CAT SX - First photos

[DCM]

I don't understand the need for so much secrecy though.... one people know the car is coming out, at least give em something to wow/moan about!

[HVAC25000]

Originally Posted by Adam Bailey

There we are taking "pre-orders" in the US for a car without a release date, or even a remote clue on pricing, and to top that off, we haven't even seen pictures of the inside of the car, and that car will have zero track time in the US before its release.

Then tell them release pictures of the inside of the car. Explain to them they're going about it all wrong. Adam, this forum makes it clear they should have been releasing information immediately, and so does R/C Tech. It's akin to customer service. Make the customer happy. The customers WANT to see the car even if it's a prototype. Don't keep the customer in the dark, don't make the customer feel like they aren't worthy, don't make the customer feel like the car doesn't even exist, don't make the customer go buy another car because they don't know anything about the CAT... There isn't a single person in the world outside of Schumacher that believes it's a good idea to keep the car a secret, and the threads on here prove it, as well as the one on R/C Tech. EVERYONE wants info and pictures, they don't care if the car is ugly...

I have no clue what kind of marketing knowledge Schumacher has, but it goes against everything the rest of the world knows... Even giant car companies, real car companies, dealing with billions of dollars in cars and probably an equal amount in marketing research, release pictures of their prototypes. Concept cars. It builds up hype for the actual car. It works, otherwise they wouldn't do it. It's a simple concept and the threads on these forums have proven it over and over. The Aero is the best example... They were letting that thing be seen by the public months ago and everyone wanted one then, no one said "Eww it's aluminum and dirty, I don't want one." Everyone said "Oooh, great design, it's already winning races and it's not even finished yet! I want one!" I still want one, just based on the fact that the aluminum clunky prototype was winning races ages ago. I just can't afford one.

The biggest mistake Schumacher's ever made was not having the proto on an American dirt track right away. I'm a huge Schumacher fan, but right now, I think the car will be useless on an American track and I'm tempted to get a Serpent instead because I believe it will hold up better on a rough track... NOTHING has been done to prove the car will be able to handle the dirt tracks I run on.

When the CAT and the S500 are released, and the S500 has already been winning races and proven to be a good car, and the CAT is still untested, people will buy an S500. Even worse scenario, when the S500 is released, and Schumacher hasn't even released pictures of the inside of the CAT, people will give up and get an S500 because they still won't even know what's inside the CAT. Of course there are those that are absolutely loyal to Schumacher and will buy one without ever having seen it, but there will be a LOT more people who are on the fence, who have no loyalties to Schumacher or any other car company, and will just go with whichever car seems the best, whichever car they know the most about. People need to know about the CAT NOW.

Frankly it makes my head hurt to think that Schumacher doesn't understand these concepts........

Now, don't get me wrong,I'm in no way bashing Schumacher, I love my Mi-3, I love how helpful everyone at Schumacher USA is, and how helpful all your team drivers are. I'm saying all this because, frankly, I'm worried that this car is going to bomb in sales and lose a lot of money because of the poor decisions Schumacher is making in building up hype for the car, building a reputation for the car, and teaching people about the car...

[spenner]

Not defending Schumacher or anything but why compare it to the S500 ???

Which hasn't won anything yet..... if you look at the last meeting Jorn Neumann won he was running the Durango!!

If there wasn't such things as www. would we all be going on about these pictures ??? just a thought...

[Adam Bailey]

Agreed, I begged and pleaded to get the proto over here and its doubtful that it will see US soil before the release.

Robin is supposed to bring it over here in April, but he said its doubtful.

Originally Posted by HVAC25000

The biggest mistake Schumacher's ever made was not having the proto on an American dirt track right away. I'm a huge Schumacher fan, but right now, I think the car will be useless on an American track and I'm tempted to get a Serpent instead because I believe it will hold up better on a rough track... NOTHING has been done to prove the car will be able to handle the dirt tracks I run on.

As for marketing backgrounds, I cant speak for the UK, but Shawn's and mine is pretty extensive. But you have to remember this industry has a very short attention span and does not hold on to long to anything. It does not work like the consumer vehicle market that HAS to release pics and prototypes years in advance. If we release pics of a car we better have a car within 30-45 days or there is a backlash from the public that the company cannot deliver, and its delay after delay and all of a sudden by day 50, I've lost half of my back orders and nobody likes Schumacher at all. I've seen this with other companies products many times.

As for more pics, I cant say what the UK will do, but Releasing more pics of a car that has no release date seems a bit absurd to me, there's to many parts of the car, that are already changing, and could change in the future.

[Cruise]

There is no reason why this car won`t work on US style tracks.
If you look close you will find that the suspension just follows common sense.

And the drivetrain will do the rest espacially in the air.

Cruise

[Adam Bailey]

I'm really thinking the same thing, but we'll see once it hits the blue groove in April **I hope**

Originally Posted by Cruise

There is no reason why this car won`t work on US style tracks.
If you look close you will find that the suspension just follows common sense.

And the drivetrain will do the rest espacially in the air.

Cruise

[MattW]

The Serpant comparrison is inevitable i guess, due to the launch's being fairly close. However, as Spenner says it is actually funny - because so far as far as we can all see, their drivers are essentially running Durango chassis rather than S500. Clearly no-one knows why this is, but my guess is that S500 is further away from being ready that some people would like/hope.

