Thunder Shot Mk. II Momoi-Halko Special & future Tamiya releases

Update July 5th: further new items added (highlighted in yellow)
Momoi Halko's song Thunder Shot has been out for a while, and recently Tamiya announced the Mini 4WD model Thunder Shot Mk. II Momoi-Halko Special (item number 92190).

Momoi Halko (real name: Haruko Momoi) is an immensely popular singer, idol and dub voice actress in Japan and her song "Thunder Shot" is cut number 11 on her album "Sunday Early Morning", and the video can be seen here:

The model itself is identical to item number 18620 Thunder Shot Mk. II, based on the modular Mini 4WD PRO chassis, except that the parts are molded in completely different colours and the Sakura-themed (cherry blossom) sticker sheet. The sakura season is extensively celebrated in Japan, and is one of Japan's most important symbols, and also the official plant of Tokyo. It's associated with aesthetics and volatileness, but is also a symbol of frail female beauty, and combined with the light pink colour scheme, a very appropriate theme for the sticker sheet of the Momoi-Halko Special. Momoi Halko is a lifelong anime-fan, and often refered to as the "Queen of Akihabara" because she used to spend a lot of time with other anime-, manga- und game-otakuses (fanatic enthusiasts) in the Akihabara district. This further justifys the connection between her and Tamiya manga-inspired Mini 4WD models like the Thunder Shot. In other words, the Momoi-Halko Special has a lot more substance than just a marketing gag.

As a sidenote, the Momoi-Halko Special with its feminine style, is an appropriate counterpart to another Thunder Shot Mk. II limited model released earlier this year, the quite masculine "Black Special":

Further new items that haven't been widely announced yet:

49497 4x4 Racing Truck TRF801XT:


94660 Thunder Shot Mk.II Pink Special (no picture) (very similar to the Momoi-Halko Special, but with white fibre reinforced chassis and slightly different decals)
94661 PRO MS Chassis Evo. I (no picture) (for Mini 4WD PRO)

71121 2-Legged Walking Robot w/Wind-Up Generator:

71122 4-Legged Walking Robot w/Wind-Up Generator:

71123 Sumo Wrestler Robot w/Wind-Up Generator:

89773 1/48 F-117A Nighthawk and U.S. Modern 4x4 Utility Vehicle :

21201 1/12 Repsol RC211V '06 Parts Panel :

21202 1/12 Konica Minolta RC211V '06 Parts Panel (no picture)
21203 1/12 Honda RC211V '06 Parts Panel (no picture)
21204 1/12 LCR Honda RC211V '06 Parts Panel (no picture)
12626 1/24 Porsche 962C Photo Etched Parts Set (no picture)
89774 1/35 IJA Type 95 Light Tank & Infantry Set (no picture)
89775 1/35 IJA Type I SPG & Crew Set (no picture)
89776 1/350 IJN Submarine I-400 (Special Edition) (no picture)
94666 Dash 1 Emperor Special Kit (no picture)
94667 Dash 01 Super Emperor Special Kit (no picture)

70179 Mini Submarine Motor with Float (no picture)

89913 Submarine Motor (Clear Blue) (no picture)

Tamiya Exhibition at Hamamatsu City Museum of Art

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50, a magic number at Tamiya these days

It has been known among insiders and modellers in Japan since the Shizuoka fair a couple of weeks ago, but most Tamiya enthusiasts outside Japan probably still don't know; So despite not being really breaking news anymore, we would like to forward the news that Mr. Shunsaku Tamiya has handed over the presidency of the Tamiya company to Mr. Masayuki Tamiya, his 50 year old son-in-law, after working 50 years for the company himself.

Mr. Shunsaku Tamiya remains Chairman of the Board, and has announced that he will still have an active role in the daily business of the company. Mr. Masayuki Tamiya has worked for the Tamiya company since 1990, since 2004 as Senior Executive Director, and surely has the experience and skills needed. Also, like Mr. Shunsaku Tamiya, he's a very enthusiastic modeller, and this should ensure that the choice of subjects and the quality remain as good as ever.

At Tamiyablog, we would like express our deepfelt gratitude to Mr. Shunsaku Tamiya for all the fantastic products he and his staff have created during his half a century in the business, and wish him a long and happy life as a "retiree". Likewise, our gratulations and best wishes go to Mr. Masayuki Tamiya for his new position in the Tamiya company and for the continued success and flood of fantastic new products.

