Protoform Dodge Stratus 3.0

[StevePond]

http://www.rccaraction.com/pics/proline/1476.jpg

Without a doubt, the Dodge Stratus body style has been the most popular body style ever raced in the world of RC sedans. For six straight years racers around the world have chosen Stratus bodies to dominate and win national titles and world championships. PROTOform has been a key player in the development and evolution of the Stratus race-body that's included an IFMAR ISTC World Championship as well as numerous national titles on every continent.

We're excited to announce the release of the latest version, the "3.0", based on the 2005 Dodge Stratus body style. This body is sure to enhance the handling of any sedan when racing on a high-grip track surface, whether it be carpet of prepared asphalt. It's made to conform to all IFMAR, ROAR, FEMCA, and FAMAR specifications and will fit all the latest racing-sedan chassis. As usual, it includes an add-on wing, mounting hardware, decal sheet, window masks and protective film. It's light in weight too, weighing in at 90 grams (without film or paint). Check it out "in person" at your local hobby shop or race track. The Protoform Stratus 3.0 is sure to carry on the winning Stratus tradition!

http://www.rccaraction.com/pics/proline/1476-3.jpg


http://www.rccaraction.com/pics/proline/1476-2.jpg


Features:
• Light durable .030 lexan with protective film

• Unique and aggressive styling

• Designed to set the bar for the sedan industry.

• Includes decal sheet, window mask, add-on wing and mounting hardware

• 2 trim lines are marked, one for sanctioned 115 mm height rule and one for "slammed" style club racing with small O.D. foam tires


DODGE STRATUS 3.0 190mm
Part #1476-00 $24.00

Thanks to McSmooth for the info.

[shadowghost1]

Very nice, I know everyone is tired of the Stratus body but just like they said above nothing has been more successful. I like how the roof line of the car is practically a bubble. It looks to be good for both handling and top speed applications. Very nice keep them coming!!!!

[death_rx78]

Only for 190mm? what happend to nitro guys that want it?I hope they released it in 200mm!

[belila]

Don't worry, the 200mm version will be out shortly after the 190mm version.

But, the release date?

[ROSSI FAN]

I thought the rules state that the car has to be patterned after a real race car. Why is this body being done at all? Show me a 2005 Stratus race car and I wont say a word but cmon people. Looks like a reworked Mazda to me.

[microrcdude]

I think the front window is a little whack, and the roof is a little too "Round". Other than that, it looks awesome!

[Jetskiboy77]

It is very nice, its just everyone has the Stratus body. But its suposedly the best body for racing so I can see why everyone uses it, but its very common.

[RCBuddha]

Man, that hood looks very simlar to this:

http://hpiracing.com/graphics/new/stratus_aero190/DSCN5982k.jpg

It doesn't have as much "angle" as the HPI, but it looks like darn close...

The rear end looks different, but the wing looks similar to:

http://hpiracing.com/graphics/new/stratus_aero190/DSCN5999k.jpg

Hmmmmm.....coincidence?

[Maverick Racer]

Styling wise the hood is close but everything else is different. And the Protoform body will actually be a fast body. Dale has been working on this body since before the start of the summer season. Its a smokin body. Lots and lots of hours have been put into it.

This one aro wise is compleatly different from any other previous protoform body. Its designed to be very similar to the Parma Alfa, and to work real well on carpet. Dale did it again.

[sosidge]

I don't think you've seen very many touring car bodies RCBuddha because the Protoform Stratus 3 looks NOTHING like the HPI Aero Stratus.

The Protoform nose is much lower and smoother, with a much deeper splitter.

The roofline is short and peaked.

The rear is much more angular with unusual wing mounts moulded into the shape.

Even the wings aren't similar - the Protoform spoiler has a lot more shaping than the HPI version.

[tarheelquality]

Back to the previous question, why is this body being done at all, there hasn't been a real stratus on the track in years. If you insist on having a dodge body, use something that actually races like the SRT4 Neon. Lots of cars out there that race and those should be the ones that are made legal for racing and then they should look like the real car.

[rcguy2477]

Why does it matter what body it is modeled after? There arn't any real race cars that would work for a body. If you insist that it looks like a real race car, what about the truck bodies? Those look nothing like a normal truck.

[WheelNut]

http://www.dodge.com/gallery/img/stratus_sedan/enlarge_3.jpg

http://www.rccaraction.com/pics/proline/1476.jpg

....riiiiiiiiiiight. Imagine if pro-line made a body that was actually realistic, well it doesnt really matter, cuz their bodies handle good. Realism=Tamiya, from now on all I'm running is Tamiya, awsome bodies!

I actually think its kind of a cool looking body, but is it a stratus? Stratus inspired I suppose.

[death_rx78]

I don't see a point in the legal or ilegal body issue, for rc racing the body has to be way different from the actual real car because if we race bodies that are exact copies of real cars we could not get the downforce or handling we need. Thats why the roof, front window, front bumper and back of the body is different.

Just my opinion...

[NitroBoy24]

Those bodies are meant for racing, so realism isn't what they are going for.

John Force's Mustang, Funny Car doesn't look like anything I've seen on a showroom floor if you get where I am coming from ;)

[ROSSI FAN]

Read the rules, if you don't care then whats the point of organized racing.
Nobody said exact copies here either, only that they resemble the full scale race car. How can the they claim the body conforms to all the regulations if the model violates one of the most basic rules. The spirit of RC racing is to "look" realistic, if you havnt forgotten, and to be the best you can be that day. There is actually pressure by ROAR on the manufacturers to make the bodies more believable.

