new HotBodies buggy?? (photos!!)

[FifteenthNeo]

Originally Posted by Ron Burgundy

If its a BJ4WE you want, buy one.. They look better, they are original and the guys who make them are awesome

With all due respect to JConcepts who indeed make a great buggy and yourself (im not flaming, just airing an opinion ), where in your statement do you mention how well the BJ4WE drives. Look at the real world where we have the Jaguar X type. This apitamy of british engineering is using a Ford Mondeo chassis (not that there's anything wrong with the Mondeo)
And look at the B4 and XXX CR both 2WD buggies that, although not identical, have very similar layouts.

If its a good design, why not make a variation of it. Afterall, when a D4 crosses the finish line infront of a BJ4WE, which it obviously will at some point given the law of averages, are you gonna say the BJ4WE has had its day.

Just my 10 penneth's worth.

[Nick Goodall]

It's the same with F1 - To the untrained average person the entire grid of F1 cars probably looks identical but with different colours, yet one will be 3-5 seconds a lap faster then another, so tiny differences = big differences on track.

You could also argue that the Cat 3000 was the first with this layout, and actually the Losi XX4 was the first 4wd competitive car to have a motor anywhere near the front of the car, this was a massive difference to previous 4wd off road cars but is almost the norm now!

Things change and improve all the time as the years go by, it's called Evolution

We're at the stage where these cars are all so good now, it's only small changes that are being made to gain every last 1/10th of a second. If you look at for instance the first Losi JRX, then the XX, XXCR, then the XXX, BK2, CR - They're fundamentally the same "design / layout" but with Geometry and slight weight distribution changes over the years hence Evolving into the current XXXCR that people are running today.

[Lee Martin]

nicks spot on....

even moving the cells mm's in different places will massively alter the cars handle. i feel. so theres no end to the amount of stuff they can do. but it will also 'look' like a BJ4 with that layout, but may not go like one....i.e, Academy??

[Adam Skelding]

Originally Posted by Thad Garner

I have a stack of D4 bodies…Muhahaha

Hook me up then Mr B to V.....
Or the slice of bread gets it!!!!!
And you get no more Kit Kat Chunkies

[Andy Moore]

I constantly see the argument that this layout requires the buggy to look similar....but why do the parts appear almost identical. The front arms, caster blocks, c-hubs, center slipper assembly, etc all seem to be blatant copies, not Hot Bodies spin on this particular layout.

[Ron Burgundy]

What Andy has said above is my exact point.....

It is a blatant rip off of the BJ4WE...

Evolution YES, copying the best car on the track at the moment and calling it an "EXCLUSIVE" I say NO!!!!!!

Its a shame and to be honest, is just a little bit wrong...

JConcepts have done the right thing and will continue to do so, so in a way Jason and Brad should be flattered that a company with the resources of HotBodies should basically take the blue prints and put their name on it...

Thats looking at it in a "glass half full" kinda way!

I dont think in a million years could HB back up there product the way JC do...

[Andy Moore]

Hot Bodies, Tamiya, and Yokomo all used BJ parts in their prototypes and use very similar looking production parts. Its true that some use them to a higher extent than others though. Two companies actually ordered parts through us.....

[jimmy]

Hpi are a big company and can certainly get more drivers into 4WD and off road electric in general with this car. There is talk of the 'other' andy moore giving this car a race this year, which might turn some other touring car drivers onto this class of racing - good for everyone!

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by jimmy

Hpi are a big company and can certainly get more drivers into 4WD and off road electric in general with this car. There is talk of the 'other' andy moore giving this car a race this year, which might turn some other touring car drivers onto this class of racing - good for everyone!

Thats is definately the best outlook for this car, and if its able to do that, then great!

[Adam Skelding]

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

I constantly see the argument that this layout requires the buggy to look similar....but why do the parts appear almost identical. The front arms, caster blocks, c-hubs, center slipper assembly, etc all seem to be blatant copies, not Hot Bodies spin on this particular layout.

Please remind me where all this lot came from on the Original BJ4:

Castor Blocks & Knuckles (Losi).
Sipper: B4.
Front and Rear Wishbones: B4.
Drivetrain: TC3.

Hairs could be split all day on which came first, the chicken or the egg.

There are subtle differences all over the car.....

[Richard Lowe]

Originally Posted by Adam Skelding

Sipper: B4

The slipper was bespoke hehe

[BradR]

Originally Posted by Adam Skelding

Please remind me where all this lot came from on the Original BJ4:

Castor Blocks & Knuckles (Losi).
Sipper: B4.
Front and Rear Wishbones: B4.
Drivetrain: TC3.

Hairs could be split all day on which came first, the chicken or the egg.

There are subtle differences all over the car.....

Like you said, hairs could be split all day. I'm not going to dwell on the subject, but I want to point out the inaccuracies contained in your post:

Caster Blocks - JConcepts (they're not just Losi pieces made from aluminum, the dimensions are different)
Knuckles - Losi (correct)
Slipper - JConcepts (the design was similar to the B3 slipper, but the only common part was the center bushing)
Wishbones - B4 (correct)
Drivetrain - Modified TC3 (slipper input shaft, one-way drive cup, NTC3 outdrives, and machined housings)

With that said, it's not most important point. The original BJ4 was designed to use as many Associated parts as possible. The whole idea was to make an Associated based 4WD off-road car, because they don't make one themselves. We also buy those parts from Associated to package in our kits, so Associated gets recognition and profits from us using their parts. We didn't just copy and existing car, add some subtle differences, and put our name on it.

[jimmy]

A higher res pic of the final car as sent by mr.Skelding

[stefke]

Nice car, although the cheap looking plastic battery retainers ruin the CF look. Shame. Would it be that expensive to use CF for these parts like on the BJ4, TRF501, ...

Another thing : given my recent experiences with HPI cars, I would choose the BJ4 over this anytime if I wanted a shaft driven 4wd. It's branded Hotbodies, but they are essentially the same company as HPI and the drivetrain is taken from the HPI Pro4. I've seen some serious quality, design and reliability issues with recent HPI cars (the HPI Baja and MT2 come to mind).

[Adam Skelding]

Originally Posted by stefke

Nice car, although the cheap looking plastic battery retainers ruin the CF look. Shame. Would it be that expensive to use CF for these parts like on the BJ4, TRF501, ...

Another thing : given my recent experiences with HPI cars, I would choose the BJ4 over this anytime if I wanted a shaft driven 4wd. It's branded Hotbodies, but they are essentially the same company as HPI and the drivetrain is taken from the HPI Pro4. I've seen some serious quality, design and reliability issues with recent HPI cars (the HPI Baja and MT2 come to mind).

The gearboxes have been re-designed specifically for the Off-Road car.

Battery Retainers: Cheap looking, but ultimately stong.. C/F... Yes... possible.
price increase to the end user.....definate......performance advantage... negligable.

[mark christopher]

Adam arnt the plastic ones moulded, giving a more secure battery mount?

did you see my post re your worksop date and clash?

[Adam Skelding]

Originally Posted by mark christopher

Adam arnt the plastic ones moulded, giving a more secure battery mount?

did you see my post re your worksop date and clash?

Correct. They have moulded retainers holding the cells firmly in place, whether you have the cells in the forward or back position.

[Nick Goodall]

I love the fact that nobody's really seen one in the flesh, let alone going round a track yet seem to pick holes in the weirdest / smallest things they can think of?? Is there some sort of conspiracy or something

[mark christopher]

think you may find adam has seen one!

[Nick Goodall]

Really? Yes i know that, it's not Adam i'm talking about - it's the people that seem set on slagging the car before even seeing one in the flesh let alone out on track.