As and when you time your releasing of info, it is very very difficult to get it right - and the bottom line is you will never please everyone. If you anounce it too early, you lose interest. If you leave it too late people make other plans. If you release pictures too early, there is a chance someone could copy your ideas before you actually get things to launch - depending on how far away you are. What do you do for the best? no idea, which is why i'm in engineering rather than marketing

[DCM]

but now they have released body shots, why not go the whole hog, appease the drooling throng and release the XXX porno pics of it naked on the bench. I don't think, now, it would do them no harm at all.

Just seems that Schumacher and their American distributors are not singing from the same sheet..... pull it together chaps.

[Adam Bailey]

It does seem like that because that is the case, were working to change that.

I think now that the body shots are out they might as well release the full pics.

Originally Posted by DCM

but now they have released body shots, why not go the whole hog, appease the drooling throng and release the XXX porno pics of it naked on the bench. I don't think, now, it would do them no harm at all.

Just seems that Schumacher and their American distributors are not singing from the same sheet..... pull it together chaps.

[minichamps11]

[quote]

Originally Posted by HVAC25000

don't make the customer go buy another car because they don't know anything about the CAT... There isn't a single person in the world outside of Schumacher that believes it's a good idea to keep the car a secret, and the threads on here prove it, as well as the one on R/C Tech. EVERYONE wants info and pictures, they don't care if the car is ugly...

.. Even giant car companies, real car companies, dealing with billions of dollars in cars and probably an equal amount in marketing research, release pictures of their prototypes. Concept cars. It builds up hype for the actual car. It works, otherwise they wouldn't do it.

When I read this post I got an image in my head of a child jumping up and down in frustration because they can't open their Christmas presents early on Xmas eve.....

First point - of course everyone wants to see prototype pictures of a car that's not out yet. Just because those people may be potential customers doesn't mean it's right for Schumacher to give in! For instance, if the spec/materials & design are still changing, it's not a good idea to release photos showing, say an alloy chassis, and then when it's released the customer sees it's been changed to nasty looking plastic and feels short-changed or conned somehow.

Secondly, full size car manufacturers are very careful how/when and what they let you see. Many so called "spy-shots" of full size cars are actually released on purpose by manufacturers to keep up interest in future product, for instance if VW have a new Golf/Rabbit out in 2 months and Ford was face lifting the Focus in 8 months time, they might leak a spy shot to keep up customer interest in their car. Even then, they are very careful to keep the interior & specification under wraps to keep people wanting more - exactly as Schumacher are doing. Delivering everything in one go leaves no surprises, and as already said, consumers have a short attention span. I'm sorry, but your post does make you sound a little impatient - I won't be buying any new car just because I've seen (or haven't seen) photos of the inside layout. I'll wait until I've seen team drivers or fellow racers use them, and then make a decision based on cost, spares availability and race performance.

I'm sure the SX will be worth the wait.

[Nick Goodall]

The car grows on me more and more, i think it'll be worth waiting to see some under body pics - i hear they will be out soon.......

I think people should just be grateful that after a good few years Schumacher have come back into Off Road with a new design that a LOT of people have been demanding for years now - the Cat 3000 was still really an Evolution of the Cat 2000 as most of the suspension components and other bits and pieces were from the older cars but at least this one looks completely fresh!

I hope it works for them, at least people are certainly excited by it and talking about it :-)

[markwilliamson2001]

You gonna be up for a drive then with them again Nick?? Car looks good, apart from the shell design...IMO.

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by Adam Bailey

I'm really thinking the same thing, but we'll see once it hits the blue groove in April **I hope**

So you guys will be coming out for some Florida offroad racing? The Regionals are in April at the Coral Springs track.

[Adam Bailey]

I'll be here and RC Tech as I have more info to give out, especially US track testing if we get the prototype.

The tires are a question that continues to come up, and if the kits come with tires which is a decision that has not been made yet, the US kits will more than likely have mini pins of some capacity.

The body is also something that continually comes up, I'm sure there will be more bodies that fit than just the stock one? I doubt they'll change the design, but we'll see what happens

[Adam Bailey]

Provided Robin brings the car with him, yes

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

So you guys will be coming out and doing some Florida racing? The Regionals are in April at the Coral Springs track.

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by Adam Bailey

Provided Robin brings the car with him, yes

Sweet! About time Florida got a chance to see a new car, instead of all the Cali guys.

[jimmy]

There ya go Andy, tell Jason to 'nip round' and get some measurements for a SX 'illuzion' shell

I feel like a matchmaker.

[Adam Bailey]

That doesn't mean I'm gonna let you see it

Heck man, i don't even know if Robin is gonna bring it with him??

Now if there is an Illuzions body in the works we can talk!!

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by jimmy

There ya go Andy, tell Jason to 'nip round' and get some measurements for a SX 'illuzion' shell

I feel like a matchmaker.

You never know. PW did work at Schumacher for a bit.

Originally Posted by Adam Bailey

That doesn't mean I'm gonna let you see it

Heck man, i don't even know if Robin is gonna bring it with him??

Now if there is an Illuzions body in the works we can talk!!

Thats true, but you can always bring it out, swear us to silence and not allow photos, haha.

[Adam Bailey]

hmm, maybe we can work something out lol