Tamiyablog's Tamtech Buggies.

As the title implies, this is an entry about Tamiyablog's own Tamtech buggies, or at least some of them. We have had a few inquiries for entries about the Tamiyablog contributors' own models, and after entries like the Old-School Landcruiser, Countach LP500R and Budget Blazer, it was about time to give the Tamtechs a little attention. After racing the 1/24 Tamtechs back in the late eighties, I got tired of running small scale models, and after trying the Mini-Z and Tamtech buggies during the recent years, I have pretty much concluded that the fun of running RC-models starts at 1/12 scale for me personally.

I love the Tamtech buggies for their looks though, but as they principally aren't run, I have limited the modifications to those which have an impact on the look of the models only. Accordingly, there isn't anything special about any of my Tamtech buggies, but just for the records, this is what make them differ from box stock:

The Frog has all suitable/available original Tamiya hop-up parts except the carbon fibre shock towers, which I think look just plain silly on it.

The Buggy Champ has most available hop-up parts too, including the blue motor heat sink, de-anodized to bare aluminum to slightly resemble the look of the SRB resistor cage. Both Buggy Champ bodies have selfmade decals to mimic the orange/white and blue/white boxart schemes of the original Rough Rider. Also, for a vintage look, the wheel mounting screws have been turned "inside-out" to show the nuts instead of the hex heads.

The Fox and the Hotshot are box stock, except for the Hotshot's gold wheels and the Fox's hop-up bumper and nerf bars.

Furthermore, all models have colour coded antenna pipes and the original grey parts partially exchanged with black parts from the GT-01 chassis, again to look closer to their 1/10 scale big brothers. The antenna pipes are a little disturbing in the pictures, but I kept them mounted to stress the caricature look of the models. And yes, the Paris-Dakar Tamtech Porsche "953" in the background will be presented in a future entry, so keep visiting Tamiyablog!

1962 Tamiya US Army T92 Destroyer (remote controlled, one of the first plastic Tamiya tank kits)

Tamiya's first plastic model tank to be released at the end of'61 is 1/35 Panther tanks, but the price of 400 yen is not the time for children is not a cheap price. So grab Tamiya is a text box. '62, - Only 100 yen motorized War Tank - to start in the Series.

The series is only one year out of six different kits (No.5 and 6 accompanying article is coming and going. Crusader is not the No.5), and complete. In addition type remote control will also be released as a deluxe edition. Series remote control baby named series shine kit No. This is a Destroyer.

Originally a small TKK13 motor vehicle in two pilot a remote control that is currently also look at impressive. Tamiya is at least for the next 35 years old today, this small remote control from the tank were released. Register metal gear one by one like we are just the current mini-founder of four-wheel drive. Cypress, Morimoto studio model to HP's place in it.

Initially it was released at 300 yen, but immediately the price was reduced to 250 yen. Remote control box was also the first lever is the middle of a push-button type change for the two exists. And the old logo still quietly stopped production this year.

World Series of the former tank is on the way, the new logo is changing all the new package. Price of 100 yen over the contents of the kit is almost unchanged, but the expression on one side of the gearbox, the motor bilateral system has been improved.

By the way, this World Tank Series was quietly stopped manufactured at December of '67, a whole new 1/50 began a series of pocket museum with kit No. 1, Destroyer of the T92.

The series is also unique for Tamiya. Japan is a plastic model tank motorized prevailed at that time was overseas, the display is precisely that of the mainstream, are designed for overseas markets, American companies throughout the world Hawk sale. Fans found out that domestic demand in Japan was also released. Kon Shin-kit full display, quite honestly military miniatures of the original series.

White is a novel package, and now I look at well worthy of admiration, but the whole kit, kit No. Release 2 crusader is not only the'70 edition of the catalog has already stopped production.

Similar size of the same name from the tanks, tank series and the World Series to be confused with the Museum of pocket than I think is a completely different thing in common parts is one. Caterpillar of a new mold.

Series pocket museum is 1/50, but had been released at the World Series is non-scale tank. But the scale of things. The T92 1/55 that, there is a pocket museum this series 1/50 from Takashi Megumi is one of the largest around.

World Series tank

World Series 2 version of the tank with the new Tamiya logo

Pocket Museum Series

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