TEAM EXTREME "OUT OF USE"

[Dyna]

Sit down, make a cup of tea, this ones going to be a long one.

Plenty of ways getting round most design rights if required. I work with clients all the time doing that on various products. But even if it were protected to the hilt - which it isnt, probably due to the cost for them - there are ways round most things.

That isnt the problem though. The problem is if you want to keep the original Predator brand as a viable entity. But the only thing that is worth money at all right now is the stock, and it would take a long while to see any return on your investment. As a viable trading entity with a viable product, it is in my opionion, currently pretty much worthless.

By my count, at least four of us on o0ple - including myself - tried to buy the company and/or stock. We all failed.

I've looked into the company and the company holdings, the accounts, the other companies, properties, spoken to a lot of people for info, added it all up and ive a pretty good idea of what happened and whats going on now, how much i thought the trading name and stock was worth - but i dont think thats right to post all that up here. Once i found how much was spent on TTech & subsideries when brought for in the mid 2000's, i thought they were out of their depth right from the word go as far as profitability was concerned.

Im sure the other interested buyers like Dudders have done the same as I have. We have done our research, otherwise we wouldve been stupid in even thinking of offering them any money at all. Suffice to say I think the only way the Predator as a profitable named brand will ever see the light of day again is if someone with shed loads of disposable cash and decent business sense can buy it for what its genuinly worth. Which isnt much. Even then I dont think it would ever make any profit in future trading as it is currently without substantial re-investment in time and money.

The Pred is still competitive on certain tracks, but it really needs a good evolution or two to move it up to present day overall 4wd standards. Ive spent hours and hours and hours going over the design, what could be done for what cost, knowing what Team Xtreme were going to do to the Pred on its next evolution before they canned it etc etc. Ive a folder full of possible design changes, drawings, materials & production costings, timescales, new prototype parts, everything ive done over the last year or so. Just in case.

But once i realised i wouldnt get hold of the brand or the genuine spares, i gave up on that idea and decided to do what i could for myself in a limited manner.

Ive tracked down other parts and materials and found alternatives, i can CAD up lots of the metal parts ready if i need to get someting CNC'd like driveshafts or diff halves once my spares cache is depleted. I've all five of the original Pred bodyshell designs in master form if i need to pull anymore. Numerous other parts or materials ive got sorted if and when required.

As far as replacement graphite/plastic parts, ive been re-tooling those for a while now for myself in my own time and expense, even incorperating some much needed mods on most parts.

If the customer base was there i could offer replacement alternatives for almost every single plastic/graphite part for the X11/X10, and a good few for the older models. And then i might re-invest in the metal parts and offer those as well. But how many people, bar myself ( and i run only part-time these days ), still run Preds competitively ? A dozen maybe world-wide ? If that ? Exactly. Thats the problem. You need at least dozens, not a dozen, drivers running their cars regulary to make a limited spares production run viable.

So for me, or anyone else for that matter, to sell any new parts for any profitability - or even just to help people out by suppling parts and just break even on costs - its just not worth it. The market for competitive Pred runners & spares just isnt there now.

Ron Burgandy got it right ages ago. The Predator brand as a profitable entity is currently lying dead in the morgue, autopsy over and pending burial. No more new Predators or genuine spares anymore. Unless a bonafide resurrection miracle ocurrs, thats it.

The Predator's spirit as a competitive car however, is still clinging to life. But only just.