4WD MKI-4

[BenG]

haha.

I must admit, not its all together, its not so bad.

I recon with some improvements, I can get it going round Batley and York on a Saturday night nicely.

Not that I will win, with my photo-chopped veloc2, and a swiss made 1980 style RC car tribute

[jimmy]

What improvements do you mean though, cosmetic or design or setup?
All most cars need is a setup, if you can't get there with a setup then a slight design change might be in order. But everything i know about this car suggests it is capable.

[BenG]

Design and set-up

[Mr. Ideas]

Looks like it's time for some objectiv facts and not subjective I-think-that:

Tell us Ben, did You race it? On which tracks were You with the MKI-4? How many laps did You do without an error?

Let me just remind You that the MKI-4 is as good as the current World Champ 4 WD car. Why? I almost won my 2nd consecutive Swiss Champ title agains BJ-4 Worlds and equal driver & setup abilities. It was my driver fault that led to 2nd place 2006 - it was not the car. If the car is really a piece of crap it would not be capable to do this.
Simply check out on http://www.iq-tuning.ch/en/4wdmki-4.html and form Your opinion.

By the way: These are special thermoplast srews, PT-screws, maybe someone knows, not wood-screws, and far better than 4-40 screws for this purpose. And when You use a proper Ph #1 screwdriver You have no problems. I would have supplied Hex-head-screws but these are not available for all sizes used on the MKI-4.

[Lee Martin]

trying to say the MK1-4 is as good as a BJ?

[jimmy]

Trying to say it isn't lee?

[Nick Goodall]

Do you think the guy will still want Ben to distribute the car in the UK now he's seen first hand what Ben said about it?

[BenG]

Originally Posted by Nick Goodall

Do you think the guy will still want Ben to distribute the car in the UK now he's seen first hand what Ben said about it?

I am no longer distributing or selling this car.

I have emailed Markus, and we are on the same page, all is well.

I'd love to continue using this car personally.

[super__dan]

Originally Posted by BenG

I'd love to continue using this car personally.

Well as you've bought it why not?

Ben, I can't make the meeting this Sunday but come to Batley sometime (or any NE regional) and race the car, let us all see it and meet you, is it just me that's never met you???

[BenG]

Originally Posted by super__dan

Well as you've bought it why not?

Ben, I can't make the meeting this Sunday but come to Batley sometime (or any NE regional) and race the car, let us all see it and meet you, is it just me that's never met you???

I met Jimmy once, at a touring car club.

I think I gave stickers to someone at Batley once, maybe Chris Long?

till then, I remain the masked avenger.

[Sebastian]

I have to say that I still love using the car. I raced it mainly indoors so far but at the weekend we have our first outdoor meeting this year.

Sure, it looks a bit different and DIY-ish but hey - there are a lot of guys out there that love that kind of look.

Some weeks ago I finished 2nd in a large off-road race here in Germany in front of some TTech Predator's, Tamiya TRF501x's and JConcept BJ4's. Not bad for a 'home made' car I guess ...

Anyway. I think Ben did Markus wrong with the harsh words he used about his car.

Cheers

Seb

[BenG]

Originally Posted by Sebastian

I have to say that I still love using the car. I raced it mainly indoors so far but at the weekend we have our first outdoor meeting this year.

Sure, it looks a bit different and DIY-ish but hey - there are a lot of guys out there that love that kind of look.

Some weeks ago I finished 2nd in a large off-road race here in Germany in front of some TTech Predator's, Tamiya TRF501x's and JConcept BJ4's. Not bad for a 'home made' car I guess ...

Anyway. I think Ben did Markus wrong with the harsh words he used about his car.

Cheers

Seb

I didn't do Markus wrong. I am allowed to form an opinion. Also, I am equally allowed to not sell this, we didn't enter into any contract of sort.

[Sebastian]

Originally Posted by BenG

I am allowed to form an opinion.

Sure. Same as I ...

[BenG]

Originally Posted by Sebastian

Sure. Same as I ...

lol. Ok

[super__dan]

Originally Posted by BenG

I met Jimmy once, at a touring car club.

