thehuntingterminator

Check this out: http://www.hpiracing.com/news/2012091201/

Anyone know what this means for Ofna since they're the current distributor?

Foxy

I edited your post to cut out the middle man and posted the source straight from HPI.

My response? Meh, the cars are made by Hobao and Hong Nor, and they aren't going anywhere. OFNA or HPI, its just a sticker.

To be honest, ya gotta laugh. HPI can't make 1/8th models for toffee, and that's Hobao's speciality. Hobao can't write manuals or documentation, or market their stuff for toffee either, and those are HPI's specialities, this is a match made in heaven. Let's see what happens next. Totally unexpected, that's for sure.

In any case, OFNA did a pretty poor job on the Hong Nor and Hobao stuff, however, Hong Nor is just as strong as Hobao, so I doubt OFNA will be going anywhere soon. That is unless their intention is to stop. Here's hoping Thunder Tiger gets Hong Nor.

The_Shark

speaking of poor documentation, I got a JL10e drift, and all I got as far as a "manual" was a exploded parts diagram! no setup, no instructions, nothing! the car it'self drifts pretty well, and grips even better, I plan to race sunday!

hobao/hongnor are awesome manufactures, really hoping to see some 2wd stuff because I will jump right on one!

SyCo_VeNoM

after the HPI tax the Hyper 7 tq will now prolly cost $450 RTR from $300


remember ofna still has hongnor...

god hope traxxas don't buy get that cause then the kits will go up 500%

I also hope HPI don't get any input on what plastic materials to use on the RC's cause they would probably fall apart after a few jumps seeing their plastics suck on the 3rd party RC's

nitrosportsandrunner

so, im confused. Does ofna make their own stuff....or do they just rebrand one of those others?

Or is it just that ofna used to distribute those other brands?

thehuntingterminator

I believe that they just rebrand other brands like Haboa which is not sold in the US (under Haboa, but instead Ofna).

nitrosportsandrunner

LOL, now im more confused than before!

does ofna make their own stuff or not? Or do they basically do what Redcat does?

SyCo_VeNoM

more close to redcat

basically they are like redcat but with higher quality gear dirt cheap

thehuntingterminator

I'm sure this is what will happen. Prices will go through the roof to the point where they're no longer a money saving purchase like they are currently. Better grab a Hyper 7 now before prices go up $100-200...

The_Shark

Ofna prices thier things the way they should be priced. HPI is going to tack on $100-200 on current prices.

it just suprizes me HPI wants hobao, since they already have the trophy buggy/truggy, vorza, pulse, D8, I mean thats alot of 1/8 and If they take in hobao, they just took in the hyper 7 and hyper star.

I just hope this doen't interfere with OFNA's incredibly good parts support

SyCo_VeNoM

Yup on the price look what they did to the thunder AC6 charger tacked on like $80 for the same exact charger just to put a HPI sticker on. http://www.hobbypartz.com/thac6smbachw.html vs http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXASUJ&P=7

problem is the 2 trophy vehicles royally suck ass, and HPI knows it

hell what easier way to get rid of one of your biggest competitors than make it so they can't sell a product anymore by cutting a deal with the manufacturer, and selling their product yourself. Specially seeing HPI hasn't really put out a decent worthwhile new vehicle in awhile(don't count the HB recycling). Hell now they finally got them a 4wd SCT though.

Foxy

lol at somebody giving me one star for my post, thanks for that, it all counts toward score.

I wonder what part of the truth it was that they didn't like. People are funny sometimes. [&:]

Haddi Taha

the truth is hard for some to accept.

anyway, this hpi/hobao thing will work out better for those who find it hard to get hobao parts but easier to get hpi parts. For those people, buy a hobao while they are still cheap (it os unevitable the hpi will be more expensive) and benifet from hpi's part support (parts should be the same)
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phmaximus

Wonder if they will get the Hyper 10e touring car back into full swing?
They very cheap from my local Hobao importer compare to the HPI sprint and heaps better IMO

wishfull thinking?

nitrosportsandrunner

there foxy, I gave you 5 stars to bump it up...lol
Its probly someone you made upset in a different thread who is attacking you here.

Anyways, i didnt realize that ofna did as redcat does. I actually thought they made their own stuff.

So, did they have 2 different mfg? Hoboa and hongnor. And now HPI will distribute Hoboa (which has the hyper) and ofna is left with just hongnor. I take it this means the ofna line will get a bit smaller.

HPI has the opportunity to make the hoboa models better....by giving even better parts support. My LHS has only a smattering of OFNA parts. Its one reason I have never really owned an ofna.
But Most hobby shops have HPI stuff. So, if they dont jack the price up a ton, you should be able to get good models and have parts availible at nearly any hobby shop.

Foxy

Thanks buddy

Yeh OFNA is, as Redcat, a VAR (Value Added Reseller). Hobao is the Hyper series and Hong Nor is the X series and Jammin stuff. Both are great Taiwanese car makers. I actually prefer the HOng Nor stuff generally, they are known for their toughness, whereas the Hyper series was always a bit more 'budget focused for the racer', though they also had some top quality kits in the Hyper series. The LX series is also Hong Nor.

Foxy

Great drifter that chassis, and yes, head and shoulders better than the Sprint.

SyCo_VeNoM

also it seems they were more focused on the hong nor stuff recently too. The Nexx line up, and the LX line etc.
as there were like 3-4 new models in the past year or so and I can only think of the hyper 10 SC was released in the same time frame

Might be a mistake to focus on the racers, but honestly I wonder sometimes what the profit on each RC is seeing they sell the hyper RTR for under $300(but on the other hand they sell the Jammin X1 CR for the same price so they compete with themselves). Looking at their site the Hoboa was the one they had the least models from that I can see. Now if they would have lost hong nor I could have seen them go under.

It also might be cause there was a quite a bit of confusion with over lapping products that were priced the same. Like I said you had the jammin X1, and the Hyper 7 priced at the same point from the same distributor both marketed at the same people. Always thought it was kinda goofy personally. Same with their SCT's hyper 10 vs the Nexx 10. Only thing I see them losing is the 10th scale truggy as I think that was one of the few things that didn't overlap with what they sell from hong nor.

HerrSavage

Will this change the fact that Nitrohouse (with $30 minimum shipping fees to Europe, regardless how small..) and some ebay shop in Taiwan are the only places on earth to buy an Ofna DM-1 clutch bell?..

The_Shark

I Just got a JL10e drift AKA hong nor OB4 mid motor.

always wanted one when they where called OB4's this is a stripped down version with FRP and phillips head screws and nylon bulkheads, I am using it for racing, and I plan to race this sunday. the car has oodles of grip and steering from what I can see, the rear tires will loose grip but as soon as you grip that throttle it pulls it right through (100k in the front diff now) as far as drifing it seems to do just fine, fairly easy to do some massive sidways drifts.

I mean if you really look at it, its almost perfect, 50/50 balance, motor is dead center, PBS suspension, captured pins, droop screws, chassis weight only 1.6lbs race ready at only 2.5lbs, VERY simple layout.