Rest in peace Paul Newman

Since other sources give a better coverage about the life and work of the great actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian and auto racing enthusiast Paul Newman (in my humble opinion together with Steve Mc Queen the two most important film artists for the motorsport world) and being a Tamiya-Blog, we will just present few Tamiya RC kits of the cars he raced as a tiniest contribution to honour him.

In 1979 he participated at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Dick Barbour's Porsche 935 (Hawaiian Tropic scheme unlike the Tamiya Martini one) and finished the race in second place!

Tamiya 58002 Porsche 935 Turbo

From the mid-'70s to the early '90s, he drove for the Bob Sharp Racing Team, racing mainly Datsuns (later rebranded as Nissans) in the Trans-Am Series. One of the cars was the Datsun 280 ZX.

Tamiya 58022 Datsun 280ZX RM Mk.2

Paul Newman also owned his own racing team, which competed in the Can-Am series, but later co-founded Newman/Haas Racing with Carl Haas, a Champ Car team, in 1983. The 1996 racing season was chronicled in the IMAX film Super Speedway, which Newman narrated.

Tamiya 58134 Newman Haas K Mart Texaco Lola T93/00 Ford

We will definetely miss him...

Opening of 2nd Tamiya Plamodel Factory at Tokyo Shimbashi

Tamiya's Official Outlet
Experience, Play, and Enjoy at "Tamiya Plamodel Factory - Shimbashi"
Tokyo's Shimbashi District - September 17th Grand Opening!

World-renowned hobby product manufacturer Tamiya, Inc. (Headquarters: Shizuoka City, President: Masayuki Tamiya) is producing the new integrated official shop and event venue "Tamiya Plamodel Factory - Shimbashi" which is set to open on September 17th, 2008 in Tokyo's Minato ward. In addition to retail activities, the location will also serve as a focal point for information dissemination to spread the attractive appeal of Tamiya's hobby products.

This project is developed and operated by Tamiya Plamodel Factory, Inc. (President: Shunichi Sakamoto)

Following the opening of "Tamiya Plamodel Factory" at Tressa Yokohama on March 27th, 2008, this Shimbashi location will be the second to open.

Venue Information

Name
Tamiya Plamodel Factory - Shimbashi
The first location in Tokyo, this large-scale venue will showcase Tamiya's entire product lineup on three floors.

Shop Floors
Two Floors to Stock Approximately 4,000 Current Tamiya Products
The basement and ground levels will showcase approximately 1,000 Scale Model Series products, 1,500 Radio Control Series products, 1,000 Mini 4WD Series and Educational Construction Series products, 500 Tools, Paints, and Publications, as well as other special products and Original Goods.

Event Floor
Event Floor with 150 Square Meters of Multi-Purpose Space
Events such as official new item annoucements, model exhibitions, Mini 4WD and R/C races, workshops, seminars, and talk shows will be held in this function space. Model clubs will also be able to rent this space for private use. Those who work can stop by during their lunch break or after work, while friends and families can enjoy the venue on the weekends.

Grand Opening Event
To commemorate the opening of the Shimbashi location, a special event is to be held on the Event Floor of the building.
Details will be announced on the Tamiya Homepage at a later date.

Organization
Producer Tamiya, Inc.
Development/Operation Tamiya Plamodel Factory, Inc.

Location
6 Toyokaiji Building, 4-7-2 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004

Operating Hours
Weekdays 12：00 - 22：00
Saturdays/Holidays 10：00 - 20：00
Sundays Closed

Access
JR or Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Shimbashi Station - 5min walk from Karasumori exit
Toei Mita Line Uchisaiwaicho Station - 7min walk

Source: Tamiya, INC.

New releases at the All Japan Plamodel Radicon Show (Updated Sept. 28)

Recently, Tamiyablog presented information about some future RC-models from Tamiya. Since then, several sources have announced further new items, which we haven’t listed as the information was relatively easily available for anyone with a minimum of dedication. However, with Tamiya’s most recent announcement in Japanese for the All Japan Plamodel Radicon Show in October, we feel obliged to list a few future releases. Some of the items listed for the fair are deliberately not listed below as they have been known for some time before Tamiya's most recent announcement and partially presented by Tamiyablog in previous posts. Furthermore, some of the listed items may be limited edition items available only at the fair and/or on the Japanese market only. Descriptions will be updated and corrected, and pictures posted as soon as further information gets available to us.

