Joe Bo

I cannot believe how good those wheels and tyres look, one of the most scale combinations I've ever seen. Incredible work.

Absolutely unreal work @Yoshimitsu round of applause! Sold this today, sad, but need the money for other projects, I wasn't using it, and I've decided my collection has to only include models that can be driven by me or my kid. So, that'll be, err none then... Farewell sweet Alpine!

The best solution for nice scale looking gravel tyres for larger 190mm non m-chassis cars is this: Too big for the new 131 Abarth and other m-chassis, but it looks really great on the larger chassis. I'm currently building a Celica and a Delta with the above setup, see attached. @GreatDane is correct: m-chassis wheels won't clear the hubs of an XV01-2 but if you cut the wheels as per the video it works. It's a great gravel tyre. I agree though, someone needs to start making scale wheels and tyres for rally cars - the crawler scene has so many amazing options! Tamiya also really need to stop putting the Abarth wheel on everything too, but ironically it'll look ok for the 131! The Golf MK2 needs some nice 5 spokes or BBS wheels. The 2cv rally with the beetle wheels is just...sacrilege! The challenge with the m-chassis really cars is to get the rims small enough to look scale and provide a tall side wall, yet clear the hubs. Maybe the solution is to 3D print a rim with a fake sidewall like these Streetjam rims, just so you can use standard tyres. ^^^ Like this but in m-chassis size The advantage with the 131 Rally is it actually has quite small wheels and tyres for the size of it's body, so I think this model is going to look pretty scale even with the standard Abarth rims and m-chassis rally block tyres. Though I think if I've got to have this kit, which I do, I really do, it's going to need some deep dish heavy offset wheels like this:

They're for the back of the seats in the cockpit set, they simply wrap around. You can just make them out here in the image. Many of the odd little stickers on that sheet still remain from the first release that came with the cockpit set, if I remember correctly.

Absolutely - a series of Le Man racers would be amazing. Makes me ask why they developed the TC-01 chassis in the first place? Surely they must have some future models coming up to make the whole venture worthwhile. For me there's only one model I really want, a Lancia Fulvia in full rally trim. I'd love them to develop it as a standard rally/touring car size at 190mm and sit it on a new FF RA chassis, if they could take influence from the crawler world and develop some "scale" wheels and tyres even better.

Sold my Lancia 037 (see recent gallery post). I've spent 2 years planning and making it, ages and ages filling the body post holes and making magnetic mounts for it, detailing the cockpit, what felt like hundreds of coats of TS26 - as soon as it's done I stick it on eBay. What's wrong with me? I've done this a few times recently, I just enjoy building and can't stand them as shelf queens. Anyone else feel this way? Literally as the last part/decal goes on, the desire goes and I see it as pounds and pence ready to go into the next project. The only ones I keep are cars like my Grasshopper that me and my kid actually get to thrash around. I love the simplicity of them, I love mending them when they break, they just seem to suit the environment near where I live better too. Maybe as I'm not so precious about it I relax and enjoy it more, feels like a "tool" for fun rather than an expensive scale modelling project.

Thanks for the correction! Anyone else notice the raised front? The front gearbox does have a lot of extra plastic and height to it.

I'm worried about that too. It's an odd beast! As others have mentioned I feel it is purely a way for them to produce more m-chassis models, using a low cost solution that can be configured in any setup. The new TT02 of the m-chassis world if you will. However, it's quite an ungainly solution - the original M01/2 chassis could be FWD, RWD even twin motor and four wheel steering, but was much more elegant in a way. I'm struggling to understand their design decisions behind this. Just for the record I'm not criticising Tamiya at all, I'm being overly harsh, I'm glad of any new chassis and a rerelease of this body - just fascinated by their thinking. I also noticed that the Fiat 500 body sits quite high across the front axle, compare product shots from the M02/M05 releases with the same body - I wonder if the MB01 doesn't allow the low profile of the Fiat 500 bodyshell to sit low enough? Is it just me? M02: M05: MB01:

The modular side of the MB01 looks really interesting, the motor being mounted longitudinally is not something I thought they'd do, really cool.

You know that was the model I was thinking of but I couldn't remember who made it! haha

The one thing we do know is that both models will have the Fiat Campagnolo wheels, original to the original m-chassis Fiat 500 model and now Tamiya's go-to wheel for anything remotely old, from VW or a Lotus! Come on Mr Tamiya we need more wheel designs! I understand new tooling may not be viable, but I always imagined them developing some sort of insert that allows any outer rim to be used, as some of the 3D Printing guys do. I had a bad dream that the MB01 chassis stood for "Monster Buggy" and the Fiat 500 wasn't the original model we know and love, but the bodyset stuck atop a new monster truck chassis...please let this dream not be true

Cheers Honza, this will be so cool. I'm amazed they are creating a new tooling for another Golf (I am not complaining) , their market research must be right... or their relationship with VW is strong. After the Mk2 Escort I wonder if they are further scoping out the rally market on the MF01X chassis to pre-empt a 959 release perhaps. Personally I want a totally scale Tamiya replica of the 205 T16.

If it's under the Fiat 500 Abarth I think the MB01 will most likely be an on-road chassis and like many have said a 1/12 scale type affair. If the Abarth is being recreated as per the original release then I hope it's rear wheel drive, it must be an m-chassis with lay down shocks for a super low profile so they can do "lower" body styles? That would be amazing. Also, the Golf is listed as a Mk2, the only Tamiya Golfs we have are the Mk1 and the VR6 - I wonder if they are going to subtly change the Mk1 Gr2 body to match a Mk2? Extra lights perhaps? I'm not well versed in Golf differences but it would be cool if it was slightly different than the original.