcforums.com/2wdr...pic.php?id=264

At the French nats, on a really blown-out, rutted dirt track (and in the hands of good drivers ), the X-6 really shined, taking the 2 firsts places. The straight was so destroyed that most drivers were powering it only half-throttle and the 2 X-6s of the A-main were running about half a second a lap quicker than the other cars. UNFAIR

As for the disadvantages :
the car is obviously different, so you have to forget your old habits and re-learn how to drive and setup a 2WD.
The tranny can ask some work before running perfectly well but this should be addressed with the 4-gears one.
When the grip is low and unpredictable (like wet astro on yellows) I find it almost impossible to drive out of a corner without fishtailing, when it's hard, but possible to do with a conventional 2WD.

[stefke]

Originally Posted by Gayo

TRX-1s were the bomb !
My mate Oliv996 uses a Cat 2000 body and I must confess it's sexy.
.

TRX-1 ! That's the one ! My god, we're getting old, aren't we.

I saw the X6 with the CAT shell at the Belgian GP. looked good, but I don't think Schumacher produces that shell anymore.

[MikePimlott]

gutted, The cat shell looks far more slick than the X6 one.

[Chrislong]

Originally Posted by stefke

TRX-1 ! That's the one ! My god, we're getting old, aren't we.

I saw the X6 with the CAT shell at the Belgian GP. looked good, but I don't think Schumacher produces that shell anymore.

Schumacher are likely to still have the mold, and I hear that for a run of a number of shells they'll put any mold back on.... they just won't do 1 offs, if you know what I mean...

[stefke]

Originally Posted by stefke

I've always been a "smooth" driver. I never liked the "point and shoot" driving style that has been dominating 2wd offroad for the past 10 years. That's why I prefer 4wd over 2wd and that's why I changed my B4 to a Losi CR this year because the Losi IMHO drives a bit smoother compared to the B4 with it's sometimes rather random rear end.

Are you saying that the X6 (or another mid-motor car) would be better suited for my "smooth but nowadays slower" driving style ?

No comments on my statement/question ?

[samboneecanada]

I bought my x6 during the winter here in canada and went to a hard buttery clay track in the US for one meet. I found that the rear was loose.

for the beginning of our season here at sid's raceway, www.sidsraceway.com, I also found that the rear was loose.

just recently my line has improved with my setup as well and to prove it my results have gotten much better. I used to have it tough getting into the a main however at this past race, I qualified 5th out of about 30 drivers.

I find that you can't underestimate the effect of the wing. it really needs to be cut right for the day's track surface, and it needs to be in the right position. I saw someone with the wing mounts in front of the shock tower and I think that it could be a great thing. worth checking out.

good luck

S

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by Stu

On low grip tracks there seems to be less of an advantage,

Interestingly I assumed the same, untill I ran the B4 and X6 back to back at Tivvy, I actually found the X6 easier to drive consistently because it did not want to swap ends everytime I got to the corner. You just have to go easy on the throttle

I think its all about your driving style really as to how you suit a particular car, eg: I like a lot of steering, where as say Jimmy or Dan Greenwood would be happy to have a rudder instead of a steering servo

PS: if you want the X6 to steer, buy/make the short rear camber link mod

[SHY]

With 3 gears b/l motors cannot be used? (since it's reversed)

Whilst with 4 gears this is no problem?

And will there be made a lexan dust cover for the gearbox?

[Southwell]

Nm

[super__dan]

Originally Posted by SHY

With 3 gears b/l motors cannot be used? (since it's reversed)

Whilst with 4 gears this is no problem?

And will there be made a lexan dust cover for the gearbox?

There is no problem with the 3 gear as the motor is not rotated around 180 deg like if you just spun a B4 gearbox, it's rotated about the spur so the endbell is the same as a B4.

On the 4 gear the motor is rotated so the endbell is the right hand side, which with the 4th gear means rotation is again still correct but the inertia of the motor gains traction while acceleration and steering into the corner decelerating.

[Chrislong]

Originally Posted by SHY

And will there be made a lexan dust cover for the gearbox?

Hey Shy guy, you'll be glad to hear that the new 4 gear case is sealed completely. The diff gear no longer hangs out of the bottom of the case - its fully enclosed!! Im sure this is what most customers would want, and its what the team have pushed for too, its a great peice of work.

[MHeadling]

Just been having a read of this thread, some really good info there! Sorry to go a little off topic, is Lesro still importing the X factory products in to the UK??

[bigred5765]

they sure are,
we ran the x6 and the b4 back to back at the weekend, and the results speak for them self's, if we had used the b4 results we have been some were like the h final,and as it was are first run out with the x6, and had no real run time we still managed 4th in the f final, pretty good i would say, it jumps better than the b4 or the Losi,and feels safer than the b4 but slightly more twitchy than the Losi,the best of both worlds,