Radio Control:

42138 1/10 TRF416 World Edition Chassis Kit
84056 1/10 F103 Chassis Kit 15th Anniversary

84032 1/10 F103RM (w/L-body) (Limited Edition)
58417 1/10 Subaru Impreza WRC Monte Carlo'07 (DF-03Ra Chassis)

58419 1/10 NISMO R34 GT-R Z tune (TT-01D Chassis)
58420 1/10 TB-03D Chassis Kit (drift version of the TB-03 Chassis)

58424 1/10 Takata NSX 2008 (TB-03)
57780 1/10 XB Lamborghini Countach LP500S (TT-01E) (XB version of # 58413)
xxxxx Aluminum Horn for High-Torque Servo Saver (M-Chassis)
42124 HP Motor Transpeed Brushless 3.5T
42125 HP Motor Transpeed Brushless 6.5T
42126 HP Motor Transpeed Brushless 7.5T
42127 HP Electronic Speed Controller Volac Brushless
xxxxx HL Cylinder TRF Special Dampers (2 Pcs.)
xxxxx HL Cylinder for Aeration Dampers (Front, 2 Pcs.)
xxxxx HL Cylinder for M Chassis Aluminum Dampers (2 Pcs.)
42135 HP Battery Charger
42136 Stable Power Supply 24A
xxxxx DB01 Assembly WO Universal Shaft (Rear)
xxxxx CR-01 Cliff Crawler Tires (2 Pcs.)
xxxxx Aluminum Horn for High-Torque Servo Saver

Static Models:

12040 1/12 Porsche 934 Turbo RSR Jägermeister with photo-etched parts (re-release of # 12020, probably Cartograf decals.)
24310 1/24 Sauber-Mercedes C9 1988 (re-release of # 24091)
24311 1/24 Martini Porsche 935 Turbo (re-release of # 24001)
16033 1/6 Honda CB1100R (re-release of # 16022, with Cartograf decals.)
35294 1/35 Italian Semovente M40 Self-Propelled Gun (re-release of # 35078)
35296 1/35 Italian Tank Carro Armato M13/40 (re-release of # 35034)
35295 1/35 German Heavy Tank Destroyer Jagdtiger (completely new molds)
35297 1/35 German 8-Wheeled Armored Car Sd.kfz.232 "Africa Corps" (probably modified re-release of # 35036)
21073 1/48 Fieseler Fi 156C Storch (Finished version of # 61100)
26535 1/48 Russian Field Car GAZ-67B (Finished version of # 32542)
12628 1/350 Japanese Navy Submarine I-400 Detail-Up Parts Set (for # 78019 & 89776)
61104 1/48 Folke-Wulf Fw190 F-8/9 w/Bomb Loading Set (probably based on # 61039)
89782 1/48 German 3 Ton 4x2 Cargo Truck Kfz.305 (Opel Blitz)

Mini 4WD and Educational Series:

94676 New Year's Limited Edition 2009 "Year of the Ox"
94671 Neo Falcon Special White Edition (based on # 18617)
xxxxx Solar Car Assembly Kit (re-release of # 76001, but probably molded in black instead of grey)
75024 Solar Power Generator Set
18630 Mini 4WD Pro Dash-3 Shooting Star (MS Chassis)
94673 Avante Mk.III Azure (Finished version of # 18626)
94674 Avante Mk.III Nero (Finished version of # 18627)
15383 Mini 4WD F Grease (Flurorpolymer Compound)15382 Bumperless N-03/T-03 Units
Supplies:

74534 Spray-Work Painting Booth (Twin Fan)
85083 TS83 Spray Paint Metal Silver (probably “real” chrome silver, similar to Alclad2 paints)
85084 TS84 Spray Paint Metal Gold (probably “real” gold paint, similar to Alclad2 paints)
74084 Mini Bending Pliers for Photo-Etched Parts

Rookie Rabbit 2, what if.......?

