Team Azarashi 'Grayseal' Prototype 4WD

[jimmy]

Team Azarashi have some photos of their new prototype 4WD buggy on their site. The Azarashi guys have been building various interesting and sometimes wacky 4WD concepts for years with no intention of release - but this time it seems things are moving toward a release.

http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/misc/news/grayseal01.jpg


The prototype currently features Tamiya suspension and steering - Associated dampers & Hot Bodies D4 drive train parts. But the main interest is the chassis design - which features an interesting and unique (in modern times) layout with three nimh cells laid end-to-end down either side of the car. The motor is situated between the cells along with electrics - and the whole drive train is raised up in the centre to occupy the 'driver cabin' area on the body.
The chassis on the prototype shown uses an aluminium sheet braced with thick carbon fibre ribs.

http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/misc/news/grayseal02.jpg


However the car progresses is anyones guess at the moment, but it's one to watch. Azarashi state a release date around 'spring' 2009.

http://www.team-azarashi.com (http://www.team-azarashi.com/)

http://www.oople.com/rc/photos/misc/news/grayseal03.jpg

[Alex H]

I dont know what to say really. Another 4wd among all the rest already. Why not a 2wd? And then the battery configuration??? Charging them works well but equalizing wont work so well...

[Chris Doughty]

I love it!

proper out of the box thinking...

I am not sure I am fully sold on the design, but I love its origionality

[Answer-RC-Pete]

They state on the site that the dont know if it will be a conversion or a complete kit...

I hope if its a conversion you dont need a D4 and 501X!

I would run one for the sake of it though... Agh! just realised how awkwward the cell lay out is... Hmm..

[Andrew Simpson]

no lipoo compatability plus no weight upfront, not a good combination especically if its gonna be expensive ie, a conversion kit

[Chequered Flag Racing]

Would you get one of today's brushless esc's in there? Tekin maybe others maybe not.

[Chris Green]

I love the out of the box thinking, but it seems a bit flawed to me.

If it can't accomodate lipo's, I'm not sure if it will be popular? Also, it doesn't look as though you would fit a brushless speedo under the shaft in front of the spur?

The chassis doesn't seem to have any stiffening towards the front end at the moment either. Maybe that will be added before it goes into full production.

[DCM]

looking at the chassis thickness, shouldn't be an issue with stifness...

[SHY]

Creative & cool solution!

But we're now entering the LiPo era, and if I were them I'd focus on a car designed purely for LiPo... that's the way to go for now!

So it's cool but too late! :D

[vinny20]

Would you get one of today's brushless esc's in there? Tekin maybe others maybe not.



Thats a bit of a worry if your racing an esc with fan its gonna be hard for fitting and same with lipo didnt they think about this at first but it looks cool:thumbsup:

[jimmy]

I'm sure they will improve things, it's just a prototype / concept car at the moment.

[David Church]

Come on you lot, don't just critisize every detail!!!!!

It's another concept, and will take some- possibly alot of tweaking, but it is very different and I give it a thumbs up:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[mole2k]

It looks like a nice unique idea, it might not be very practical but if it was faster than anything else would that really matter :P ?

[OldTimer]

Love the concept, i guess torque steer could be a issue, but it would look cool with a cf tub chassis ;)

[Alex H]

Love the concept, i guess torque steer could be a issue, but it would look cool with a cf tub chassis ;)

You have a thing for tub chassis:thumbsup:.

But still, its one more contender in the 4wd class. Creativity is always nice but there must be more to be done in the 2wd department!

[Belsten]

I think I like it, its very different and could be potentially awesome. I like different ;)


Love the concept, i guess torque steer could be a issue, but it would look cool with a cf tub chassis ;)

I think a tub on that would deffo be the way forward, your tubs always look awesome :thumbsup:

[Garry Driffill]

:thumbdown::eh?::cry::o:(:confused::wtf: - That looks baddddddd.. what sort of config is that?!

[nitrokillah]

I like the ingenuity of it...
I'm sure lipo packs won't be hard to fit on there.
And yes, a tub would definetly be better.
the esc still remains a problem. unless it's moved a bit more on the side of the chassis.
but this thing looks like a pain to mesh the gears. ;)

still is early days.

[bigred5765]

OMG,

[Garry Driffill]

I like the ingenuity of it...
I'm sure lipo packs won't be hard to fit on there.
And yes, a tub would definetly be better.
the esc still remains a problem. unless it's moved a bit more on the side of the chassis.
but this thing looks like a pain to mesh the gears. ;)

still is early days.

LIPO...in there ... :woot:

[scaramanga22]

It could work with two LiFePo4 cells, two on each side?!?

[freud]

I like this car but more with chassis tub:thumbsup:

[Moose]

it should be easy to build this car as a 2WD .. maybe thats fine for carpet racing.
but i can t imagine that this is a good 4WD. looks nice though

[Red-Bull-Racing]

The front looks just like an Aero. :eh?:

http://www.team-azarashi.com/grayseal006.jpg

[jono83]

looks like a pain in the ass to mesh gears

[Al3xis007]

imagine the design sketches and how they came up with everything,
this car is straight mental:thumbsup:

[Mike Hudson]

New unique cars are the best, most interesting and unknow how they will handle the tracks :drool:

[RogerM]

I admire the lateral thinking of the design, much better than anothe rlook-e-likey clone thing!!!!!

As for going on about LiPo mounting why does that matter for the concept? Ok it would be limiting for production as people seem to have this strange obsession with LiPo at the moment but if that layout is way faster potentially than any LiPo layout there would be plenty of people willing to keep running NiMhs. I won't be running LiPos next year and I am sure I won't be alone!

Don't knock the car till you know how it performs.