Please tell me it's not true.

[RevoMikey]

Hi all, apologies if this is covered somewhere else in the forums, I looked but couldn't see anything.

Have traxxas bought out hpi? I sent an email to hpi as I am struggling for a particular spare, the reply said they were in administration.

A quick Google came up with the rumour of traxxas buying hpi.

I used to be a big traxxas fan but although hpi isn't quite as techinal in their design the build quality us way superior.

I couldn't stand to see them destroy the hpi name with their ****ty plastics.

Please tell me it ain't true.

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[K.nov]

I've heard this too, originally Tamiya were also in the running as well, so it looks like Traxxas has won the bidding war.

Not sure which one I'd prefer tbh. I just hope they are able to keep the brand the way it is as much as possible.

[Tug]

From what I've heard, HPI are fine, it's only the European distributors that're collapsing. 

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. 

[Ziggy122]

Im with TUG
Its just the distributor in Europe thats fallen over....

I heard Traxxas were looking to take over - which would be great
It means better traxxas parts though

 

Ziggy

[dazp1976]

1 hour ago, Ziggy122 said:

Im with TUG
Its just the distributor in Europe thats fallen over....

I heard Traxxas were looking to take over - which would be great
It means better traxxas parts though

 

Ziggy

Don't be daft 

It's most likely the Traxxas parts won't be any better and the HPI parts will get worse.

This might explain how Traxxarse got their feet in:

http://www.liverc.com/news/announcements/11745-DEVELOPING%3A_Traxxas_to_acquire_HPI_Racing%3F/

Typically Europe ie us as usual will be stuffed for HPI spares and the rest of world will have no bother.

Same old 

[RCbutcher]

I think hpi just closed down all of its European branches. Distribution, warehouses, design sect ect. Then put it all up for auction. 

 

If traxxas has brought it then we might start getting the support from traxxas usa gets. 

 

Hpi eu designed models like the q32, baja 5R I think mayb jump shot all the eu toy fair things. They must have cost them dearly. 

[RCbutcher]

Hpi might use this cash injection to bring out a losi 5ive rival that might be cool.  Or a 1/5th true scale savage monster XXL that'd be cool.

 

But suppose if times are tough they might use it to pay debts and focus on something to beat the slash sales for volume sales. 

 

Everyone wants the next best 5th scale, but not many want to buy them with actual money lol. 

 

Once I'm road legal I'll be browsing car forums for projects lol. Prolly be cheaper than rc builds using the normal cheap cuts. Breakers, 3rd party makers ect ect. 

 

I saw a Nissan skyline listed for £3,000 on driftworks forum it was an absolute beast perfect running condition. Totally track ready for drift events and pushing 500bhp on low settings. 

 

That's a losi 5ive T build cost if brushless.  

 

Run of the mill drift conversions can go on ther from £100 as projects to 1k for an half decent bmw with welded diff, z3 gearbox for quick shift and some mods. 

 

I saw a £100 bmw compact on there practically still a road car needing work. 

 

I'm praying we get a drive way when we finally move. This is the hobby I want lol. 

[RevoMikey]

Traxxas customer service turned to crap after they shut their UK office. I won't expect any improvement there, they used to be excellent but always treated the UK like its poor relation, the state's would be bursting with new models and spares and we wouldn't get them for months after.

Hpi have always been solid. I hope traxxas doesn't ruin them, i like my fright flux with its good diffs and metal chassis. Traxxas crappy plastic won't cut it.

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[Kpowell911]

13 hours ago, RCbutcher said:

Hpi might use this cash injection to bring out a losi 5ive rival that might be cool.  Or a 1/5th true scale savage monster XXL that'd be cool.

 

But suppose if times are tough they might use it to pay debts and focus on something to beat the slash sales for volume sales. 

 

Everyone wants the next best 5th scale, but not many want to buy them with actual money lol. 

 

Once I'm road legal I'll be browsing car forums for projects lol. Prolly be cheaper than rc builds using the normal cheap cuts. Breakers, 3rd party makers ect ect. 