When the Rookie Rabbit was released in 1991, it was Tamiya's first "hobby level" factory assembled RC-model, following the "toy grade" Quick Drive RC-car series released in 1988. The Rookie Rabbit was to remain the only model in the series, so though the production figures of course aren't known to me, it would seem that the success was rather modest. Still, the Rookie Rabbit can be considered the grandfather of the XB (Expert Built) series of factory assembled models that started in 2000, and which has been tremendously successful. So, apart from looking a bit weird, having a funny name and "girlish" pink decals, the reason why the Rookie Rabbit remained the single model in its series, might actually be because it was ahead of its time.

In 1996, the Rookie Rabbit was "re-released", but this time as a kit and named "Fighter Buggy RX". Not only the name, but also the colour scheme was now more masculine, something that possibly contributed a lot to its popularity. It was marketed as an entry level buggy, and the chassis dubbed DT-01, on which two more models would follow, the Mad Bull and the Mad Fighter. With the continued popularity of the DT-01 in kit form, It took 9 years before the next generation entry level chassis was released, the DT-02. The principle of the simplest possible but robust design remained the same, and even quite many body design clues of the Rookie Rabbit/Fighter Buggy RX were carried over to the first model in the DT-02 series, the Super Fighter G. However, with fully independent double wishbone suspension and much better weight distribution, the DT-02 was a vast leap forward.

Fighter Buggy RX, the kit version of Rookie Rabbit, and the Super Fighter G, the origin of Tamiyablog's imaginary Rookie Rabbit 2.

My Rookie Rabbit together with his imaginary successor, Tamiyablog's Rookie Rabbit 2.

So far, the Super Fighter G hasn't yet been released as a factory assembled XB model, so the idea with the Super Fighter G presented here, was to make it look how the XB-version might have looked, if Tamiya had chosen to follow the same scheme as with the DT-01, and release the XB version of the Super Fighter G as a "Rookie Rabbit 2". To mimic the colour scheme of the original Rookie Rabbit, just like the Super Fighter G reflects the colour scheme of the Fighter Buggy RX, I dyed the dampers and wheels with black fabric dye. Admittedly the original Rookie Rabbit has grey dampers, but dyeing the Super Fighter's original blue dampers in grey is virtually impossible, so black was the next best thing. However, I would like to have grey friction dampers for my "Rookie Rabbit 2", but they are very hard to source, just like any other part that is unique for the Rookie Rabbit. For the selfmade decals, I used a scan of the Super Fighter G decals as the basis and changed the colours from red and blue to the pink and yellow of the Rookie Rabbit decals and added the logo and rabbit itself from a scan of the Rookie Rabbit decals. A rather simple but very time consuming job, especially because of all the retouching needed, and a lot of literally "cut and try" to get the sizes exactly right, which is crucial for decals that are so integrated with the body designs. Also, I could easily have made the red blend into the pink, but I decided to keep the original pixelation of the Rookie Rabbit logo, as the exaggerated pixelation clearly was intentional from Tamiya’s side. I also deliberately kept the driver and other small details unpainted and didn't even glue or sand the split in the helmet (like I otherwise always do), as this is how it was done by Tamiya for the Rookie Rabbit too.

As a sidenote, in the picture below, not only a comparsion of the models themselves, but also a comparison of the transmitter included with the Rookie Rabbit and the current design of transmitters included with XB-models shows very clearly how much design has evolved since the early nineties.

Knowing Tamiya's dedication to style and quality, it's perfectly clear to me that a "real" Rookie Rabbit 2 made by Tamiya would have looked a lot better, but I hope I have at least to some extent transferred the spirit of the Rookie Rabbit onto the Super Fighter G. Anyway, it's one step ahead in Tamiyablog's history of hypothetical "What if Tamiya had.......?"-models, and there is more to come. Next up is a model based on a recent re-release, finished in colours and decals resembling one of the limited edition Mini 4WD-models, so if you by chance should enjoy Tamiyablog's "alternative colour scheme" models, please visit the site again soon.