Xpress is bringing a new electric touring car onto the market after around three and a half years. After the first photos of prototypes that looked quite finished appearing during spring of this year, it took until mid-September for the chassis to come onto the market. If you look at the changes compared to the XQ10, it quickly becomes clear why a little more development time was necessary. The XQ11 is not an evolution of the XQ10 – it is a completely new chassis. Personally, I like the approach of bringing a fully developed vehicle onto the market instead of a banana product that has not yet been fully developed and only matures with the customer and weak points gradually become visible in the hands of less experienced drivers.
The XQ11 is not without its weak points either, but more on that later.
When you open the box, you will find the usual note from RCK with the information that the box has already been opened in advance to check the contents for completeness and that you wish the customer a lot of fun with the kit - I think it's a good thing.
There is little that is surprising about the construction instructions. The first corrections are placed on a separate piece of paper.
UPPER CONTROL ARM / TIE RODS:Let's start by assembling the upper wishbones and tie rods. The upper camberlinks are now designed as wishbones, as is now common practice. Not only do they offer more torsional stiffness compared to the old version, but they are also necessary due to the suspension design. The R/L threaded rod must not be screwed completely into the ball socket as shown in the instructions! When installed, it is used to adjust the camber and must be able to be rotated in both directions. The correct construction method can be seen in the illustrations with the dimensions. Later in the construction process, the body stand is screwed into the hole next to the ball socket. In contrast to the XQ2S, the system has been further developed and makes a more stable impression, even if plastic is still used instead of spring steel as the material for the L-shaped holder.
DIFFERENTIAL / SOLID AXLE:Next is the differential. This is a new design that is narrower compared to the previous differential. This was necessary due to the longer swing arms and the resulting smaller distance between the bulkheads. Brass bushings are now pressed into the two diff halves. These ensure better guidance of the diff drives and prevent deflection at this point, which the older diffs of XQ10 etc. sometimes show after high mileage. In the diff, as in the dampers, the X-rings are used as sealing rings.Not only the differential, but also the rigid axle became narrower. Xpress has come up with a clever solution here. The ring on one side of the belt wheel no longer needs to be glued, but is clicked onto the belt wheel. A bit of sensitivity is necessary here. However, the fit is perfect. The spool outputs of the predecessor are also plugged in first and then secured with screws. Unlike the XQ10, the steel exits are prepared for use with blades. A significant improvement over its predecessor!
LOWER CONTROL ARM:Then it's the turn of the lower wishbones. The arms are one of the biggest innovations on the XQ11. They are not only longer, but also have a completely different design than beforeBall heads are inserted here and the fit is then adjusted with screws. This requires a lot of sensitivity! The line between too loose and too tight is very thin here, but proper adjustment is absolutely necessary! The ball heads must not jam, but they must not have any play either.The damper is attached to the swingarms on the XQ11 via inserts in the wishbones, with which the position of the attachment can be changed. This has the advantage that the set screw is no longer screwed directly into the plastic part, but into the aluminum insert. The thread can no longer tear out as quickly as before.If necessary, plates can be screwed into the wishbones, which are again available in two degrees of hardness, which additionally stiffen the swing arm. This is particularly advantageous for tracks with a lot of grip, i.e. usually on permanent indoor routes with carpeting.
STEERING LEVER / UPRIGHTS:The front and rear steering levers and uprights are a completely newly designed part. They consist of several individual components and are no longer held in position at the bottom by a pin, but by a ball head. The upper wishbones prevent the vehicle from tipping over and take over the holding function that was previously implemented via the pin in the lower wishbone. Among other things, the caster angle can now be adjusted
Here are some other photos which Johannes took during his build of our new car.
Completed front end.
Build of the shocks including the new shock membranes which use a new material compared to before
A view of the motor mount and you can see the belt tensioners underneath the belt.
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