Coming from Mckune Design and made for the Kyosho RB6.6 2WD buggy are three new carbon fibre shock towers. Machined from high-quality 4mm USA-made carbon fibre, the towers are available in stock geometry as well as a plus 2mm front tower for more up travel. The parts are a direct fit and they are available now.
Long-time Kyosho factory driver and 2010 1/8th Off-road World Champion, Cody King, has announced his departure from the Japanese manufacturer. The news comes only days after Cody issued a first, slightly cryptic, statement about his future at Kyosho on social media and now things have clarified, ending doubts whether a change is ahead or not. Cody has yet to announce a new chassis sponsor deal but in the meantime he has the following to say:
Wow, where do I begin? The decision is final now, I won’t return to Kyosho for the 2017 season after all. Our relationship was very long, 14 years to be exact. It was a great ride, and we went a long way. From begging John Stokes and Alex Kong at Great Planes for support back in the day, to watching the creation of Kyosho America near my house in Southern California, to meeting Joel Johnson and Steve Pond at that time, as well as all the Kyosho America staff. Then going all the way to the Worlds and winning the race. What great memories. Then having my car and paint scheme on the Inferno box for many years, that is something that I never could have dreamed would happen. I want to thank Aki Suzuki, Tsuyoshi Sasai, and Mitsuo Yoshimaru at Kyosho Japan. Mr. Sasai was very supportive and really believed in me. I’m very grateful for that. Also Futoshi Ishihara and Steve Pond at Kyosho America, thank you very much for all the years of support. It has been an absolute great ride and great experience. They say the only thing constant in the universe is change. Indeed it’s true. On to the next chapter…
Exotek have introduced an aluminium rear bulkhead for laydown converted Kyosho RB6.6 buggies. A heavy duty 1-piece design and high-quality 7075 aluminium material mean improved durability and less chances to strip a ball stud mounting hole in hard crashes. The part matches the stock geometry and includes mounting points for the RB6.6 sway bars and at 10g the bulkhead is also about 1.5g lighter than the stock nylon part.
Available now from Kyosho are two new Le Mans 240S brushless motors. Both mimic the company’s iconic Le Mans 240S brushed motor that was a popular choice in the 1980’s with the modern brushless variant sporting the same red anodised front plate, silver main can and even the sticker design of the original brushed motor. The brushless motor is available in a 15.5T 4WD and a 19.5T 2WD variant all of which feature a side-mounted sensor port and heavy duty solder tabs.
Source: Kyosho [kyosho.com]
Kyosho have introduced the Le Mans 240S brushless speed controller. The ESC is housed in a compact cast aluminium case and it is designed for the use with 2S to 3S LiPo batteries and down to 13.5T sensored brushless motors. A widely enclosed design makes the 60A rated speedo ideal for off-road and on-road applications alike. The controller measures 37.5x31x18.5mm and it comes pre-wired with 14AWG wire and a T-plug connector.
Source: Kyosho [kyosho.com] | RC Monkeys [rcmonkey.jp]
Coming soon from Kyosho are lightweight differential cross shafts for the MP9 series of buggies. Made from 7075 Duraluminium and sporting a hard-anodised surface for wear the parts scrub about 1.4g per piece meaning that up to 8.4g of weight can be saved when decking out all three diffs of a vehicle. The shafts come in sets of two – without the gears visible in above image – and they will hit stores soon.
Source: Kyosho [kyosho.com]
Italian company Bittydesign have introduced their new Force bodyshell for the Kyosho MP9 TKI4 buggy. Developed in cooperation with Kyosho team drivers the body sports a cab forward design, large side flaps for downforce and improved traction and the overall design also optimises the airflow towards the rear wing. The body is made from genuine 1mm Lexan material and it comes clear, including window masks and a decal sheet. Also available and sold separately are optional mud guards to protect the rear driveshafts and wishbones from collection too much dirt. Like the body, the mud guards come made from clear polycarbonate.
Kyosho America have introduced the third version of the MR-03VE Pro, the GP Limited. The car features the ultra-fast MHS2.4GHz system that delivers a response speed 16-times faster than the existing ASF2.4GHz and KT18 transmitter combination and 4-times faster than the ASF2.4GHz system and KO Propo EX-1 transmitter combination. Equipped with the newly developed Xspeed VE PRO brushless motor that incorporates a one-piece aluminium case and heatsink, this dynamic 12000KV specification motor is kept cool to extract maximum performance to produce the fastest speeds in Mini-Z history. Additional features include the previously optional MML aluminium motor mount to lower the centre of gravity and enhance heat dissipation even further, MML roll shock that increases setting flexibility, and ball diff for improved cornering and running performance. Previously optional parts included as standard in the GP Limited are anodised in a special colour.
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