Red RC » Mugen

September 13, 2023

First look – New Mugen 2WD Buggy

Mugen Seiki’s new 1:10 2WD Buggy has broken cover at World Championship in Arizona, with the car’s designer and engineer Shin Adachi set to race a pre-production example of the car when the 2WD action gets underway tomorrow. A hugely significant venture for Mugen, the yet unnamed 2WD buggy is the first from the Japanese company and has been 2-years in the making. While there is no confirmed launch date for the kit, Adachi says he expects it to go on sale ‘soon’. Officially a pre-production car, Adachi said the buggy is very close to what they will release with just potential for some very minor changes. Joining Mugen in 2021, the 2WD is the first car Adachi has had sole responsibility for complete design and engineering of the project and said his design brief was to cater for the growing trend towards high traction tracks but added in testing on more ‘loose tracks’ the buggy ‘worked very well’. Such is the occasion for Mugen Seiki, who have been a key player in the competitive 1:8 Offroad racing scene, offroad legend and face of the brand in the US Adam Drake arrived today at Hobby Action and will be on hand for the next three days of racing supporting Adachi. With the unveiling of the 2WD, Mugen also confirmed it has a 4WD in the works with the design already complete.

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August 22, 2023

Kilic brothers 1-2 at German Nationals, Berkan Champion

Mugen Seiki’s Kilic brothers claimed yet another 1-2 at the German 1:8 Buggy Nationals with Berkan this time edging out Burak to become the champion for the first time. Racing at the MSC Ring in Braunschweig, Burak was chasing his third National title but in qualifying it was younger brother Berkan who would take the TQ after 5 rounds of qualifying from the defending champion. In the 45-minute final, there would be an intense battle at the front with the Sworkz of Joern Neumann joining the family rivalry, Berkan took the win by just 7/10ths of a second from Burkan. Setting the fastest lap of the race Neumann would complete the Top 3.

Source – Kilic Brothers RC [facebook.com]

July 26, 2023

Mugen Seiki MBX8 carbon fuel tank guard plate

Mugen Seiki has released an optional carbon fibre fuel tank guard plate for their MBX8 1:8 Nitro Buggy. The plate protects the tank from the heat of the exhaust as well as acting as a mounting point for fuel tubing with two sections milled out for the placement of tubing mounts. In addition to heat countermeasures, the plate helps avoid problems such as the muffler coming off and melting the fuel tank. The plate is designed specifically for use only on the buggy and not their truggy.

View mounted to tank here

July 22, 2023

Volker heads Mugen 1-2 in ETS Austria qualifying

Mugen Seiki enjoyed a one-two in qualifying for ETS Austria with Ronald Volker the Top Qualifier in Aigen ahead of team-mate Eric Dankel. Volker would secure the TQ after topping the opening two of the four rounds of qualifying. Round 1 podium finisher Dankel would also top the times, doing so in Q4 to make it a Mugen lock out at the front of the grid at the second round of the championship. The only other driver to post a TQ run, Marc Rheinard took his Awesomatix to the fastest time in Q3 ahead of Dankel as Volker had a bad run. Overall Jan Ratheisky’s Xray will start fourth ahead of the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp with Oliver Havranek completing the Top 6 on the grid. In Pro Stock, Adam Izay is the Top Qualifier from Louis Kretschmer having posted 3 TQ runs with his Xray.

Image: Mugen Seiki Europe [Facebook]

July 9, 2023

Volker adds another German National title

A nation that has been a major force in the world of international 1:10 electric touring car racing, Germany hosted its National Championships over the weekend with Ronald Volker adding another DMC title to his CV. Hosted by the MC Munster at the club’s Hollmoorring track in the western part of the country, qualifying would see Volker take his Mugen to the overall TQ. A dominant performance, the former World Champion’s LRP powered MTC2R was fastest in 4 of the 5 qualifiers. The only other driver to top a round, Q4, Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp would would secure P2 on the grid followed by team-mate Yannic Prümper. Winner of the title at his home track of Andernach, last year Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard would start P4 with the Xray of Jan Ratheisky completing the top half of the grid. In the triple finals, A1 would see Volker crash out early and DNF with Krapp taking the win from Rheinard. A2 would see a perfect run from the pole sitter to give him the win just ahead of Krapp meaning it was a head to head battle in A3. Battling for the lead, on the penultimate lap Krapp would roll allowing Volker to win from Rheinard and lift the DMC title. Finishing A3 in 5th, Krapp would finish runner-up with Rheinard completing the podium. In the Stock class Top Qualifier Simon Lauter took the title while in Formula it was Ratheisky who took the win.

Image: Marc Rheinard

July 4, 2023

Cuypers wins Dutch Nationals Round 3

Round 3 of the 1:8 Onroad Dutch National Championship took place over the weekend with Mugen’s Steven Cuypers taking the win. Racing at the famed Apeldoorn track, the race attracted a top quality international field however rain on Saturday meant no action. In Sunday morning’s qualifying the Infinity of Jilles Groskamp securing the overall TQ. The Dutch ace set his fastest time in the third of the three qualifiers with Belgian Cuypers second fastest with his Q2 time. Shepherd’s Timo Schröder was third fastest the German laying down his best time on the final run. Making it four different manufacturers in the Top 4 was John Ermen at the controls of his ARC. In the half hour final Cuypers took control of proceedings from the start and pulled out a lead over the pack to win from Groskamp by more than half a lap while Ermen completed the podium ahead of the Serpent of Jesse Keller. In 1:10, Infinity driver Milan Holthuis took the win from Top Qualifier Melvin Diekmann with Julian Van Buël in 3rd.

Image: Steven Cuypers [Facebook]

June 12, 2023

Cruz wins Arizona State Championships

A dominant performance from Jacob Cruz saw the Mugen driver TQ and win the Arizona State Championships at PF Hobbies and Racing in Mesa, Arizona. With the event attracting 146 entries across the classes, the young racer who joined Mugen at the start iof 2021 was able to take his MTC2 to the top of the times in all four rounds of qualifying securig the TQ ahead of the Awesomatix of Lex Tyler and Mugen of Mike Truhe. In the single A-Main, Cruz, who won the race last year, would control things from the front to win from a recovering Tyler who dropped to 5th early in the final with Truhe completing the podium, the former 1:8 Offroad star managing to take TQ and win 13.5 Super Stock.

Image: Jacob Cruz [Facebook]

May 29, 2023

Volker wins EC Warm-up Race at Türkheim

Mugen’s Ronald Volker took victory at the official Warm-Up Race for this year’s EFRA Electric Touring Car European Championship. Top Qualifier in Türkheim, the 7-time champion took the win ahead Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard with Xray’s Marco Kaufmann completing the podium. Only the second time Germany will host the European Championships for the category, it was the Türkheim circuit in the south of the country that also hosted that event when Andy Moore lifted the 2006 title. One notable absentee from the small Modified entry over the weekend was that of back to back reigning champion Bruno Coelho who was racing in the US at the Warm-up Race for the IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championships. Alexander Hagberg attended the race for Xray finishing 5th sandwiched between the Mugens of Eric Dankel and Robert Pietsch. In Stock, 2018 Champion Max Machler took his Awesomatix to the win ahead of Simon Lauter and Adam Izsay.

Image: Marc Rheinard [Facebook]