original.mb

ammdrew

i remember the super champ

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Just stirring the stew a bit for a little fun!

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

BTW, I was very impressed with the MM booth and have lots of pictures to post of it later. Those F1's are the bomb!

rfaster

My Feedback: (1)

Kmot - Andrew - MNF - Post some Pic's of the F1's!! Would like to see what they had - displayed etc...

wyattroa

You know there is only one thing that is sorta upsetting me about this. There are a lot of loyal FG people on this site..that is good but right about the real loyal ones think the BAJA is nothing special, which in reality it is. This is going to bring so much more to the 1/5 scale scene. HPI is a very large and good company..this could be one of the best things for 1/5 scale, the more out there the better, prices drop and means more cars are running around. im happy for this, maybe some of my friends can afford to get one when prices drop and i can have someone to run around with. but i think it looks good, a good looking buggy nice to have a change.
Sorry for the rant.

robert

USABaja5B

You are right. If the HPI Baja sells well at $914, then everyone else will have to drop their prices. FG will have to drop $200 at least, and the Firehammers will be selling for $699. I'll probably buy my youngest kid a Firehammer when they drop after the holidays.

hellya

towers got the baja for $899. due in Dec........ then tower raised the firehammer from $800 to 899 kind of bass ackwards
Why???? they still bulk order the hammer from japan by the container full $3-400 per hammer[:@] they are make more than 100% profit

radio_controlled_mad

cant see fg droping there prices - they didnt do it when the clones come out and they sell ok in the usa.what are you comparing the baja against from the fg range,im glad hpi is bringing a new large scale model out variety aint a bad thing - myself thinks it has few major down falls such as fitting of a tuned pipe and no servo space alloted for extra brakes or large steering servos which i find strange - it also lookes over worked were as fg design and parts are made simple for a reason - i also dont like the way the top of the shoxs have no protection from the shell.people may remember nitro giants tamiya & kyoshos attempts a few years back at petrol r/c with all the hype but there no were to be seen now.i do get sick of reading in other hpi posts (mostly from members that dont own any large scale) that the release of this will put fg in trouble,they seem to think fg only produce one or two models and hpi has brought this out to give fg competion.i think the opposite - fg have 20years head start and have a vast selection to choose from inc mass worldwide part support and full hop-ups,hpi marketing department aint that stupid and have seen the success of the fg mt in the usa and seen a gap in the market for a 1/5 scale basher so for that reason i think it will do well - if hpi wanted to run against fg they would of made it race legal for the european market also - i do think & hope they will have succes with it for the market its aimed at,just me having a rant against the anti fg posts.

(p.s i aint pro fg either - i also have harm bx1 and rate that more)

eidt: borrowed from madwax post - fg range

On-road..
Formula 1
Formula 1 Comp
Sportsline 04
Sportsline Comp
Racing Truck
Stadium Truck
On Road Beetle
Or any of the "off-roaders" models changed over to slicks/wet tyres.

Off-road
Monster Truck/Monster Beetle & Pro/Monster Marder.
Off-road Beetle
Marder
Marder Race
Touareg
Leopard

USABaja5B

The HPI Baja is going to be "the" US model for 1/5th scale. It won't compete against any of the FG models, it won't have to. You'll have local hobby stores stocking them, and people buying them like crazy. It'll be totally different in Europe, where your local shops carry FG. People like to be able to go see them inperson before buying them. With the huge distribution netwrok HPI has here, and the loyal following, there will be new US rules for racing 1/5 scale. Europe can eliminate the Baja from racing, but it won't matter to sales in the US. My local track here just bought land behind the store for racing the Baja in a seperate class, with new rules.

Canadian_RC

I think that if that new Power Racing truck is sold in the USA the Baja will not be THE US model. Its about time someone released a 4wd truck that doesnt cost $2000 without an engine.

hellya

like this 4x4 its used but 1/2 the price at this point anyway

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FG-MCD-1-5th-m...QQcmdZViewItem

sneff

I've been reading this thread and the other threads about the Baja 5b that got locked because people were arguing over weather this buggy is better than FG or not.

WHO CARES!!! I think everyone should be happy that 1/5 and 1/6 scale cars are becoming more affordable and more accepted in the U.S market.

