Ansmann Pro-X build

[Nick Goodall]

Originally Posted by chb

So, even forgetting the tyres, the X-pro is not cheaper than a b4s

Or am I missing something?

Yeah it's cheaper, £133 for the X-Pro, B4FT is £173 with the Team kit coming in at around £160 or so most places.

[chb]

What makes you compare it to a B4FT rather than a B4 Stealth ?

[Nick Goodall]

Originally Posted by chb

What makes you compare it to a B4FT rather than a B4 Stealth ?

I have compared it to the Stealth / Team Car too which is around £160 at most places i believe??

Like the FT car though it at least has Threaded shocks, Graphite components, stronger turnbuckles etc.

Either way, i'd say the X-pro is cheaper, and having heard about the upgrade parts that are coming they're going to be very cheap too!

[DCM]

in the end, no matter what 'competition spec' buggy out there, it is a bargain.... made me want to buy a 2wd again, and I have been holding out for a Tamiya 2wd buggy for 18 months.

[RichieRich]

Does anyone know who distributes these in the US?

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by RSharpy

The RB5 used to retail at £160 it's only due to the exchange rate that as sent it to £240+. But you would expect Ansmann to have simlar issues in todays climate? Where are they based?

They have done well to price it at £139, on the face of it the quality looks good. So does the design with it being so close to an RB5 its fair to say it will perform well.

No doubt about it a lot will ride on the shocks as to wheather the Pro-X cuts the mustard.

Just a few pointers here

Ansmann have obviously saved on R&D by blatantly copying the RB5, making a couple of changes here and there, et voila, cheap car because you've not spent months and months testing different solutions etc...

Kyosho make a point on producing everything in house in japan, which is why with the massive drop in the value of the GBP (and simultaneous ncrease in the value of the Jpn Yen, I am here comparing both to the dollar), the Kyosho kits could no longer be sold at the prices we'd seen before. The good thing is that the quality of Kyosho kits is excellent and consistently so.

I suspect Ansmann are producing in a cheap labour country that hasn't got such a strong currency and probably deal in dollars.

[DCM]

Fabs, Ansmann are not producing the kits, more 're-badging' from another company.

[Jamie.T]

Which are also made in Chine/Japan just like Kyosho.

[mr. ed]

Fabs are you sure of your statement regarding kyosho producing everything in Japan? I thought all or most kyosho kits are produced in south-korea now; picked that up on another forum I think.

(sorry for the off-topic post)

[Lee Martin]

Its not a complete RB5 copy though isi t? as its very B4 on the rear end and very VERY losi on the chassis........

[DCM]

I just think, cause it is cheap, then for some, they got to try and justify it's 'cheapness'

[Fabs]

Dunno where you got the korea thing from. I was told by a very reliable source that Kyosho kits are produced in Japan.

It IS a RB5 copy there's no point arguing about that. As i said, they changed one thing here and there but that doesn't cost anything, what costs money is the R&D and I can garantee there has been no race testing at high level to prove the design. Well there has been, but it's been done and paid for by Kyosho...

Same exact issue as has been seen on RC Tech with the 416 copy made in china apart froim here the car has been changed so it's not exactly the same so as to make sure there is no copyright infringement.

Steve, I know they're only rebadging, it's still most certainly produced in a cheap country...

[DCM]

it is a HK company, so Korea or around there, like most RC Car kits these days, dude.

I don't think I have denied it is bares a very close resemblance to the original RB5 either.

[Fabs]

Lol I never said you haven't...

I just tried to answer a question that was, how did they make it so cheap, in a complete manner, especially after the price of the RB5 has been quite substancially increased recently.

In any competition kit a good part of the price is R&D, testing different solutions, paying engineers and drivers, paying for private testing at facilities (that aren't necessarily in the country where those people who will test are, they might even be from different countries), entering high level competitions etc...

This, Ansmann (and subsequently the company that produces the kit) did not do or have to do.

[DCM]

but they have had the balls to CAD design all their parts, machine moulds, and invested in good quality materials... so there is something.

[carty]

kyosho have used a couple of korean rc plants for production I heard the co that became a-tech being one

[Thomas P]

DCM may i ask, where can i get the rear rims ? any tip? are they costy?

/TP

[DCM]

I really don't know where to get parts at the moment, I guess, any of the kit sellers can get them.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by carty

kyosho have used a couple of korean rc plants for production I heard the co that became a-tech being one

NOT for competition kits

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by DCM

but they have had the balls to CAD design all their parts, machine moulds, and invested in good quality materials... so there is something.

Well,

With a caliper and an RB5 I can draw a car like the Pro-X in two weeks... Not much of an investment there.

The tooling and all, yes it is expensive but only a part of the cost of a car, it's all a global thing and certainly the lack of R&D is for me what allowed them to make it cheaper.