XRAY presents the new M18 PRO LiPo Edition

With technology and innovation moving forward at an astonishing pace, XRAY is right at the forward edge. Since the innovation of the M18 micro racecar, XRAY has steadily improved upon its design to make it better, stronger, lighter, and faster… a winner against all competition. With innovative new LiPo battery technology constantly at our doorsteps, XRAY proudly introduces the M18 PRO LiPo.

Based on the legendary M18 platform – which at its debut was one of the most innovative model cars of the last decade – the M18 PRO focused on high-level racing. Its ultra-successful concept resulted in numerous racing successes: multiple USA champion, and dozens of national titles around the world.

Now, the M18 PRO LiPo is the latest addition to the XRAY family and it features an all-new chassis, top deck, and battery holder system. Available as a black graphite kit – with silver and blue conversions – the new M18 PRO LiPo builds upon its previous generation by offering an update that accommodates the latest generation of LiPo battery technology.

The release of the first revolutionary shaft-driven 1/18 micro car – the XRAY M18 – was a huge success for XRAY which exceeded all expectations. The M18 has captured the hearts of the micro racing community, from drivers running for fun to the most hardcore racing enthusiasts… instantly making the M18 a modern legend. The M18 has spawned a multitude of micro-focused aftermarket companies, and has supported the creation of very active micro racing communities worldwide. As with any other ongoing developments, the M18 has also undergone close scrutiny by the XRAY Engineering Department to bring forward the next stage in its evolution – a race-oriented professional micro car, the M18 PRO.

Based on the legendary M18 platform, XRAY now presents the improved and refined M18 PRO… redesigned with high-performance racing in mind. The M18 PRO’s progressive design embodies an enhanced driving experience…from the purpose-built performance chassis… to the unique revolutionary XRAY Multi-Flex Technology™ top deck… to the externally-adjustable ball diffs… to the race-oriented wheel mounting system. The M18 PRO was borne from racing DNA to chal
enge your racing skills on any track.

When it comes to setting new standards in the RC industry, it is always XRAY who has been at the forefront of bringing new and innovative engineering ideas and solutions, raising the bar and always quickly becoming a new market standard for others to follow. XRAY’s innovation & patent Multi-Flex Technology™ – MFT™ was originally designed for 1/10 touring cars, and has resulted in some of the most significant milestones in touring car development in the past few years. This innovation not only received numerous awards and honors, but it has proven to be a distinct competitive advantage at race tracks worldwide… helping XRAY dominate most races at local and national levels.

Now XRAY does it again! XRAY’s MFT™ now revolutionizes the micro platform in the new M18 PRO.

With the MFT™ top deck you can set up and adjust the M18 PRO for all different racing conditions. No matter if you drive on asphalt or carpet, using rubber or foam tires, you can quickly, easily and independently adjust MFT™ points on the top deck – front or rear — to give you different flex characteristics. Tailoring a micro car to the track has never been this easy!

Based on this easy-to-follow table you can adjust the Multi-Flex setting to your desired handling based on the racing conditions you are running in. You can always set-up and adjust the steering and traction as needed.

One of the most significant improvements to the M18 PRO is the wheel mounting system. The new M18 PRO features a touringcar-type hex wheel hub mounting system with one-piece wheel which directly mounts to the wheel axle.

Thanks to this one-piece mounting system, the wheel is perfectly and solidly connected to the drive axle, giving improved handling. No more hassle with assembly/disassembly… no more lost races due to lost wheels. A professional solution for the M18 PRO.

The M18 PRO chassis is all-new, designed specifically for high-performance racing. The narrow 1.6mm thin chassis has been optimized for strength (for high-grip racing conditions), while still being flexible enough for low-grip track conditions.

The chassis is CNC-machined from the premium high-grade carbon fiber (graphite) material by XRAY on ultra-precise German CNC routing machines, ensuring the highest tolerances in all critical areas.

M18 PRO LiPo features an all-new chassis, top deck, and battery holder system. The new chassis accommodates the latest generation of LiPo battery technology.

The top deck has been completely redesigned and re-engineered, and now features Multi-Flex Technology™ points both front and rear. CNC-machined from premium high-grade carbon fiber (graphite) ensures that the top deck will survive hard impacts, while set-up and geometry will not suffer.

The rear of the top deck holds the body mounts which can be easily adjusted for height to perfectly support the body.

The top deck is designed so that all bulkhead and arm mounting screws remain easily and instantly accessible.

From the new stiffer arms… through reinforced steering blocks and uprights… to the increased front caster and decreased rear toe-in… everything is new and improved on the M18 PRO suspension.

Over the years XRAY has gained and successfully utilized extensive suspension geometry knowledge and self-developed suspension stiffness technology, which have now culminated in improved M18 PRO suspension parts. The ultra-lightweight suspension parts are molded from special composite material that makes the parts very light yet very durable to withstand the rigors of high-performance racing.

The new suspension features improved and redesigned geometry providing more responsive racing characteristics in all racing conditions.

Front caster has been decreased from 12° to 6° which improves the responsiveness of the car especially in technical parts of a track.