I have seen the way cars are teched at races and even the inspectors dont follow the rules, and they are teching world/national champions!
For instance, the wing cord measurement, some dont bother, some just look at the width...195ish/205ish ...OK go! You can get away with a 50mm chord in a 190 class race! Is that fair? We are talking a bout racing not the average guy in front of his house/parking lot.
Protoform is just banking on name recognition to make a profit from the long standing name Stratus. It could just as well have been another Alfa or Mazda 6 and I wouldnt have said a word, and in fact praised it for working well! At best I hope this a good club level body cause if it goes and wins a world/national title I will lose just a little more respect for the sport of RC racing.

and I'm spent........

[tarheelquality]

I agree, never said anything about realism, just that by ROAR rule 3-2 Bodies used in ROAR competition must resemble bodies used in full scale racing for the type
of event being conducted. not that they must resemble street cars but bodies used in full scale racing. Just might keep things a little more interesting is all.

As far as truck bodies they do not have to be approved or look like anything specific since they are off road class per rule 3-16.

[Lapster]

Ok, 1 form of full size racing is NASCAR, and I dont see many monte carlo's that look like the cars on ESPN...

[JimmyMac]

Well remember this too. You can't build/design a realistic competition body to fit all/most touring cars because of scale. You have to stretch the wheel base... and/or width to fit RC cars. Tamiya does do good realistic bodies. But they also redesign alot of the suspension parts to do so. Like short wheel base arms. Different wheels for different offset. Etc. RC racing is much different. That's also why Tamiya has TRF. But anyways, race cars have a certain guideline to go by as far at width (190mm max) and length.. etc. So bodies have to be made to fit this.

And like Lapster said.. about Nascar. hehe.... To me, RC racing bodies are like Nascar bodies.

Anyways... I really like the look of the new Stratus 3.0. I'll be totting one around!

[tarheelquality]

Jimmy, I dont think anyone is arguing for exact replicas, just bodies modeled after cars that are actually raced in Touring. As far as Nascar goes you are absolutely right and as much as I love the races I think the bodies are where they are screwing up not a whole lot of connection between street and race cars there. But back to RC you notice the RC oval guys aren't racing Honda Civics, Mustangs or Vipers they are running bodies based on what is raced.

[RCBuddha]

I don't think you've seen very many touring car bodies RCBuddha because the Protoform Stratus 3 looks NOTHING like the HPI Aero Stratus.

Well, i've seen plenty of touring car bodies; i've been in this hobby a long time. No need to make a comment like that, you need to read my post a bit more carefully next time... ;)

I happen to agree that they don't look at all alike...Overall...

The Protoform nose is much lower and smoother, with a much deeper splitter.

The roofline is short and peaked.

The rear is much more angular with unusual wing mounts moulded into the shape.

Right, I agree with you, But I was refering to the HOOD of the car. I did say that the back ends are different, and I can plainly see that the winshield is angled differentely. The rooflines are different, I agree; But the shape of the HOOD is almost identical....


Even the wings aren't similar - the Protoform spoiler has a lot more shaping than the HPI version.

I guess they couldn't just outright copy it eh? look at the backsides of the wing, its got a similar curve to HPI's....I can see that they added that manipulated the middle part of the wing, i'm just commenting on how similar the overall shape is to the HPI.


Its not at all uncommon for one manufacturer to imitate another's work. Look at the Losi Alfa Romeo, which is a DIRECT copy of the old Maxtec Alfa (see sosidge, I have been around a while). Is that a bad thing? Naw, Losi brought their body out after Maxtec went out of business....I could care less, as I was able to run a body i liked w/o fear of having no replacement (as was the case when Maxtec went out of business) In fact, when racing starts again for me, i'll be happily using the Losi body.

For the record: I'm sure Proline's new body will work for people....I have NOTHING against proline, their Mazda 6 works pretty well for me, i was merely pointing out a feature similarity to another body.....

[R3VoLuTiOn]

im not joining this argument.

i like the body, it looks sleek and should give plenty of handling to my tc.

[bobf24]

was there this same argument when parma released any of its cars? they don't resemble the real cars,

and if you look in any of the rules for full scale touring racing, the stratus is still a legal car to race, weither or not anyone races them is up to the individual teams, but they are still a legal race car,

i think the car looks fine, if you look at the new ride accord that hara has been using of late, that looks nothing like a real car, it is completley unrecognizable to the real car, and there again, where do they race accords?

[e-man]

I don't think you've seen very many touring car bodies RCBuddha because the Protoform Stratus 3 looks NOTHING like the HPI Aero Stratus.

The Protoform nose is much lower and smoother, with a much deeper splitter.

The roofline is short and peaked.

The rear is much more angular with unusual wing mounts moulded into the shape.

Even the wings aren't similar - the Protoform spoiler has a lot more shaping than the HPI version.

Save your trolling. The hood edges look like the hood edges that are on the Aero 2. The body looks like a winner overall. However, it is like most things in racing, you can see its "heritage." It seems to pull a lot of fender details from the PF Mazda 6, The super low flat rear decks of some of the Japanese Ride bodies, some wing rib elements from the HPI Aero 2, the roof of the Parma Alfa. That said, just from a conceptual point of view, it is pulling some of the best features and combining them in a way no one has done before. I would imagine it has it's own unique driving character like anything else, which is cool. No matter the handling, it has a fresher look to it with the skirting and style lines and would make a nice looking 1:1 race car if it were to race in a sanctioned series.

[munim]

Has it been tested in a wind tunnel?

[FantomTC3]

That car is to cool i must have one for my TC :D

[kingkalukan]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f269/kingkalukan/MyCar2.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f269/kingkalukan/MyCar.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f269/kingkalukan/mycar3.jpg

so much for no racing stratus's
if those dont work check out
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f269/kingkalukan/MyCar2.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f269/kingkalukan/MyCar.jpg