I think I gave stickers to someone at Batley once, maybe Chris Long?

till then, I remain the masked avenger.

So have you ever actually been to an off road meeting/race?

I'm not getting funny here, just trying to understand how much expereince you have with 4wd off road.

[daz]

nothing personal BenG.. I just think you are a no0b

[Col]

I was always surprised that a person on Markus's obvious engineering abilities and skill as a driver were never translated into business sense. Wether the build quality is upto scratch or not, the finished product is extremely capeable as seen by Seb's results and the fact that this car was at the Euro's (all be it with a talented driver behind the wheel) When Ben (or "TYRC") said he was selling it, does that mean that he was going to become an importer, or was he just hoping to cream some money from the off-road comunity and place each order with Markus individually and not stock the kit at all? Either way, this was a business error as I believe that you should look into the people who promote your product ( as they are the ones who are looking after your reputation)

That's the long winded version of what I believe Daz was trying to say

[BenG]

well, i've been into buggies sinve I got my TC 4 years ago.

I'll be making more race apperances this year

[DCM]

I think I prefer the beleif that if it looks right, it normaly is right. Not trying to ruffle feathers or poke fun, but for someone trying to 'sell' a car, there needs to be some serious attention to detail to make the car more 'presentable' to make it more appealing.

When you are touting the car in the same price bracket as most mainstream 4wd buggies, you got to have something that makes the car worth buying, as it is, all the other offerings have far better quality of look and feel, plus heritage, I know where I would spend my money.

But also, I think you could take some constructive criticism from this thread and look at the car to see if you can improve things to make it more appealing for the majority of racers.

[Mr. Ideas]

DCM, good point "look & feel", let me (as designer & maker) drop some lines to this. First I go back a bit in history:

2004, Euros in Torino: Jörn Neumann & Peter Pinisch won with Durango, Jukka Steenari 3rd on XXX-4 (he was forced to run the XXX-4, could not race the XX-4). Then the following good cars were available for everyone: XXX-4, BJ-4 (not Worlds). I run XXX-4 and did not like it. So in autumn 2004 I started to develop the MKI-4.

2005, Worlds in Torino: 1st Ryan Cavalieri with BJ-4 Worlds Prototype, 2nd Neil Cragg with MR-4 BX Prototype, 3rd Ryan Maifiels with BJ-4 Worlds Prototype, 4th Billy Easton with XX-4 WE, 10th Atsushi Hara with Durango. My MKI-4 prototype was OK, better as the driver, 74th ) Soon after the following good cars were available for everyone: BJ-4 Worlds, XX-4 WE (Re-released), XXX-4, MR-4 BX, X-5.

2006: The following good cars are available for everyone: BJ-4 Worlds, XX-4 WE (Re-released), XXX-4, MR-4 BX, X-5, ZX-5, MKI-4 (since Jan 06)

2007: Now available: BJ-4 Worlds, XX-4 WE (Re-released), XXX-4, MR-4 BX, X-5, ZX-5, TRF 501X, MKI-4 - plenty of good cars to choose from!

Sure - the MKI-4 has a prototype look & feel. Certainly - DCM "all the other offerings have far better quality of look and feel, plus heritage, I know where I would spend my money". This makes that most racers will choose another car than the MKI-4 - although the MKI-4 has some goodies others don't have. Here is why:
The MKI-4 got developed by one man (with lots of helping hands - thanks guys ) with his private money & huuuge efforts (Don't do it - unless You are crazy as me). Since I don't have 50'000 £ and excellent relations to a manufacturer there is no way to build moulds & tools to have the look & feel like Losi or Tamiya or Kyosho.
This makes the MKI-4 an excellent 4 WD race car with prototype look & feel that is produced in small series by an "extraordinary" racer for a bunch of other "extraordinary" racers! Clearly the MKI-4 is not for Mr. Everyone.

Finally: The MKI-4 is the better XX-4 and as good as the best cars available. Those guys who have it are happy with it & don't regret to have bought it (except one guy there in Great Britain ). Hope You can grab a radio linked to a MKI-4 once to try it Yourself!