Based on the extensive racing experience and countless track time around the world, the suspension geometry has been optimized to provide the highest performance right out of the box. Rear toe-in was decreased from 4° to 2.5° which results in improved steering and provides sharper handling.

For high-competition racers the set of adjustable front and rear turnbuckles are included so you can easily adjust the toe to any desired angle.

Adjustable downstops enable instant suspension geometry fine tuning. The special harder composite compound used for the suspension parts ensures that the geometry will remain consistent during the whole race.

The steering system is very precise and gives you all the confidence that the car will steer exactly where you want and need. Thanks to the included robust, spring-loaded servo saver, your servo will not suffer the effects of heavy crashes.

The steering system is handled through an adjustable steel turnbuckle, with steering blocks featuring optimized Ackerman positions.

The ultra-efficient drivetrain from the coveted M18 has been carried over to the M18 PRO. This drivetrain has proven to be the most efficient and effective micro car drivetrain system. The inline, super-efficient single drive shaft drivetrain features an optimized internal ratio, and high-speed ball-bearings ensure efficiency. The strong, CNC-machined and hand-ground alum center driveshaft provides vibration-free power transmission between front and rear gearboxes.

The efficiency of the drivetrain depends highly on the performance of the two race-proven, externally-adjustable ball-differentials. The new ball-differentials are molded from specially-mixed composite material which ensures longest life and minimal wear of all parts. The ball differential features high-precision steel diff balls, machined and polished diff rings, a small axial bearing, and supporting ball-bearings. The ball differentials are factory assembled and adjusted to ensure maximum efficiency right out of the box, though proper break-in is very important to ensure proper operation and long life.

The power from the drivetrain is transferred to the wheels through all new drive shafts. The drive shafts consist of a universal pivoting shaft as well as the new hex wheel hub mounted at the end. This new drive shaft system is much easier to assemble and maintain.

The drive shafts are molded from the special composite blend which ensures long life and maximum strength, ensuring that power from even the most powerful micro motors is safely and easily transferred to the wheels.

The LiPo battery pack is held in place with a CNC-machined battery holder made from premium carbon fiber, completed with a stylish, milled ‘X.’ The chassis features battery backstops which ensures that the battery pack stays in place even during serious crashes. The alu LiPo battery strap posts have five holes for different positions of graphite battery holder to prevent the battery from moving.

The precision-molded spur gear is made from XRAY’s exclusive secret composite blend, allowing the gear to run true, be super quiet and robust enough to handle high-power modified or brushless micro motors. The spur gear is lightened to have lowest possible weight while still retaining high strength.

The kit features both 36T and 42T spur gears and an assortment of pinion gears, allowing you to adjust the gear ratio to best suit your track, driving style, and motor selection.

The M18 PRO features 20 premium high-speed ball-bearings in the super-smooth and efficient drivetrain. All the high-tolerance ball-bearings are degreased and lightly oiled with Aero Shell Fluid 12 for maximum smoothness and long life. All ball-bearings are selected and inspected by the XRAY factory.

Premium high-competition foam tires are included in the kit for maximum grip and great handling out of the box. Front 50sh tires and rear 35sh tires — an optimal tire combination for standard racing conditions — are included to make the car easy to handle. An assortment of different tire compounds and hardnesses is available optionally.

The wheels are secured to the hex hub wheel axles with aluminum wheel nuts. An easy-to-use wheel nut driver is included in the kit.

Coil-over shocks ensure great handling of the car in any racing conditions. Both front and rear shocks have different shocks mounting positions.

The compact front foam bumper is manufactured from high-resilience lightweight foam. The front lower composite bumper is molded from rigid composite to withstand heavy crashes, while the front upper bumper brace is made from premium graphite material.

The beefy body posts are made from a special composite material that provides maximum strength but sufficient flex to reduce body post breakage, even if you flip the car on its hood.

XRAY Instruction Manuals have become the industry standard, and are simply the best manuals you will ever get with an RC model car. Whether you are a first-time builder or an experienced racer, all the instructions are straight-forward and easy to understand. The full-colour instruction manual contains large 3D illustrations for easy comprehension.

Owning an XRAY model racing car is an experience on its own. Not only will you own the most premium luxury model racing car, but you will also become a member of the prestigious family of XRAY owners with superb support and service from the XRAY factory. The XRAY Web portal features up-to-date racing news and latest product developments. If you have any questions, problems or comments, you can ask the XRAY Support Team or any XRAY Factory Team Driver on the XRAY support forum. You can even upload your own set-up sheets or download from the largest RC set-up database at the exclusive XRAY Virtual Set-up Sheet Database. And that is only the start of the VIP treatment you get by joining Team XRAY.

A variety of different optional parts are available directly from XRAY. All XRAY option parts are designed and engineered by XRAY’s R&D department ensuring that all option parts have a direct fit. XRAY does not offer fancy “for show only” options, but only high-quality option parts which improve the performance or robustness of the car. You can be sure that by using XRAY’s authentic option parts you get the most value and improved performance.

[source: www.teamxray.com]