November 6, 2008

X-Factory X-60 new body complete

Last week we brought you the first X-60 body shell photo and today we have received more new photos of the X-60 conversion kit from X Factory. These photos show the new body in its entirety mounted on Paul’s truck. The X-60, expected to be on the market in about three weeks, converts the AE T4 into a mid-motor truck for improved handling in corners, over bumps, and in the air. Team driver Brian Kinwald said:

This thing is awesome. No other word needed. Awesome. It looks super-cool and is faster than any truck I’ve ever driven. All four of the Team trucks were dialed at the Reedy Race. Jeremy Felles put his in the Show with two great qualifying runs. Alex Krieg’s truck was just stuck to the track. My X-60 was super-dialed. In qualifier 3, a back-marker took me out while I was on a TQ run. We worked very hard on this truck, changing everything several times as we went along to make it perfect. Like, we tried five different chassis lengths until we got the one that works best at most tracks. The whole thing has taken lots longer than we thought, but, trust me, it is worth the wait. And now we’ve got this incredible body! Totally dialed!

Click here for more photos… content


October 31, 2008

Exclusive First pic: X-Factory X-60 body

There have been many photos of the upcoming X-60 from X Factory but so far they have all featured old GT2 bodies. We’ve seen almost everything on the truck itself but nothing of the new body, which has been promised a design like nothing seen before. X-Factory have been keeping the prototype bodies tightly under wraps so we began contacting them several times a day, sometimes by phone, sometimes by e-mail but we kept being told there was nothing to report until finally Chazz relented, sending us this photo. He said:

Our drivers are still arguing over the body design. I emphasize function over form, and I say, ‘Close the hole for greater downforce.’ But Brian Kinwald replies, ‘Close it and there will be too much downforce. Besides, this is waaay cool.’ So X Factory themselves still have not decided. All the Team drivers do like the roof air scoop to help with ECS/motor temps.

Alexander Valente suggested they post this pic and let people comment on their forum at www.2wdrc.com but it looks like we’ve beaten them to it.


October 21, 2008

X-Factory X-60 Truck testing report

We received this testing report from X Factory whose team have been putting their production prototype X-60 truck conversions through their paces for about 10 days.  All production prototype X-60s got a good thrashing over the past weekend, with Brian Kinwald seen at Competition Hobbies, Paul Sinclair at Whitehouse Raceway near Nashville, Tenn, and Alex Krieg at S.R.S. in Scottsdale, Ariz. All four U.K. drivers were trucking at various venues over the weekend, and Alexander Valente ran his X-60 for almost an hour at his home track in France.  Big news is that the testers experienced just a single minor failure. The new molded chassis looks great, and the new graphite arms and CF tower fit and work correctly. The truck goes together well, and quality is superb.

Continue reading… content


October 6, 2008

Phil Sleigh signs with X Factory

Phil Sleigh signs with X Factory

U.K. Electric Off Road star Phil Sleigh has signed with X Factory for the 2009 season. The 31-year old who hails from Telford in England has 18 years r/c racing experience behind him and this year finished in the Top 10 of both BRCA National Championships. “It’s an awesome opportunity to join the X-Team”, said Sleigh. “Right from my first run with the New Math I couldn’t believe that it was so easy to produce quick lap times with such ease and consistency.” X Factory president Charles Sinclair said, “We’re so happy to add Phil to the X Factory Team. He’s another experienced A main driver who has lots of great design ideas. All the other X Team drivers already get on very well with him, and Phil will provide that blend of top 10 ability and intellect that’s so important to us.”  Joining X Factory, Sleigh will team up with U.K Champion Ellis Stafford who had this to say about his new team-mate, “I’m so happy to be racing with Phil instead of against him, and we get on great. We looked at several possible drivers, and Sleigh is the one I most wanted for our team.”

