Future Tamiya Releases Winter 2011/2012

tamiyablog competition – win an RC Tamiya Sand Rover 2011

Mini 4WD:

15436 Large Diameter Stabilizer Head Set (17mm)

15437 13mm Aluminum Bearing Roller (Ringless)

18064 Terra Scorcher RS (Super-II Chassis)

18633 Rising Edge (MS Chassis)

19436 Shining Scorpion Premium (Super-II Chassis)

94839 VS Fluorescent Color Chassis Set (Orange/Green)

94840 FM Reinforced Chassis (Red)

Finished Models:

21096 1/20 Tyrrell P34 1976 Japanese Grand Prix No.4 (Finished Model)

Static Models:

20066 1/20 Porsche 928S (re-release, but unlike original release, now without motor)

35316 1/35 British Military Motorcycle BSA M20 w/Military Police Set

RC:

51470 Gear Diff Unit Maintenance Parts Set

51472 DB01 Gear Diff Unit Joint Cup

54321 TA06 Carbon Reinforced A-Parts (Bulkhead)

54322 TA06 Carbon Reinforced J-Parts (Damper Stay)

54323 TA06 Carbon Reinforced T-Parts (Gear Case)

54329 DB01 Gear Diff Unit

54330 F104 Carbon Reinforcement C-Parts (Gear Case)

54331 F104X1 Upper Deck Rolling Damper Set

54332 F104 Counterweight

56327 1/14 MAN TGX 18.540 4×2 XLX

56328 1/14 MAN TGX 18.540 4×2 XLX Full Operation Kit

56517 Matt Chrome Front Wheels (22mm European Type)

56518 Matt Chrome Rear Wheels (22mm Double Tire)

57818 XB Ford Bronco 1973 (CC-01 Chassis)

58503 Honda Ballade Sports Mugen CR-X PRO (M-05 Chassis)

84237 Subaru Brat Metallic Special

84256 Avante (2011) Racing Steering Set

Tools:

74106 Hard Coated File PRO (Tapered 6mm)

74107 Hard Coated File PRO (Square 3mm)

Will be permanently updated.

5 years tamiyablog.com – 300 posts & 1.000.000 page visits – win an RC Tamiya Sand Rover 2011

Update 14.11.2011: Competition results posted

Update 1.11.2011: Competition is closed now, results will be posted on 14th November.

Exactly 5 years and 299 posts ago this blog was started by a small group of Tamiya fans to gather interesting information about our favourite company in one place, but we never thought it would be such a success with over one million page views in this time. Therefore we would like to thank you for your continuous and growing support, Tamiya INC. for keeping up releasing an enormous amount of superb new models and thus keeping us busy building and reporting about them as well as all other sites who sent or allowed us to use their material. In the past years we have received several offers to get sponsors and add advertisements, but we declined and decided to pay all the running costs ourselves to guarantee being as neutral and objective as possible. Something we hope you appreciate.

For the celebration of the 5 first years, we decided to give a new Sand Rover kit (also paid by ourselves) as the original version was released almost exactly 30 years ago (22nd August 1981) and also 5 years after Tamiya’s first RC-car and also because of being kit number 58500. To participate, please send only one of your own made Tamiya related photos or drawings (maximum size 300 kilobytes) together with your full name, age and country to the address shown in the below picture until the 31st October 2011. The team of tamiyablog will choose and present the entries they liked the most on 14th November 2011 and one of them will win the 58500 Sand Rover kit. The kit will be shipped to the winner’s address from Japan or Hong Kong at tamiyablog’s cost, but the receiver may have to pay for customs or taxes depending on his/her country’s import laws.

We are looking forward to your continuous support also during the next 5 years!

The team of tamiyablog.com

Mazda Savanna RX-7 – Rotary Power For The M-06

The new Tamiya Mazda Savanna RX-7 (SA22) body for the Rear Wheel Drive M-06L  has now been out for a little while.

But to our surprise, we have seen very little feedback for this nice new body, especially on the big Tamiya Fan and Club sites, where not a single example of the new old RX-7 could be found.

The team of  Tamiyablog likes the first generation RX-7 a lot, so this body was the first choice for my M-06 Pro chassis kit which was waiting to be built for too long now.

Tamiya recommends the classic black Minilite style wheels for the RX-7 which  I think don’t suit the car so well.  So we chose the Tamiya wheels which were known from the Tamiya Honda S800 kit.

Combined with the black anodized wheel nuts to imitate the fullsize car’s black hubs, they give the car a very authentic look.

The body is painted in a classic light green metallic which was seen very often on the original Mazda RX-7 in the late 1970’s.

It’s good to have another long wheelbase body for the M-06 chassis in addition to the Tamiya classic Volkswagen Beetle.