I personally think this HPI buggy will just make the 1/5 scale scene more attractive to people that normally may not buy a vehicle of this caliber. Hpi is a very reputable company and I know the hop ups and parts support will be second to none, which is more than I can say for some of the other 1/5 maufacturers that I know of.

personally I can say that I will be purchasing a Baja 5b along with about 5 close friends of mine that have seen the video on hpiracing.com. That video says it all. I've driven a few marders and beetles and I can honestly say I've never seen an out of the box FG buggy soak up bumps like the Baja 5b does. But thats just my opinion. I think the FG buggies are great in there own right. I've never been able to break an FG product and I think their quaility is top notch.

radio_controlled_mad

hpi marketing & design were either very smart or very dumb and overlooked the largest portion of the large scale market - europe,why not make the specs race legal (those rules apply to all makes - harm,fg ect) - why make a seperate class for baja vs baja with new rules!!,me personally would of liked to see it competing on the track with other large scale makes regardless of what country you live in.

edit: last post (sneff) - how can you tell looking at a video clip from hpi that it handles and soakes up bumps better than a fg,hpi arent going to post a video of there products handling badly are they.keep me updated on how you hpi handles when there actually released.

USABaja5B

HPI was actually smart in not competing in Europe. FG has a lock on it, so they went for the US market, which is wide open. Why go for second, when you can go for first. The US market is more bashing than racing, so racing rules don't really apply here. Most tracks in the US are small Mom and Pop shops, and they make the rules for whoever shows up. More than 3 peopel show up,a nd you have a new class.

sneff

I'm not gonna get sucked into some stupid argument over an R/C car.

I've been racing offroad R/C for twenty years and I know a thing or two about suspension set ups. the video doesnt lie!! I like what I see. thats my expert opinion!! live with it!! I'm not trying to start an arguement

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

The rep told me HPI had a tuned pipe for it in the works. He also made a point of lifting the buggy and showing me a proprietary massive steering servo designed for this buggy. FWIW........

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

The very first thing I noticed when watching the video was how supple the suspension was. I talked to the rep about it and asked what made the suspension 'look' so smooth in comparison to other 1/5 offroad vehicles. He just said it was the designer. The guy is supposedly world renowned for his suspension work over the past two decades.

sneff

Ram tech, your absolutley right on the money. We dont race 1/5 buggy in the states like they do in Europe, thats a fact.
and when you really stop and think about it. as a hole, HPI doesnt really race as much as other companies. Hpi doesnt have a 2wd nitro stadium truck that races on a pro level, they dont sponsor an 1/8 buggy on a pro level, they do sponor electric touring cars with Atushi Hara but I do beleive thats it for HPIs pro level racing. So tell me why would HPI worry about the racing of 1/5 scale buggies. they wont. this car is designed for the basher and the hobbiest not so much the racer. But from the looks of it I'm sure 1/5 scale buggy will get more popular in the States now that there's a buggy worth racing!!

sneff

The same guy that designed the Ultima for Kyosho back in the 80's and the Hpi Micro rs4 is the man we should be thanking for the baja 5b. he really knows his stuff when it comes to suspension geometry and handling.

and FYI the 5b does have a large steering servo with I believe 25kg of tq.

radio_controlled_mad

whos getting sucked into a arguement - can you not get into a discusion,were not all sheep and our opinion differs,strange how u went from a having a go of your freinds marder upto 20yrs or experience all within 2 posts.i have driven fg and harm so i do have a opinion on those - have you drove the hpi to cast you expert opinion

sneff

I didnt say that the marders and beetles I drove were the only cars I ever drove. their just 2 of the probably hundreds of R/C cars I've driven over the past twenty years. you really shouldnt take things out of context

radio_controlled_mad

not taking nothing out of context - just dont see how having a go of a freinds marder compares to watching a hpi promotion video clip - i aint even anti hpi - i think theres a place for it on the market and it should do well for the market its aimed at.just sick of seeing anti fg comments in posts (not aimed at you) in other hpi threads from members that have never had the chance of driveing/owning a fg or any other large scale - but there so full of praise for the hpi yet it aint even released - just surprising people are prepared to part with $900 on the basis of looks,i hope they get them in my lhs to see them for real before i can judge them.

sneff

Actually you are, because I never said "I had a go of my friends Marder" thats just not what I said. In actuallity THEY were a customers of mine that I installed the radio gear in and broke in for them. But no problem brotha! I understand your point. I dont want to argue. I actually stated in my first post that I do like Fg and I like their products. I owned a 1/5 FG sportline opel touring car and I always had good luck with it. I'm not trying to knock anything. I'm just saying I like what I see when it comes to this buggy. and Its not hard to see that a lot of people feel the same way on this forum

DERF-54

My Feedback: (48)

Sneff, I totally agree with you, I am in the process of buying a FG right now and there is no doubt that I will own the Baja as well. I also think that in the video the Baja seems to have a much smother suspension than the fg vids I have seen.
I am not knocking any product here I just think they both have there own place in the world of Giant scale.
Derf

wyattroa

i know there is just no denying it that the thing did soak up those bumps very well. im excited about it. Being different is good cant wait!