 

I saw a Nissan skyline listed for £3,000 on driftworks forum it was an absolute beast perfect running condition. Totally track ready for drift events and pushing 500bhp on low settings. 

 

That's a losi 5ive T build cost if brushless.  

 

Run of the mill drift conversions can go on ther from £100 as projects to 1k for an half decent bmw with welded diff, z3 gearbox for quick shift and some mods. 

 

I saw a £100 bmw compact on there practically still a road car needing work. 

 

I'm praying we get a drive way when we finally move. This is the hobby I want lol. 

Youll come back.... I left the hobby to Chav up my first car, then slowly got back into it. Then I decided I wanted to build a 300bhp Supercharged Civic Type R, so I sold up all my R/Cs to fund that. Sold the Civic, now Ive got a sensibly modified Scirocco, and guess what, Im back into R/Cs.....

 

[Si Coe]

Its not just the European distributor, its also the US one too. And it appears that at least the offices of the US distributor have been taken over by Traxxas, which is where the 'Traxxas is taking over' story originates from.

 

HOWEVER

 

HPI Global had already started the process of ditching their US and European operations before all this talk of administration and buyouts started. In fact HPI Europe went bust precisely because they were being cut from HPI proper.

 

It looks like HPI intends to be its own global distributor, which is something other companies (most notably Horizon) already do. Whether it will work or not remains to be seen, but for now HPI as a brand seems safe.

[Tug]

And breathe.

[RevoMikey]

That's great news. Fingers crossed. I love my truggy flux. Best rc ever. I don't want to see it converted to egg shell brittle plastic like traxxas. Their plastics and diffs just suck ass.

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[dazp1976]

1 hour ago, RevoMikey said:

That's great news. Fingers crossed. I love my truggy flux. Best rc ever. I don't want to see it converted to egg shell brittle plastic like traxxas. Their plastics and diffs just suck ass.

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Same as. It's just those cast metal steering arms, 3mm shock shafts, and skinny thread axles that let it down. 

I've changed a few things, just can't really find an "on the shelf" hop-up for the shock shafts. Big bore shocks don't work that well on TT flux.

[Deafty]

So heres what I know.

 

LRP (german)  were distributing HPI parts on behalf of HPI.  This was never always the case but up till recently it certainly was.  Then LRP appeared to have nothing to do with them.  And now HPI are/were in administration regarding the Eu distribution in the EU.  Most Lrp online shops that I have found are discounting their HPI products (though not by much)

 

Suddenly LRP are now behind other brands so something went wrong/changed somewhere.  The point is imo HPi were in trouble regarding the Eu sometime back and had LRP do it for them.

 

Then theres Thunder Tiger.  They were advertising (though very badly) for a new EU person to oversee their distribution.  No one applied and now thunder tiger have pulled their distribution from the EU.

 

What does this have to do with HPI you may be asking,..  Well at one point LRP were looking after thunder tiger too.

[Daveyb84]

i dont get this because my LHS can still order parts for HPI, are they still operatng then and administrators have taken over? 

 

 

[Tug]

1 hour ago, Daveyb84 said:

i dont get this because my LHS can still order parts for HPI, are they still operatng then and administrators have taken over? 

 

 

 

HPI are fine, it's the distributor that's gone "belly-up".

[Daveyb84]

1 minute ago, Tug said:

 

HPI are fine, it's the distributor that's gone "belly-up".

 

sorry tug, I should of explained myself better

 

I was wondering how my LHS ordered parts from HPI EU because of the Administration issue. Have someone else taken over or are the administrators running the distribution centre for now?

[Tug]

My LHS can't restock at the moment, so I don't know how yours is doing it. 

[dazp1976]

Just noticed HPI north U.S. distribution  was apparently taken over by Hobbico and Great planes a short while ago. Hmm.

[Kpowell911]

Ripmax own HPI Europe now don't they?

[Si Coe]

Though it was HPI global, and interestingly not Hot Bodies

[dazp1976]

5 hours ago, Guns said:

Ripmax own HPI Europe now don't they?

Apparently so but I didn't realize there was something else gone on in the U.S. too. Might have gone a non HPI route if I'd noticed.