Inside scoop

THE LATEST STUFF * SPY SHOTS * INSIDER INFO

World Champ?

ASSOCIATED

RC10B4 Stealth buggy

The A-Team will pin its hopes for yet another IFMAR 2WD Off-Road victory on the long-anticipated car you see here. We first scooped the B4 as part of the December 2002 issue's "Hot New Now" section, and we chose it as one of our "must-haves" in the January 2003 issue's "Lust List." This is the B4's first appearance with its body (looks killer!), and the car is just about production ready, so keep an eye on those UPS drop-offs at the hobby shop!

You can discuss the new B4 and check out more pictures at raion.com.

In the meantime, here are some of its most important new features:

* New 2.6:1 Stealth transmission with double-sided slipper clutch and high-torque RC10GT differential.

* Super-low-CG chassis.

* Max-legal-width rear suspension with longer MIP CVDs.

* All new suspension geometry with amis of equal length, captured hinge pins and inline or trailing-axle options.

Team Associated (714) 850-9342; teamassociated.com; rclO.com.

HOT ROCKS

TRINITY

New Winds for Trinity Speed Gems Pro

The winds are new, but the Speed Gem Pro features are unchanged; you get P94 "big brushes," three installed surface-mount capacitors, a D4 can and endbell with adjustable timing, and the armature spins on ball bearings. Next time you're rock-hunting at the hobby shop, you can pick up a Speed Gems Pro Pyrite (10 double), Nitronite (12 double), Serpentine (14 double), Chromium (16 double), or Arcornite (19-turn spec single built to ARCOR specs).

Trinity Products Inc. (732) 635-1600; teamtrinity.com.

Gee-whiz G35

PROTOFORM

190mm Infiniti G35

I'm just going to say that the new G35 shell includes overspray film, window masks, detailed decals, wing and hardware. I figure the less text I put in, the more room there will be for a bigger picture. This thing is gorgeous! Protoform Inc.; distributed by Pro-Line (909) 849-9781; pro-lineracing.com.

hit the

Dirt!

MRC/ACADEMY RT-4 GP

We haven't seen a new truck from MRC in quite a while, but the Academy-built RT4 GP looks as if it was worth the wait. The shaft-driven 4WD stadium-style truck is built on a 3mm aluminum chassis and rolls on a full set of ball bearings. Futaba radio gear makes the RT-4 ready to run, but good luck spotting the steering servo, receiver and battery; they're out of harm's way under plastic hatches. Even the on/off switch gets a snap-shut lid! Academy's RT .15 with slide carb and tuned pipe provides the power, and a one-color factory-painted body finishes the truck.

Academy; distributed by MRC (732) 225-2100; moderec.com; academyhobby com.

sold Knuckles

Knuckles buggy tires

Pro-Line debuted the new Knuckles treads at the 1/-Scale Off-Road Worlds in Punta del Este, Uruguay. where the tires helped earn Mark Pavidis a first-place gold (pretty good endorsement, don't you think?). The Knuckles were specifically designed for blue-groove. hardpacked tracks. and they won't shed tread during an hour-long Main; according to Pro-Line, the team's tires still had 50 percent of their tread after 60 minutes of racing while other tires looked like "before" shots from a "Hair Club For Men" commercial.

Pro-Line (909) 849-9781; pro-lineracing.com.

Kinwald Case

TEAM KINWALD Limited Edition World Champion Radio Bag

Trinity will make only 500 of these signature-series bags, and each has its own serial number for extra specialness. But even without the Kinwaldo factor, it's a mighty fine transmitter bag. Heavy-duty padded construction, extra pockets for crystals and modules and a hang tag for your name and address are standard features. Get yours today; it will be the perfect addition to that scary shrine to Kinwald you've been building in your tree house.

Team Kinwald; distributed by Trinity Products Inc. (732) 635-1600; teamtrinity.com.

ACER RACING

Dual Super Polyamide bearings

Light can reach the balls in these bearings, but according to Acer, nothing else will: the polyamide seal is the ultimate defense against dirt, yet it allows the bearings to roll with less friction than a Teflon seal does. Individual bearings and complete sets will be available (this bunch is for the Traxxas T-Maxx), and Acer plans to add this new "seal" technology to the ultra-slick Ceramic Nitride Pro bearing line. Acer Racing (310) 472-8090; acerracing.com.

ACER RACER

ACER RACING AR-8

What's this? Acer Racing is now in the buggy wars? With Andy Smolnick (fresh from Team Kyosho) at the controls? Well awright! Andy is wrenching on Acer's new AR-8 Pro; it features a lightweight design, hardened-steel, bevelgear cliffs with spiral-cut ring and pinion gears, and standard-issue titanium turnbuckles. Acer also promises hard-anodized, threaded-body shocks and a complete set of ceramic-nitride bearings (of course, you saw the hearings coming a mile away,. right?) Acer Racing (310) 472-8090; acerracing.com.

pint-size pajeros

Mini-Z Overland

You can expect these pocket-size rock-climbers to be big hits! Kyosho is the first to bring minicars to the off-road world with the new Overland series. The 2WD truck chassis has long-travel front suspension and rear trailingarm suspension. and the wheelbase is adjustable; the Mitsubishi Pajeros in Paris-Dakar paint jobs use the "shortest" chassis setting, Like all Mini-Zs, the new off-readers are completely ready to run with Kyosho Perfex radio systems, painted and decalled bodies and integrated on-board electronics. Kyosho; distributed by Great Planes Model Distributors (800) 682-8948; kyosho.com.