Well, I never...
 

...ever would have expected this. The new HPI E-Firestorm "Flux" is using a re-named SideWinder!

http://www.hpiracing.com/kitinfo/10553/

Doesn't look like a Castle motor, but still...very surprising. Seems like a good move though...:yes:

Hmm, hard to see anything much from the photos, but it looks like a cheap rustler knock-off with a black sidewinder type esc; photos arent too big/clear though...

Sorry, I just realised that link doesn't have great images. Here:

http://www.rckingdom.co.uk/smf/index.php?page=179

The Firestorm series trucks are very decent machines, not Rusty-knockoffs.:wink: It even says "Castle Link(tm) compatible for the ultimate in race tuning." I kinda wish they'd kept the Castle branding though, instead of making it their own.:neutral:

Ah yes, definately a sidewinder... in black. I think its hard to make a rwd drive buggy which doesnt look like a rusty to most people, lol. I wonder what the price will be- if its cheaper than the VXL rusty, it is sure to be a winner.

I think you can read castle on the wire :)

Well I'll be jiggered, I can too.... strange world we live in.

looks like a castle motor to me, especially turning 5700kv, good for castle! that'll stomp the vxl's!

does look like a rusty.

but like you said...

how can it not?

that's great news! castle is in it BIG. my guess is that this was their reason for bringing the sidewinder to the market in the first place.

just keep in mind that the VXL uses a larger rotor. (diameter)

Do you think that the motor is a novak knock off, or the castle 5700 with a different endbell and solder tabs? If it is a castle motor it is not much different from the vxl in dimension or internals, just higher kv.

different end bell is because I bet it is rebuildable and it has HPI marked in the end.

This two things is what make it ROAR compliant? Smart move by HPI and castle... competition for Novak!

On the ESC specs:

Castle Link(tm) compatible for the ultimate in race tuning.

@llinc; the rotors of the VXL and the castle motors differ quite a bit; The VXL has a larger rotor.

Spoke to castle re pizza and this subject came up - This is NOT their motor apparently...

VXL motor is made by feigao... so more like an s can would be my guess

I'm impressed. This is the first time I've ever seen detailed current specs on an ESC:

So, the sidewinder is rated 70A continuous, but 380A in 2 second bursts as long as there is a 200 second delay (3.33 minute) until the next burst.