Kyosho Ultima II

[Dangeruss]

In 1989 Kyosho created a new spot in their 1/10 2wd off-road buggy lineup, and promptly filled it with the Ultima II. Rather than being an improvement over the previous Ultima Pro XL the Ultima II was, instead, an entry level version of the top-of-the-line race model. Substituting key components to make the new buggy more affordable, yet upgradeable, began with the Pro's double deck fiberglass plate chassis, which was replaced with a Kelron chassis injection molded from the same nylon used for all the remaining plastic parts on the Ultima II (and Pro XL) like the front and rear bulkheads that retained the four wheel independent lower a-arm adjustable camber link suspension system carried over from the Pro XL minus a set of turnbuckles and a pair of sway bars. Aluminum shock towers could still be found front and rear, though with reduced mounting hole options and they supported Kyosho's latest aluminum capped, plastic bodied, oil-filled coilover shocks rather than the Gold shocks found on the XL. A revised upper deck plate sandwiched the twin bellcrank steering system with built-in servo saver (minus spring) and adjustable tie rods that led out to the Pro XL's hubs and knuckles, adjustable for height and Akerman. Moving rearward the Kelron chassis accommodated both transverse stick and saddle style battery mounting while the back of the chassis would be home to the Pro XL's 48-pitch transmission with aluminum motor plate and rear guard, fit however, with a bevel gear differential. Though steel dogbones remained. Outward resemblance to the PRO XL was striking as both models used the same two-piece front and single piece rear "Aero Disk" style wheels, with finer tread 185/70/20 M Bridgestone front tires on the Ultima II but the same 340/30/20 M Bridgestone knobbies in the rear, as well as the same clear lexan body, wing, and mini front bumper. While the unassembled Ultima II would come with bushings instead of bearings the kit would be sold with a heavy duty rotary mechanical speed controller and LeMans Stock 05 motor, less radio.

Also mentioned in the ad below was the Turbo Ultima II, an upgraded version released in 1990 that featured ball bearings, Kyosho's Gold shocks, a ball diff, fiberglass shock towers and a MEGA Outlaw Stock Motor: