Losi (also known as Team Losi Racing or TLR) is an american radio-controlled vehicles manufacturer founded in 1980 by Gil Losi Sr and originally based in South California. Since 2000, Losi is owned by Horizon Hobby and based in Ontario, California.
The brand exists as Losi and is dedicated to hobby RC enthusiasts and as TLR (Team Losi Racing) which caters to the needs of professional racers by producing high-end, high-performance RC cars. As TLR, Losi has won several major championships, including the 1997, 1999, 2002, and 2003 IFMAR 1:10 Electric Off-Road World Championship.
Overall, the Losi brand is known for producing high-quality, innovative designs.
History[edit | edit source]
Prior to launching a radio-controled vehicles manufacturing company, Gil Losi Sr bought a local shop and RC racing track known as the Ranch Pit Shop. The Pit Shop later started to import and distribute RC kits from Yokomo, Kyosho, and Cox. The company ventured into manufacturing by creating conversion kits for Team Associated 1/8th scale on-road cars.
Gil Losi Sr founded Team Losi in 1980 manufacturing pinions and spur gears, selling them through the Pit Shop. The company also manufactured nerf bars for Tamiya kits and later hop-up parts for Yokomo and Team Associated kits.
Losi got into designing RC cars when Team Associated approached Gil Losi Sr and his son Gil Losi Jr to design hop ups for an off-road vehicle. The Losi team negociated distribution rights at discounted price and worked on designing parts for the now famous Team Associated RC10. After Team Associated walked back on the distribution deal, Losi Sr and Jr started the development of their first RC car: the Jrx2. At the same time, Gil Losi Sr sold the Ranch Pit Shop.
In order to finance the development of the Jrx2, Gil Sr took a loan on his house and found outside investors. The first Jrx2 prototype parts were hand designed and handmade with a Dremel tool. Because of the small number of units and parts to be produced, Losi partnered with a small local machine shop and Gil Losi Sr got trained in production machining starting his career in RC car parts production.
All metal parts on the first kits of Jrx2 were custom made. The chrome ball used on the ends of the shocks was one of the only parts taken from an outside supplier. The Jrx2 had a unique 5 link rear suspension similar to the Team Associated RC10 Gil Jr had driven a few years earlier. The rear sliders for the 5 link were inspired by Schumacher's designs.
The launch of the Jrx2 in 1988 proved to be hectic and Gil Losi Sr had to call upon Hobico for help, selling Hobico 1,000 kits to be paid in advance. Although Losi missed the agreed upon launch date, the Jrx2 became so succesful Hobico stood by the Losi company.
In 1989, Losi released the JrxT. Based on the Jrx2, it had a longer wheelbase but kept the unique 5 link rear suspension. Several companies manufactured and offered kits to convert the Jrx2 into a truck which prompted Losi to design and release their own version of the conversion kit thus killing the market for 3rd party Jrx2 truck conversions.
Team Losi's success over the years has been synonymous with innovation. In partnership with Cell Strand, Losi developed a new long fiber injection molding process first used in the H-arms of the Jrx-PRO. This process was also used on the Junior chassis and was so efficient it soon became popular and used by several other RC cars manufacturers.
The first 4WD buggy prototype from Losi was a 2 belt design for the XX4 in 1997 which was inspired by the Tamiya Avante.
In 2000, Losi was sold to Horizon Hobby and in 2002, it relocated its headquarters to Ontario, California. Gil Losi Jr later left Team Losi to join Kyosho.
Notable RC models[edit | edit source]
When it comes to Team Losi's product line, it is split into 2 periods following the company's own history. Models which were released under Gil Losi Sr and cars that were released after the acquisition of the company in 2000 and developed under Horizon Hobby.
Notable Team Losi RC cars under Gil Losi Sr:
- Jrx-2
- Jrx-T
- Jrx-Pro SE
- XX-4
- NXT
Notable Team Losi RC cars under Horizon Hobby:
- 8ight
- DBXL-E
- 3XL-E
- 5ive
RC products[edit | edit source]
Team Losi's RC car production spans over 40 years starting with the Jrx2 electric buggy.
List of all Losi RC vehicles on RCpedia[edit | edit source]
List of on-road engine cars[edit | edit source]
1/5th scale[edit | edit source]
- 5ive Mini WRC
- Monster Truck XL
1/6th scale[edit | edit source]
- Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3
List of off-road engine cars[edit | edit source]
1/5th scale[edit | edit source]
- 5ive-T
- 5ive-B
- Desert Buggy XL
1/8th scale[edit | edit source]
- 8ight-T
- 8ight-T 2.0
- 8ight-T 3.0
- 8ight-T 4.0
- 8ight-XT
- Aftershock
- LE Aftershock
- LST Super Truck
- LST2
- LST XXL
- Mega Baja
- Muggy
- Raminator
- 810
- 8ight
- 8ight 2.0
- 8ight 3.0
- 8ight 4.0
- 8ight-X
1/10th scale[edit | edit source]
- GTX
- NXT
- Speed-NT
- Ten-SCT
- Ten-T
- XXX NT
List of on-road electric cars[edit | edit source]
1/6th scale[edit | edit source]
- Audi R8 LMS Ultra FIA-GT3
1/10th scale[edit | edit source]
- 1969 Chevy Camaro V100
- 22S - 69 Camaro Drag Car
- Drift-R
- JRX-S
- Rally Weapon
- Street Weapon
- Ten Rally-X
- XXX-S
1/14th scale[edit | edit source]
- Mini Rally Car
1/18th scale[edit | edit source]
- Mini Late-Model
1/24th scale[edit | edit source]
- Micro Rally X
List of off-road electric cars[edit | edit source]
1/6th scale[edit | edit source]
- Super Baja Rey
1/8th scale[edit | edit source]
- 8ight-E
- 8ight-E 2.0
- 8ight-E 3.0
- 8ight-E 4.0
- 8ight-XE
- 8ight-T E 3.0 Truggy
- 8ight-XT/XTE
- LST XXL2-E
- LST 3XL-E
1/10th scale[edit | edit source]
- 22SCT - Kit - TLR0024
- 22SCT 2.0
- 22SCT 3.0
- 22T
- 22T 2.0
- 22T 3.0 MM
- 22T 4.0
- 22S SCT
- 22S ST
- Baja Rey
- Desert Truck
- High Roller
- JRX-T
- XXX SCT
- Rock Rey
- Speed-T
- Strike
- Strike SCT
- Tenacity-SCT
- Tenacity-TT Pro
- Tenacity-T
- Ten SCTE
- Ten SCTE 2.0
- Ten SCTE 3.0
- Ten SCTE
- XX-T
- XXX-T
1/14th scale[edit | edit source]
- Mini 8ight-T
- Mini Desert Truck
1/16th scale[edit | edit source]
- Mini SCT
1/18th scale[edit | edit source]
- Mini Baja
- Mini Desert Truck
- Mini High-Roller
- Mini-T
- Mini-T Pro
- Mini-T 2.0
1/24th scale[edit | edit source]
- Micro SCT
- Micro SCTE
1/32th scale[edit | edit source]
- Micro-T Stadium Truck
- Micro Desert Truck
References[edit | edit source]
External links and sources[edit | edit source]
Let's Talk Losi[edit source]
Express your views or ask questions about Losi: