XV-01. Still relevant?
By toyolien, August 26, 2020 in General discussions
toyolien 993
Last year I built a TT02 rally car. The first outing was in the wet and it ended up an awful mess. So, it was quickly turned into a lovely drifter, for dry days.
I miss the speed of it with a 10.5t motor, and am now thinking about building up another rally/fast road car over the winter. I keep coming back to the XV-01. As it's been around for a long time I thought maybe there was a replacement looming or maybe another 4wd chassis that would be more suitable. But, all the reviews I find seem to say that it's a great chassis.
Last year when I was looking I got the impression it had been discontinued, as there was no stock anywhere. Now, I can only find the Lancia Delta in stock.
Any thoughts on the XV-01 in general or on recommended hop ups out of the box?
ChrisRx718 2516
I hope it's still relevant; I've just bought one
It has its charm. I've not yet driven mine on anything more commanding than a brick car park and my own lawn, so I'm not able to offer advice on how good it is. What I will say is that it's incredibly quiet and feels very balanced, I was worried it would grip roll with the high centre of gravity but it doesn't seem to want to.
The battery door is a frustration of mine, it's not exactly an elegant or practical solution, but it does mean everything is enclosed.
I was advised to get the aluminium suspension mounts as dn essential upgrade, then universals. If you're going really crazy a slipper clutch is available too, but it's not cheap.
Best part is that it was designed for off road use, unlike a TT chassis which will always be an entry-level touring car with limited adjustability and better ground clearance only with modifications to parts. Even then, driveshaft will no longer ride at their most efficient angle, so not ideal. XV01 has it beat in every department.
Thank you. That makes a lot of sense. My TT02 was great, as a dry road/gravel car, so hoping the XV01 will be next level.
Juls1 1234
With the xv01 it's the unique handling that makes it separate from any touring car based rally car. The forward weight distribution leads the car to be more effective at pivoting on its front wheels, leading to more satisfyingly realistic drift characteristics as well as a ease of placing the sliding chassis where you want it.
the only thing the the TT02 can do better than the xv01 is very large, unrealistic jumps. That's not to say you can't jump the xv01, just the buggy like rear weight bias of the TT02 is easier to keep the nose up when your being super silly. The xv01 jumps very realistically.
it's worth considering that the xv01 layout is intended for scale realism, if one wants an "easy" car to race, well any rearward motor Touring car is going to be easier to push its front tyres around the corner while preventing the tail end from stepping out. That's not the idea of the XV01, it's handling is ment to excite and reward the driver by making it easy to be sideways but also be completely in control, that isn't the fastest way around the track but it sure is the most fun!! There's no question that the XV01 is one of the easiest cars to manage during a slide because all the weight up front translates to immense grip from the front tyres so it ultimately just goes where you point it.
I guess this comes back to the point that if you wanted to "race rally" or racing as a touring car for that matter. Any touring based chassis is still likely to be faster because it's easier not to break the rear wheels free, but the touring chassis is likely harder to control once the back wheels do break free because of the tendency of the whole car to slide rather than mostly just the back tires on the xv01.
While Tamiya could make another XV chassis, many would argue it's necessary to fix issues that some don't like, such as the tool required battery door, and possibly (this goes for all rc touring cars) more steering angle.
But in reality there isn't much improvement to be had handing wise, it'd just be for the sake of change. I feel the xv01 is pretty much spot on for its intended application.
As a realistic (not necessarily better) handling scale rally chassis , it has all the modern touches to the suspension and drivetrain, I think there is little else out there today or in the future that compares with the XV's single purpose of touching that apex with the front tires while the tail end drifts it's way along behind spraying gravel as it goes, creating a darn big grin!
just get one!
DeadMeat666 1161
Location:Saudi Arabia
Conversations like this one are in my opinion the key value-add when it comes to discussion forums. People asking interesting questions and getting opinions from those who happen to have read up on or (even better) experienced things that would go a long way towards informing the rest of us on the different ways to extract enjoyment out of this hobby.
Just came on this thread to say that.
bikerclubby 31
Have been eyeing one up for a while. Have a brushless combo sitting waiting for a new home. One of these with a slipper would be awesome.
Found a good series of videos on You Tube (Mark Bryan RC) where two friends test it back to back with the TT-02 version.
XV-01 faster, better turning circle and easier to control than stock TT-02. TT-02 got closer when they changed to CVAs then modified most parts of it.
Busdriver 1675
Location:Croxley Green, Herts UK
XV01 gets my vote. I have an Asterion. Awful name but an awesome truck. Super smooth and just seems handle like nothing else I've driven.
hedge 151
Location:Bournemouth
The TT-02 type S has a quicker motor as stock which helps it win, however the bathtub chassis gets full of everything your driving on which is a real pain.
Not my review below but worth checking out
Mad Ax 3010
Location:Lurking among the gothic shadows of Bath
I absolutely love mine, although it's had very little use.
I bought mine as an NIB XV01T Asterion years ago with the intention of fitting a rally car body and competing in a new local rally club, but the club folded before I had the chance. So it sat in the box as a 'rainy day build' for many years and finally saw the light of day at the start of lockdown.
The build is fabulous - you can tell it's a premium car as soon as you start building. The amount of adjustability built into the stock chassis is awesome, something we're just not used to with non-TRF chassis. The plastics are different to cheaper Tamiya chassis too, and there's loads of neat features: dust covers for the electrics and drive belt, integral wheel arches, etc.
As mentioned above, it's not without its flaws - needing a screwdriver to change the battery is a pain, and electrical space is very limited. I had to try 3 different ESCs before I found one that would fit, then I had to solder on all new longer motor wires, and be very careful about my routing because space is so tight. And soldering motor wires is one thing - having to park the project for a week while you wait for a longer sensor lead is frustrating, as is having to tuck part of it away because it's now a little too long... (actually I wish I had a tool for making my own sensor leads).
I built mine in T trim with the Asterion body, and my first drive around the garden was a revelation. The bigger truck wheels handle my lawn with no problem (my rally cars sometimes get stuck as the turf is really bad), the suspension is just right to soak up the bumps, and on the paved section it will hold perfect four-wheel drifts all the way around the sweeper and into the tight main straight. It's the only car I can confidently throw around the track like that - it's a very tight space with some car-killer obstacles, I have to take it much slower with my buggies and rally cars but the XV-01T inspires loads of confidence.
Amazingly it doesn't grip-roll either. It must be the clever geometry and weight distribution, because my TA02T truck turns over easily on the off-camber sweeper on the grass section.
To summarise - these chassis are so much fun, I don't understand why they don't have their own race series. Well, actually, maybe I do - it's because to get the best of them you really want a surface that shows off their abilities: some rough stuff (grass or dirt), gravel or dust for some slides, and tarmac or paving for precision. My garden track has two of those and it's a hoot, but nobody has the space to make a proper rally stage.
Nicadraus 1899
Location:Anchorhead, Tatoinne
When I went back to this hobby 2 years ago, I've decided to get myself a fun car that I could drive on and off track as a racer and basher. Then I also wanted a rally car but didn't want to spend on an almost-all plastic stock kit for over $200. So I got myself a good deal with two FF-03s for $200. Both were assembled but never ran. The other one is a Pro which I decided to make it an exclusive on-road car and modify it fully that can also do a little street bashing while the other into a rally car. So I did set them up the way I wanted after almost a year. I raced the FF-03RR competing with XVs and TT-02 on dirt track and was surprised how it performed. But still the car lacked proper cornering and understeer issues because it was only a FWD car. A couple of months later, I decided to get a shaft driven 4WD car, the LRP S10 and converted it into a rally car. Modified the chassis for better ride height, locked the front diff, installed rally spec dampers, stiffen the chassis, etc. All for $200, electronics included. It performed the way I wanted it to be and was/am pretty happy about it...
Until last month, a friend who has two XV-01 kits decided to let go of the other. I messaged him and inquired about it. He gave me a good deal so I pulled the trigger. I started setting up the kit and ordered parts from RCMart and our local hobby shop. As soon as everything was set, I drove it...
D@mn!!! It drives like a proper rally car. So good things I've heard about it were/are all true after all. It goes to where you want it to go and does exactly what you want it to do. I love driving FF cars and the XV is just like it but with more traction and slide action. I guess this chassis will remain for a while and if Tamiya comes up with a new design, I think parts will still share.
markbt73 3159
Location:PDX, OR, USA
It's annoying; I've wanted one of these ever since they came out (specifically the Lancia), but I never remember that they're a thing when I have money to spend. Hopefully they continue to be a thing for a while, so maybe eventually I can get my hands on one...
5 hours ago, Mad Ax said:
As mentioned above, it's not without its flaws - needing a screwdriver to change the battery is a pain, and electrical space is very limited. I had to try 3 different ESCs before I found one that would fit, then I had to solder on all new longer motor wires, and be very careful about my routing because space is so tight.
What Ecu dimensions did you have trouble with? Footprint or height?
My preferred combo is quite neat but tall due to built in fan. I know the chassis has covers for the electrics. My ecu is waterproof so was just going to run without one.