Ansmann have released the first drawings of their all new X4TE 1:10 4WD buggy. It will feature a full carbon chassis in combination with side guards, while the shock towers are also made of carbon fibre. The new big bore shocks will give you a perfect handling on the track in combination with the slipper clutch system. They expect the first running prototypes to hit the tracks in October.

More information: www.ansmann-racing.com

The organisers of the Timezone Grand Prix have been in touch to tell everyone about the event which takes place from the 8th to the 10th of October at the Timezone facility in Washington State. Featuring guest race director Scotty Ernst, the race is open to 13.5 1/12th scale, Stock and Open rubber TC as well as 10.5 World GT. The race format consists of 3 rounds of qualifying followed by 6 minute mains. Entry is now open and you can find further detailsMore information: http://www.timezoneracing.com

Serpent have release new option front and rear shock towers for their Cobra S811 buggy. These very strong and very durable parts are precision machined from the highest quality 5.5mm thick 7075 T6 aerospace type aluminium. Recessed areas and chamfered edges help reduce the weight and add to the look of the parts. Sporting multiple shock and camber link mounting positions, the front tower weighs in at 22 grams, while the rear is 31 grams.More information: www.serpent.com

HPI have released their Nitro Star F3.5 Pro engine, which has been developed especially for off road racing. The HPI engraved oversized cooling head has been drilled and lowered over the crankcase for maximum heat dissipation and keep the weight as low as possible, fitting on top of a separate Turbo combustion chamber. A finned black-coated crankcase design not only adds strength and rigidity but will also help cool the engine. The F3.5 Pro is a 5 port 3.49cc ABC engine and has been optimised for performance and durability without compromising on run time. Tested with the HB and HPI Racing teams with great success this is an engine that can win at the highest level at a price that’s ultra competitive.More information: www.hpieurope.com

The other big electric buggy race being run this week was the JMRCA Japanese nationals, held at the Yatabe Arena indoor track. The race was open to both 2wd and 4wd and in the 2wd class it was Keisuke Enomoto that took the pole position ahead of multiple National buggy champion and 2-time World 1/12th scale Champion Naoto Matsukura. In the 4wd class it was Naoto up front with Hirosho Akimoto in 2nd spot. In the 2wd finals it was a close battle at the sharp end with Enomoto taking the win in the first main, but in leg 2 it was Naoto that took the win, setting up a show down in the final leg. This again went to Naoto, who took the overall title from Enomoto in 2nd and Hirosho Akimoto in 3rd spot. In the 4wd finals it was more straight forward with Naoto Matsukura winning the first 2 legs to clinch the 4wd title, while Hirosho Akimoto won the final leg to secure 2nd with Shin Sugiura finishing in 3rd spot.More information: www.automodelisme.com

This year’s Coupe de France 1/8th buggy race was held in Viglain, south of Paris, close to Orléans. European Championship top qualifier Yannick Aigoin was to sit on the TQ spot following qualifying and he would carry forward that speed to the semi finals, to line up on pole position for the main final. In the 45 minute final Losi race Yannick would cruise to victory by 3 laps at the end from brother Jerome Aigoin with his Kyosho, with Julien Lattanzio driving a Mugen taking 3rd spot some seconds further back.More information: www.automodelisme.com

The second round of qualifying here in Gothenburg, Sweden has seen no improvements among the front runners as the rain arrived and made the track too slippery to set a fast time. In fact by the time the top heats were out on track, the continuous rain had made it pretty treacherous although some racers including former World Champion Daniele Ielasi, Martin Hudy, Jerome Renaux and Patrick Schaefer took this opportunity to go on track and test for the wet conditions. With the weather not looking good for the rest of the weekend this track time could prove beneficial come Sunday’s finals.

With the top 24 positions unchanged, Dirk Wischnewski still sits in top spot and with the expected rain set to hamper any fast times, it is looking good for the German Xray/Orcan driver. Tomorrow will see two more rounds of qualifying take place followed by the lower finals up to the 1/32nd before Sunday sees the main action get underway with the first of the 1/16th finals.

New from Exotek Racing for the ABC Hobby Genetic chassis is this high performance, super narrow and lightweight chassis conversion called GXR. The new setup allows for more LiPo battery options, accepting round or square type flat bottomed 7.4v LiPo packs including Thunder Power, IB and Orion. The narrowed carbon fibre chassis reduces chassis scrub for better handling and more corner speeds yet plenty of room to mount electronics, while the narrow carbon fibre 1 piece top deck reduces tweak and allows just enough flex to increase overall traction.

More information: www.exotekracing.com

Etronix have released two new chargers to add to their expanding line up. The first is most powerful Powerpal 200 to date rated at 200watt. Capable of charging at up to 10amps, it provides faster charging for larger electric flight and car battery capacities and cell counts. A special direct plug universal balancing port means no need for boards if desired and with a PC link and USB power socket to even charge you phone off this Powerpal has it all. The second is the Powerpal compact edition a simple to use, yet effective 40watt rated charger is the perfect upgrade over stock balance chargers supplied with many RTF models. Featuring an LCD screen for easy visual navigation is represents fantastic value for money, along with all round versatility for most of the common sized LiPo batteries being used.More information: www.etronix-rc.com

Smokem Racing has announced the release of their new 416FX chassis. Prototypes of the chassis have been successfully piloted by Loic Jasmin and Cyril N’diaye in recent months, with Loic capturing 8th and Cyril finishing 14th at last week’s Touring car Euros in France. The 2.2mm thick chassis has been designed to provide additional flex for improved corner speed in a wide variety of conditions. And like all Smokem chassis, scrubbing during hard cornering is minimized due to its reduced width. By flipping the drive belts, the LiPo is offset further from the chassis centerline, while on the opposite side the servo, receiver and ESC can be shifted further towards the centerline. With both longitudinal and lateral battery tape slots, the Smokem Racing LP chassis accepts all LiPos, with or without humps, without additional retainers that may induce tweak. It is suitable for all TRF416-series including the original TRF416, TRF416 Worlds Edition and the TRF416X.

More information: www.smokem-racing.com