Flashback Friday: Team Associated releases the RC10 B4 buggy

 

  

 
 

In the spring of 2003, Team Associated would retire their race-winning B3 machine as they introduced an all-new platform in the RC10 lineup, known as the B4. The B4 came out of the gate swinging as Billy Easton TQ'd and won the 2003 IFMAR 2WD World Championships with his Associated RC10B4 buggy. 
 

   
 

The B4 buggy was an all-new car for AE, as it shared little to no parts or features found on its predecessors. This was the first of Team Associated buggies to feature plastic shock towers, and such a vast amount of tuning options such as the wide range of shock and camber link mounting locations. Upon it's release it quickly became recognized as one of the easiest buggy's of the era to work on, to fine tune, and to drive by many.

 
 

The car featured many options which are considered "standard" today, however, were not so common in it's day. Examples being captured hinge pins, hard coated shocks, full plastic composite chassis (the B3 was a combination of aluminum plastic and aluminum pieces),  dual disc slipper clutch, trailing front axles, and more.

Later on in 2003, Team Associated would released the B4 Factory Team kit with the following press release:

 

"The Factory Team RC10B4 … the buggy that totally dominated the competition by Top Qualifying and won the IFMAR 2WD World Championship! ... the buggy Radio Control Car Action magazine's readers voted Reader's Choice Electric Buggy award! (See the Honors tab above.)

Now you can get your own full-option "Factory" ride buggy complete with over $150 worth of Factory Team upgrades! The B4 Factory Team features all molded carbon components including the chassis, front and rear shock towers, front and rear A-Arms, chassis brace, and top plate. The battery strap is made of woven carbon fiber, and comes with a chrome/black "AE Factory Team" sticker.

"What with it's excellent instructions and easy build, efficient, durable transmission, superb steering and forgiving handling on both rough and smooth tracks the Team Associated RC10B4 Factory Team really is in pole position for the nomination of best 2WD off-road electric buggy." - Radio Control Car Racer April 2005

The Team's standard threaded, hard-anodized, PTFE-coated shocks with Unobtainium shafts handle the dampening on all four corners. A complete set of 14 PTFE sealed bearings are included to ensure smooth, efficient operation. Lightweight outdrives are included, as well as a new clear injection-molded gear cover. To get the power to the ground, the B4 Factory Team comes with Pro-Line "M3" Holeshot rear tires and "M3" compound wide-body buggy front tires on white Pro-Line dish wheels.

No Factory Team kit would be complete without a full array of Factory Blue components, so the B4 includes blue titanium turnbuckles, aluminum servo mounts, wheel spacers, front hinge pin brace, center-drilled front axles, screws, body clips, and a lightweight milled blue aluminum motor mounting plate.

If you’re serious about racing, get the same buggy used to sweep the current IFMAR World Championship, the ROAR 2WD Offroad National Championship, and the European Championship … Team Associated’s Factory Team B4."

 

Was the Team Associated B4 a success? Considering that the car is still in active use today, using the same basic platform with mere upgrades over the past 10 years, and still winning races...yes, we would say the B4 was a huge success. 

 

 

 

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