X Factory, maker of the 2005 ROAR 4WD National Champion X – 5, announces work is underway on the all-new X – 6 two wheel drive buggy. Called The New Math, the latest prototype cars were driven by Greg Hodapp and Paul Sinclair at the recent 19th Annual CRCRC MidWest MidWinter Championship in Columbus, Ohio.

Sinclair drove a machined Delrin chassis, #3, to an easy victory in the D main. Hodapp missed the A main due to a late crash in qualifier 3 and wound up qualified 12th driving a machined magnesium chassis, #4. A freak accident on the starting grid before the race broke Hodapp's Delrin prototype rear control arm and he could not start the race.

The X – 6 is a mid-motor 2WD off-road 1/10th electric buggy with a number of innovative features that make it much different from the 2WD buggies available today from most manufacturers. First, of course, is the fact that the motor is ahead of the rear wheels rather than behind them. Greg Hodapp, X Factory Team leader and current 4WD National Champion, tells us the X – 6 handles bumps and flies better than a rear-motor car. More importantly, it goes into and through corners at higher speeds than the typical buggy.

Hodapp explained, "The X – 6 is just faster on many parts of the race track. Yes, we are slightly slower exiting corners where the rear motor helps other cars accelerate, but most major races in the US and many in Europe are on high-bite tracks. The combination of soft compound modern tires with these high-bite tracks minimizes this small drawback."

The X – 6 is a Conversion Kit for the AE B4. It utilizes the entire B4 front end and steering as well as many parts from the B4 driveline. These include the B4's diff, trans parts & gears, slipper assembly, CVDs, and rear hub carriers. X Factory will make the chassis, tranny case, rear control arms & hinge pins, rear shock tower, and many other "small" parts.

Hodapp's #4 prototype uses many Losi parts, but this was done simply because they were easily available, saving the cost of machining. The customer will be able to use his AE shocks or any other he wishes. X Factory will make the servo hold-down, wing mounts, etc.

X Factory owner Charles Sinclair says the chassis, rear control arms, and rear shock tower will be molded graphite. "I've just signed the contract with the tool & die shop to produce the molds and make the first few cars. Greg will be at the Cactus Classic with the magnesium prototype and we hope to have the initial small production run of graphite cars at the Losi Race. If things go well there, the X – 6 will be on the market in late May. Any changes we must make due to race or testing results will set that time-table back, but Greg is dialing things in now and we don't see any hitches."

"I'm really excited about all the new concepts we're exploring with the X – 6," says Paul Sinclair, one of the car's designers. "We let our imaginations go, put things on the computer, and found out that much of what we dreamed up did not work! But the main concept, and some of the other concepts have worked. Most have been modified as we've gone from the computer to #1 and then on to #4, and I'm really proud of the results. I'm having fun driving my X – 6 and I'm confident our customers will too. I agree with Greg: the thing steers almost like a touring car."

Greg Hodapp adds, "This has been the most fun I've ever had in R/C racing. Working closely with Chazz and Paul on a totally new design has been a challenge unlike anything I've ever done. At first I wasn't sure it would work, but we've kept at it since last June and it looked better every time we got new C.A.D. Now testing and developing a base set-up is consuming much of my time and it's exciting to see the results of our work as the car gets faster every day. I know I can win with this car. The way it drives, I think our customers will win with it too."

"X Factory is all about winning races," says Chazz Sinclair. "Other R/C companies are doing very well making M/Ts and minis and RTRs. Some say they are the future of R/C, and I wish those companies well. We are totally focused on winning in 1/10 electric off-road racing through innovative design concepts. We think the X - 6 is the next step."

More info on the X – 6 is available at the X Factory web site, www.4wdrc.com where there's an active discussion of the car on the forums. Chazz says they'll soon launch a new web site devoted to electric off-road buggies and links will be put on the 4wdrc site. Contact X Factory through www.4wdrc.com or the new site.