The fact that the XQ2S offers a very good price-performance ratio has become known and the vehicle can be found more often on tracks and parking lots. With the FWD conversion kit for the XQ1S and XQ2S, Xpress offers an affordable entry into the FWD classes based on the proven platform. With the FT1S this is also possible, but recently especially on carpet the mid-motor platforms have become more popular. For those who always want to have the best, Xpress has offered a vehicle on the cutting edge with the unfortunately limited XQ10F kit. With the XQ10F conversion kit, a normal XQ10 touring car can also be turned into a FWD vehicle. However, both variants are associated with costs that not everyone is willing to put up with - especially if you perhaps just want to get a taste of the class or don't plan to participate in any racing events anyway.

The FWD conversion kit for the XQ1S and XQ2S has lived in the shadows so far. Impressed by the great performance of the XQ10F and with the urge to build something again I got myself a XQ2S + FWD conversion kit and built it.

Here I go into my personal experiences building it so far. The first ride is still to come, so I can't make a final comparison between XQ2S FWD and XQ10F at the moment.

The main focus was and still is to achieve a good price-performance ratio even with the ready to drive car. So most of the possible tuning parts were omitted and only really useful things were installed. The definitely best additional investment on XQ1S and XQ2S are the double joint CVDs XP-10166 for the front axle. Less noise, less slamming wheels, and a more efficient drivetrain definitely justify the extra expense. Depending on where the chassis will be used, the XP-10326 stabilizer kit also makes sense. Some still have the aluminum posts of the steering retrofitted. Xpress has thought about this and added aluminum steering posts to the FWD kit, even though they are not necessary. On the FWD, 3° toe-in on the rear axle is definitely too much of a good thing. So it makes sense to install the XQ10 version with the inserts as the rear suspension arm mount to be able to reduce the toe. I will not go into things like springs here. Everyone will have something of his own in the box. The plastic dampers have common dimensions, so that current touring car springs fit. Personally, I am very satisfied with the Axon springs.

There were few stumbling blocks during the build itself. Since I didn't build a finished XQ2S, but rather a FWD from a conversion kit and a kit, here and there the order was different than described in the instructions. The FWD kit instructions assume that an XQ2S is already built and based on that the conversion takes place. However, with some foresight building this was no problem. Only the installation of the servo should be done before the combination of motor and servo mount is screwed onto the chassis. The inner mounting screws of the servo are very difficult to reach later.

When installing the double-jointed CVDs, it is important to note that the inner bearing must be replaced with the 3mm version. In addition, the grub screws should be secured with Loctite when installing the blades, which are required here due to the front diff. This prevents unpleasant surprises and sudden lack of forward drive.

The plastic dampers were again very easy to build. This time I did without the X-rings as O-rings and took the original ones. If you want super smooth running dampers right from the first battery you can have a look at the X-Rings. That the piston plates should be cleanly freed from injection molding residues before installation goes without saying. After filling, all 4 dampers were immediately leak-proof and run well. With the ball cups of the tie rods, careful clamping with pliers was again necessary to get them to run perfectly. I went into more detail about this in the original XQ2S build report. If you want it super smooth, get the XQ10 ball cups.

The foam bumper included with the FWD kit is much too small for my liking. Here it is worth trimming the original XQ2S bumper to fit the brass weight and then using that. The bodies will thank you for the little extra effort with a much longer life.

The overall result is that the FWD kit picks up where the XQ2S left off. No problems to build, a consistently good quality impression and easy to build even for beginners. Compared to an XQ10F, the XQ2S FWD does not have to hide. Even less when you consider the price difference.

Since the good price-performance ratio is to extend through the entire vehicle, I have also chosen the electronics accordingly and with the Savöx 1252MG a servo taken from the shelf, which was there for a while. As a speed controller the Hobbywing Justock is used, which does not have to hide behind other controllers with its 50€. Especially with the 17.5 RCK Challenge motor it is an excellent price-performance ratio. The battery is an IP 4400mAh Shorty.