Thank you very much for your interest and…

Enjoy Rotary Power!

Tamiya “Put It Together” – Elvis Presley, Roswell, Moon Landing, JFK’s Assassination & Marilyn Monroe’s death conspiracies

Tamiya have released a set of print advertisements featuring conspiracies around Elvis Presley, Roswell, the Moon Landing, JFK’s assassination, and Marilyn Monroe’s death all called “Tamiya Put It Together.” The Conspiracy campaign was developed at Ogilvy & Mather Vietnam.

Source: The Inspiration Room

Fun Activity Vehicle


When I was a kid in the 1980s when the FAV was released my opinion about it was very mixed. On one side I didn’t like it as it was a military vehicle, on the other I loved it scale looks, much more then the Wild One with its lexan body, large front dampers and low profile tires. Then I got the idea of painting a “civil” FAV, but unfortunately never got one. In the early 2000s I got finally a FAV but as they were quite rare and expensive I painted it in boxart. Now with the great re-release from Tamiya I finally got the chance to execute a 25 year old plan. I got my kit yesterday and since I couldn’t wait any longer I immediately started the painting and built. This time no parts were modified and no hopus where used, just a different paint scheme and decals. I really like the FAV and in my humble opinion its one of the most scale buggies ever made, especially its chassis, hope to run it soon carefully.

The Fast Attack Vehicle 2011 – Return of a warrior

As the Tamiya Fast Attack Vehicle 2011 kit has been out for a while now and to honour the historical importance of this 1980´s icon, the team of Tamiyablog decided to give the FAV a short review of the 2011 release kit.

I personally have to say that i never owned a Fast Attack Vehicle back in the so called “good old days”.  So this was a special moment, and the build of the car a great experience.

Tamiya did some small changes to the car as on most re-release versions of old classics.  When you open the kit box, you see no blister packs like on the classic FAV kit.  The whole rollcage is molded in black now, which i think the car benefits from. It´s now  easier  to build “civilian” versions of the buggy and the black cage looks good in every way. The E-Parts are changed to Wild One specification, which mainly means gearbox and front trailing arms. Drive shafts and wheel axles are the same dogbone style type as used on the Tamiya Frog and Subaru Brat re-releases before.

Something really new are the decals on this FAV 2011 kit.

Now everyone can do  a nice camouflage paint scheme, even without owning an airbrush.

The included stickers give a very authentic look. The semigloss surface of the decals fits perfectly to the TS46 Light Sand colour, that Tamiya recommends for the FAV.

If you cut out the stickers nicely, without leaving too much clear, you won’t be disappointed with the result.

Our car is equipped with full ball bearings. (8 pieces of the standard Tamiya 1150 bearings are included as a bonus in the kits of the international first batch version). If you want a full set of bearings for your car, you will need additional two 1150 and three 850 bearings.

Furthermore we switched the rear standard friction dampers to custom made black anodized  oil dampers of the Tamiya Frog and Subaru Brat re-releases which helps the buggy a lot to perform better.

And the “old” Tamiya Black Sport Tuned motor powers the FAV to attack a little bit faster. It even looks good.

All in all, the team of Tamiyablog is very happy with this new Tamiya classic re-release. It brings this wonderful vintage buggy to a new life. Now everyone can own one again.

Stay tuned for more “variations” of the Tamiya FAV 2011 here on Tamiyablog.

Thanks for watching !

Future Tamiya RC Releases (Updated 04.08.2011)

58497 Vajra


This is a 1/10 scale R/C assembly model kit of a racing truck. It is a longer version of the basic chassis from Item 58489 Avante (2011) and is matched with 100mm diameter V-pattern block tires. The truck uses a new 2.5mm thick carbon fiber lower & upper decks resulted in a longer wheelbase (275mm) which provides increased stability during high-speed off-road driving.

Specs and Features

  • 1/10 scale R/C assembly kit.
  • Shaft-driven 4WD chassis features 2.5mm thick carbon fiber double-deck chassis layout with longitudinally mounted motor & battery pack.
  • 4-wheel double wishbone suspension is equipped with aluminum front knuckles and resin suspension arms.
  • Front and rear CVA shock units are secured to durable 3.5mm thick carbon fiber damper stays.
  • Newly designed front & rear ball differentials included. Center unit is selectable from one-way or direct type.
  • Comes equipped with front & rear V-pattern block tires (Width/Diameter: 50/110mm).
  • Item 53779 GT-Tuned Motor (25T) included.
  • Comes with truck polycarbonate body shell (Super Levant body).

