Now Running X - 7 Gen 5.1 Prototype

[YoungChazz]

Hang around our pits long enough and you'll see Paul or Ellis working on their cars. Really can't hide it. We're not making a big deal about showing the car off, and no body off photos yet, but we must maintain it like any other car, and we'll not put up some kind of wall.

[Woulves Baine]

Maybe this will help 4wd come back to the states in bigger numbers!~

[YoungChazz]

Ellis Stafford took second overall at the weekend's BWOC by a mere 0.02 sec with the new X - 7 Gen 5.2. Paul's old car arrived at Ellis' house last week and this was E's first time out with it.

Ellis finished second on the track in A-1 but a rough driving penalty to the leader put Ellis first. I think E took third in A-2, might be mistaken.

In A-3 Stafford held about a 2-sec lead for the last half of the race until he hit the pipe three turns from the end. This allowed Kevin Lee to catch up with a resulting drag race down the straight to the line. Stafford pulled the trigger hard and the X - 7's new belt system delivered so much power he did a wheelie the entire 30 feet (!) crossing the line with the nose still up in the air. This elevation of the transponder may have cost Ellis the win, as the two cars crossed the line side-by-side, with Lee getting the win by 0.02 seconds.

Any way you look at it, this is a great finish for the new X - 7!

[Darren Boyle]

Originally Posted by YoungChazz

Ellis Stafford took second overall at the weekend's BWOC by a mere 0.02 sec with the new X - 7 Gen 5.2. Paul's old car arrived at Ellis' house last week and this was E's first time out with it.

Ellis finished second on the track in A-1 but a rough driving penalty to the leader put Ellis first. I think E took third in A-2, might be mistaken.

In A-3 Stafford held about a 2-sec lead for the last half of the race until he hit the pipe three turns from the end. This allowed Kevin Lee to catch up with a resulting drag race down the straight to the line. Stafford pulled the trigger hard and the X - 7's new belt system delivered so much power he did a wheelie the entire 30 feet (!) crossing the line with the nose still up in the air. This elevation of the transponder may have cost Ellis the win, as the two cars crossed the line side-by-side, with Lee getting the win by 0.02 seconds.

Any way you look at it, this is a great finish for the new X - 7!

Not quite right there Chazz, but close!

A-2, both Ellis and Darren Bloomfield were right at the back after lap one after seperate racing "incidents" both fought their way through the field but niether were in the top 3 in leg 2.

A-3, Darren took a flag to flag win, Kevin and Ellis were racing for second in the leg, Ellis made the error 3 or 4 bends from home that allowed Kevin to catch up, then on the corner table top just a few yards before the loop, Ellis went tight and steady, Kevin wide and fast and they drag raced across the line, Ellis did indeed pop a VERY impressive wheely, which he did hold for the remainder of the long straight .

When the computer gave out the times, Kevin triggered the loop 0.03 in front of Ellis and with a win (from leg 2) and a 2nd(3 points) took the win from Ellis with his leg 1 win and leg 3 3rd (4 points). Tom Yardy was third overall.

Well done to both drivers in leg three a good race and very tight finish, excellent racing to watch and there could only be one winner. Well done to Kevin on the win and also to Ellis too for what is a very good result for the new car and first time out on the track with this version too....

[YoungChazz]

Thanks for clearing it up, Darren. That's what I get trying to do things late at night from memory at home.

It was a great showing for the prototype car against top competition. Weight distribution on the 5.2 still isn't what we want because we don't have the new belts & pulleys necessary to move the motor a bit -- they are coming soon for the 6.0. When they arrive, we expect the 6.0 to be significantly faster and if the new weight bias proves correct, it will be ready for sale.

[mikeyscott]

Look forward to seeing it at Off Road Wars in a couple of weeks.

[Gayo]

When the X-7 will be in production, it would be great to see your different prototypes, so we can see when/how ideas and designs appeared, evolved or disapeared through the whole development.

[colmo]

Originally Posted by Gayo

When the X-7 will be in production, it would be great to see your different prototypes, so we can see when/how ideas and designs appeared, evolved or disapeared through the whole development.

That would be a lot of effort just to educate the other manufacturers on how to make (and not make) a 4wd - no harm in keeping a few secrets!

[YoungChazz]

I very much doubt we'd do that, but it would be interesting to show them what doesn't work. Perhaps they already know that...

[MikePimlott]

Any pictures floating around yet ?

[ScottyP]

Some X7 pics from Cactus:

[Cooper]

AWESOME!

[adey]

Body off pics please. You have teased us for long enough

[arransmith27]

3 belts i'm guessing

[adey]

I recon two belts, front and rear gearboxes and elevated pulleys. Motor in front of lipos.

[colmo]

Originally Posted by adey

I recon two belts, front and rear gearboxes and elevated pulleys. Motor in front of lipos.

+1. I recall the lipo was a stubby placed across the chassis? I'm guessing it will accommodate a full stick to comply with ROAR rules, but no-one will actually do that!

Are those front wishbones original, or from another car? They're huge! Are the diffs Team Associated, B44 or (N)TC3? The front driveshafts are also enormous...

This car looks the real deal, but I fear the cost will be astronomical with all that milled alloy and carbon fibre :S - maybe a case of 5 minutes of (wallet) pain, followed by several years of (racing) pleasure....

Edit: D'oh, the gearboxes are being fed from a belt so no crown gear, and thus no 4wd diffs. Cheers Northy.

[Northy]

Looks to be:

Cat SX front end - which is just the tried and tested XX4 geometry.
X6 rear end.
B4 gearbox internals both ends driving a belt from the layshaft that goes to the middle of the car, where the slipper and some more gears layshafts etc are to connect the two belts.

What I expected really

[mof]

Originally Posted by colmo

+1. I recall the lipo was a stubby placed across the chassis? I'm guessing it will accommodate a full stick to comply with ROAR rules, but no-one will actually do that!

http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/a...ettet/X7_5.jpg

Looks like saddle packs to me...

[YoungChazz]

They will be AE diffs. You will be able to use either saddle or shorty packs. We think regular stick packs are so last year...

[fatbear]

Looking good Chazz. I can't wait to get my car.
Darren