Source: X Factory [2wdrc.com]


October 3, 2008

X-Factory X-60 almost in production

X Factory have announced that the X-60, an all-new mid-motor Conversion Kit for the AE T4 is almost ready for final testing. As you can see from the photos, the mold for the chassis is almost finished and their mold shop says the tool will be finished this weekend, and the first production prototypes will be made. All the X-Team drivers will begin testing molded chassis’ in the next 4-10 days depending on shipping times, with results forwarded to the home office in northwest Ohio by October 20.  If all is well, full production of graphite chassis’ will begin immediately. The rear control arms are finished, and full production graphite arms will be shipped to X Factory around Oct. 10th. The Team will be using production prototype rear shock towers and battery straps about the end of next week, so those items should be able to go into production on the 20th also. Work has also begun on the body mold, and they hope to have the prototype bodies about Oct 20 for photos and track testing. If everything fits, looks good, and the downforce is correct, that part can go immediately into production too.

Source: X-Factory [2wdrc.com]


September 12, 2008

X-Factory X-60 Conversion update

X-Factory X-60 Conversion update

X Factory have announced November 1st as the preliminary release date for the X-60 Conversion. The new conversion is suitable for an AE T4 truck to convert it to mid-motor, similar to the popular X-6 buggy. Photos show several interesting aspects of the new truck, firstly the mold for the rear control arms is done, and the Team is using production prototype arms.  Since the beginning of testing, not a single graphite arm has failed, so this part of the program is complete. Second, X Factory has decided to go with a carbon fiber battery strap instead of the current molded strap. X Factory president Chazz said the following about the project –

We are closing in on it, and the release date is looking more and more doable. All the decisions have been finalized and now it’s a matter of making the parts and giving them a final test to make sure they’re OK. There are lots of potential stumbling blocks between now and release, but this project has been going more smoothly than anything we’ve done before, so I hope we can meet November first. The chassis mold is about one quarter done, and we hope to have production prototype chassies before the end of this month. The Boyz will start testing immediately, of course, but that will allow us to move forward on many other things.  We’ll finalize the body at that point, an entire new design from one of the top body manufacturers that you’re going to love. And we’ll begin writing the instruction manual, which is never a simple task.

Click here for another picture and more information… content


August 22, 2008

Kinwald extends X-Factory agreement

Kinwald extends X-Factory agreement

X-Factory have announced that 2-Time World Champion Brian Kinwald has agreed to extend his agreement with the company through the end of 2009. Kinwald, who has won more than 30 U.S. National Championships, has been instrumental in the design of X Factory’s upcoming X-60 conversion for the AE T4. From his home in Tucson, Arizona, Kinwald said:

Working with Paul Sinclair on the new truck conversion has been one of the most satisfying projects of my R/C life.  Paul has lots of great ideas and we talk frequently to make our ideas work together..  He puts our concepts into Solids and sends me the drawing, then we talk about it, make changes, and Paul sends a new one.  I can see my input going directly into the design as it takes shape, something that’s never happened before.  I’m just so happy here at X Factory.

Source: X-Factory [xfactoryrc.com]


August 15, 2008

X-Factory X-60 close to release

X-Factory X-60 close to release

We wrote before that X Factory has been working on a 1/10 electric truck, which will be a conversion for the T4. Spotted at this week’s ROAR National Championship race, being held at Hot Rod Hobbies, are production lower rear wishbones on the team’s prototype X-60s. Chief engineer Paul Sinclair’s X-60 is seen in the close-up photo with a very high quality molded arm which he says has passed the real-race test with flying colors so far.

We’re very happy with the quality of this part. It comes from the same shop that produced our 4-Gear transmission and rear bulkhead, so these arms are the very best quality molded parts. Sinclair continued, “The chassis design has been finalized and we flew out to L.A. for the Nationals a day early so we could pick up the production prototype arms and work with the shop on the chassis tool.

Expect a mid October release date.

Source: X-Factory [2wdrc.com]


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