58499 Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero Wheelie (Lunchbox-type chassis)

This is a 1/10 scale R/C assembly kit of a first generation Montero (also known as Pajero and Shogun in different parts of the world) It was famous for participating in off-road races such as The Dakar Rally. This R/C machine uses the same chassis components as Item 58347 Lunch Box (2005). The 2WD chassis gives the hobbyist exciting R/C driving as well as fun wheelie action.

Specs and Features

  • 1/10 scale R/C assembly kit.
  • Kit includes FREE BONUS PARTS (1150 Ball Bearing x 8pcs.) First production run bonus only. 10/2011
  • Durable injection-molded body features cargo bed details, spare tire, and roll cage for heightened realism.
  • Box type frame 2WD chassis is equipped with front swing axle and rear rolling rigid suspension.
  • Fully-enclosed gearbox protects against dirt and debris.
  • 115mm diameter tires
  • Wheelie bar included
  • Tamiya TEU-104BK forward and reverse brushed motor speed control. (equipped with low voltage protection feature)
  • Includes Tamiya 540 brushed motor

58500 Sand Rover 2011 (DT-02 chassis)

The Sand Rover attracted many hobbyists to the exciting world of R/C in the early days of the radio control buggy era. Originally released in 1981, the R/C Sand Rover featured simple construction and a dune buggy body design. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Tamiya is matching the classic buggy body with the modern, easy-to-assemble DT-02 chassis, making it perfect for those who are new to R/C hobby.

Specs and Features

  • 1/10 scale R/C assembly kit.
  • Kit includes FREE BONUS PARTS (1150 Ball Bearing x 8pcs.) First production run bonus only. 10/2011
  • The durable resin body is molded in white and may be finished using Tamiya Color paints.
  • The DT-02 chassis is equipped with a 4-wheel independent suspension with coil spring dampers.
  • 380 size motor included and is coupled with a 10T pinion gear (gear ratio=15.768:1)
  • Fully-enclosed gearbox protects against dirt and debris.
  • Ribbed front and spiked rear tires
  • Semi-finished driver figure (pre-painted face & hat) included.
  • Included Type 380 motor can be replaced with Type 540 motor to increase speed and power.
  • Tamiya TEU-104BK forward and reverse brushed motor speed control. (equipped with low voltage protection feature)

58502 Blitzer Beetle 2011 (Blitzer-type chassis)


This is a re-release version of the Blitzer Beetle R/C assembly kit, which was inspired by the exciting off-road desert racer designs seen in the United States.

Specs and Features

  • 1/10 scale R/C assembly kit.
  • Kit includes FREE BONUS PARTS (1150 Ball Bearing x 8pcs.) First production run bonus only. 10/2011
  • The durable resin body is molded in white and comes with side mirror parts. The body may be painted with Tamiya’s TS spray paints, which are formulated in synthetic lacquer for the best finish and durability
  • The tough, lightweight ABS bathtub chassis features a rear-mounted motor, rear-wheel drive layout.
  • 4-wheel independent double wishbone suspension is equipped with C.V.A. oil filled shock units and extremely durable monocoque-type lower arms.
  • The front spiked tires feature three ribs for enhanced stability while the rear tires feature both spikes and an X-shaped tread pattern along the center to ensure high levels of grip.
  • Fully-enclosed gearbox protects against dirt and debris.
  • Driver figure included.
  • Tamiya TEU-104BK forward and reverse brushed motor speed control. (equipped with low voltage protection feature)

84227 Renault R5 Turbo Rally (M05Ra chassis)

A new addition to the M-05Ra chassis R/C series line-up is the Renault 5 Turbo Rally, which was developed based on the popular Renault 5 in order to race in the World Rally Championship.

Specs and Features

  • 1/12 scale R/C assembly kit.
  • Kit includes FREE BONUS PARTS (Matte-finished gold-plated wheel x 4pcs.)
  • Polycarbonate body.
  • Rally-tuned M-05Ra chassis features greater ground clearance and suspension strokes compared to the standard M05 chassis. Rally spec allows you to enjoy driving on both on-road and flat-dirt surfaces.
  • Rally block tires included
  • Short wheelbase specification (210mm).
  • Includes 540 type brushed motor

Further information will be added as soon as it becomes available to us.

Source: Tamiya Inc.

58497 Tamiya Vajra first details and photos

Seems to be based on extended Avante chassis with Super Levant body and wheels. Considering the fragility and outdated performance of the AV, as wells as the high price and mediocre looks, the team of Tamiyablog is quite disappointed. Also its specs aren’t impressive:

  • Carbon fiber upper and lower decks
  • Durable aluminum front uprights
  • Universal shafts for universal power transfer
  • Specially-designed ball differentials
  • Carbon fiber steering components
  • Includes polycarbonate body
  • GT Tuned 25T motor included
  • Wheelbase 275mm

More information and details will be added as soon as get them.