Ultimate Customized Cars Leave Fans in Dust at Madison Square Garden
XMODS(TM) Custom RC Cars Bring Competitive RC Racing to the Masses
- Now Available at RadioShack -
NEW YORK, Oct. 17 -- Gridlock around Madison Square Garden was not limited to 7th and 8th Avenues last night as hundreds including Vivica Fox, DMX, Mos Def, Tiki Barber and "For Love or Money" hot couple Erin Brodie and Chad Viggiano, took their driving skills inside the halls of the world's most famous indoor arena to kick off performance driven imports from RadioShack, XMODS(TM) Custom RC.
Building on America's obsession with automobiles and customization, car enthusiasts can now "roll hard" with XMODS(TM) Custom RC cars, the newest RC car line from the experts in RC racing and competition, RadioShack. XMODS were officially unveiled in an evening that featured $10,000 in cash and prizes for the racing showoff between fiercely competitive RC consumers. A native of Minneapolis and current resident of Hoboken, New Jeremy Justin Kimball, won the championship race.
"People will really get into XMODS because they offer a lot of versatility," said newest XMODS expert, Justin Kimball, "With XMODS, you can be creative and make your own little personalized street car."
The XMODS Street Showoff also featured a NOPI sanctioned car show where Best of Show awards went to Chris Delrio, John Kargili, James Howard, Anthony Debellionia and Tauhid Choudhury. Following these awards, Ruff Ryders recording artist JIN entertained the RC enthusiasts and tuner kids with his lyrical stylings.
Dubbed XMODS(TM) because of the unlimited possibilities for modifications, XMODS(TM) Custom RC Starter Kits rival hobby shop RCs both in performance and price; they feature modifiable body types from Nissan, Acura, Honda, and Toyota. Working in partnership with Super Street Magazine, the largest circulated import/compact car publication, RadioShack was able to attract branded sponsors like Sparco, Eibach, and Bomex to help create hot accessories for ultimate realism and excitement. A fully tricked-out XMODS RC is sure to kick some serious asphalt! With an MSRP of $49.99, these cars are available at half of what other same-class RC cars are selling at today. This new line- up will be available exclusively at RadioShack stores throughout the U.S. starting in October.
Inspired by both the competitive RC racing scene in Hong Kong and the cars made popular by the "tuner market", XMODS are sized exactly 1:28 scale from their real life counterparts. Reaching real speeds of up to 15 mph with a stock kit and 20 mph when using upgrades, XMODS are built to be raced, not just displayed.
Once armed with a Starter Kit, enthusiasts will have the opportunity to customize the look and performance of their XMODS just like real tuners. Everything from custom graphics to upgrade motors is available. Poised to bring the intense competition and tight-knit RC car communities to cities across America, racing enthusiasts can compete with up to 12 cars at once on 12 different frequency bands.
"After talking to consumers, we learned that price and authenticity were the two most important features they were looking for in RC cars," said Don Carroll, senior vice president, marketing at RadioShack. "You won't find another RC car at this price with this level of customization available anywhere else. We enlisted Super Street Magazine, a leading car performance publication, to ensure that XMODS delivered on the realism that these consumers demand."
The result of RadioShack and Super Street's partnership is the unparalleled authenticity that appeals to both tuners and RC enthusiasts' need for speed, fresh looks and fierce competition. Not only was the magazine an integral part of the design process, but Super Street Magazine also signed up an all-star list of after-market parts and accessories companies to bring authentic tuning to the XMODS experience.
Hot Models, Hotter Features
The 2003 line of XMODS will feature six Starter Kits, with licenses from the hottest tuner cars on the market today, including the 2001 Nissan Skyline GT-R, the 2003 Acura RSX, the 2000 Honda Civic Coupe (black and blue) and the 1997 Toyota Supra (white and red). Each Starter Kit comes with a factory body top, drag motor, stock tires, wheels, chassis and a collapsible controller that can be customized for left or right-hand use. Also included with every XMODS Starter Kit purchase is the Super Street(TM) Guide to XMODS(TM) Custom RC Cars, a mini-mag that provides information on the featured tuner cars and tips for upgrading XMODS with aftermarket parts.
"The XMODS series of RC cars are what our scene is all about: customization," said Sean Holzman of PRIMEDIA and Super Street Magazine. "For tuners like us, putting together these rides was no different than tuning our own, except you don't have to drop $15,000 under the hood to have a totally tricked-out machine."
The brands that are synonymous with all that is hip and cool in the tuner world are on board with XMODS including: slick body add-ons from bumpers to side panels from Bomex and Versus, high-performance rollers from Ace, Enkei and Tenzo, a suspension kit that will smooth your ride by Eibach Springs and a steering wheel from Sparco, the only choice when it comes to style. XMODS can also be upgraded with all wheel drive for rugged terrain driving, and four different motor upgrades to match your mood, whether it be drifting, dragging, road racing or top-speed competition. RC racers will even be able to race in the dark with the Command Logic(TM) Lights upgrade. With all of these enhancements and the XMODS Tool Set, enthusiasts will be able to turn their bedrooms, driveway or home garage into their own tuner garages.
Performance ready and power hungry, XMODS(TM) Custom RCs feature true to specification modular bodies, two wheel drive (upgradeable to all wheel drive), precision detailed add-ons, including side panels and front and rear bumpers and authentic performance accessories from the hottest names in tuning. The digital proportional steering system comes complete with a hobby grade controller that is highly tunable with speed and steering trim tabs and an upgradeable control wheel.
XMODS are now available at all RadioShack stores nationwide and online at www.xmodsRC.com, where consumers can also view the schematics for each Starter Kit and upgrade accessories, chat with other XMODS fanatics and register for the XMODS racing competition series starting Spring 2004.
About RadioShack
XMODS(TM) Custom RC is an exclusive brand of Fort Worth-based RadioShack Corporation , the nation's most trusted consumer electronics specialty retailer of wireless communications, electric parts, batteries and accessories, as well as other digital technology products and services. With more than 7,200 stores nationwide, it is estimated that 94 percent of all Americans live or work within five minutes of a RadioShack store or dealer. The company's knowledgeable sales associates and brand position, "You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers," support RadioShack's mission to demystify technology in every neighborhood in America. For more information on RadioShack products and services, visit our e-commerce Web site at www.radioshack.com.
For further information please contact: Julie Jaqua or Brooke Hovey, both of GCI Group, +1-323-930-0811, for RadioShack Corporation; or Charles Hodges of RadioShack Corporation, +1-817-415-8530.
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