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Licencing costs must be far too high for RC manufacturers to consider making a modern F1 release. Or there is an exclusivity contract with some toy company that makes it impossible. We haven’t seen a proper F1 car since Liberty Media took over.

I have a TC-01 since it launched 4 years ago, it’s perfectly fine for parking lot running but there are much simpler and cheaper options available such as the TT-02. Yes, the electronic setup is fiddly, but you do it once and then you’re fine. Weight was mentioned before, too. But for track use, weight isn’t the biggest issue imho. The car is really tricky to set up. The way the suspension is built means doing one change will influence often another part of the geometry. F.e. changing the camber will influence the track width. But imho I think Tamiya simply dropped the ball in terms of available kits and body shells on this one. The low profile of the chassis has so much potential for amazing bodies such as the Toyota TS-050. But what did Tamiya do? Formula-E is not very popular and doesn’t draw in many people. Then they wait a couple of years to re-re-release a 90s body shell that fits a TT-01? The recent run on the Porsche 956 shows that prototypes are loved. The WEC has risen in popularity dramatically and there are so many beautiful cars from so many manufacturers. If Tamiya would offer the TC-01 with some recent hypercars I am sure it would sell like crazy.

Yes. And also no. Some tires will heavily drop in performance after running 2 battery charges while looking perfectly fine. Others need the same time to just start working properly but then might still be quick even though they're on the verge of falling apart. It's impossible to generalise, there are a lot of tire manufactures with many different compounds for indoor/outdoor and it also depends on the track surface and temperature. Not to mention tire warmers and additives. Watch your laptimes and exchange with other drivers!

I dreaded them at first but the trick is to take your time and don't rush it. While practice is good, patience is key. Eventually you will be done and the payoff is a highly detailed and great looking body shell! Also I treat Tamiya bodies as large model cars that I use for some light running but mostly for decoration – they are too heavy and don't produce enough downforce for track use anyway.

I have a F201 that has never been run, just a shelf queen. However I have a lot of experience with the TRF102 which is very similar to the F104. My advice is to not buy a Formula car for street bashing, while yes the 4WD will certainly be easier to drive the low ride height of F1 cars means you need a super-even surface parking lot. Additionaly, and this is second hand knowledge so waiting for someone to confirm, the F201 burns through it’s tires rather quickly and I don’t know if you’re able to get spares in your part of the world. My advice if you want to have a 4WD basher with similar style and tech to take a look at the TC-01 Formula-E. Lots of spares easily available, can run any touring car tires, and has a very similar suspension to the F201.

Can't specifically answer anything about the Avante but for getting spare my thought process usually involves two things: Am I running the car at races/events/meetings? Nothing sucks more than having to end your day early because your car broke and you can't repair it. In this case I usually have all the suspension (arms, hubs and suspension mounts) and drivetrain parts (spur/pinion/diff gears/outdrives) as spares ready to use. Is the car I am using prone to breaking a specific part? For example, the TRF102 I am running has a weak front suspension and T-Bar. Buy the parts as spares immediately. Chances are if you happen to break them they might not be available for order as a lot of other people are stocking up or needing them. With these two guidelines in mind I have never had to shelf a car. Also having the security and peace of mind will make your life easier

I don't own a F104 but I run a TRF102 which is very much the same car. Your issues have differential written all over it – play around with the diff lock! Apart from talking to guys on track I learned a lot from this Australian f1 community that has great setup tips and cheats, check out their website. If you browse around you will find a lot of good tips on how the diff should feel when you turn the wheels and other tricks to set up your car.

@kentech has posted the full list of option parts included here https://kentech.wordpress.com/2023/09/24/tamiya-ta08-r-chassis-kit-specification/ Wow this is more than what I expected of an "R" iteration – Tamiya has thrown in every option part and some new stuff as well – trying to address the reported weaknesses of the platform. This is a great kit, waiting for a price but if it's anything around or below 500 Euros retail this will be a bargain for club and spec racers.

Couldn’t agree more. Also so many current opportunities … WEC is currently in a phase of massive manufacturer and fan interest, with Tamiya being close to Toyota I would be happy with a GR-010, let alone all the other LMH and LMDH cars.

Probably you’re right, I made a guess to understand the point of this release. I have no idea about Japanese competitions and the best suited car for the purpose – but from what I have seen on their coverage on Youtube there seems to be a popular class around this. If Tamiya is in control of that and limits the entries to rallye chassis, then this would eliminate TT02s from the competition.

I think the primary target is Japanese rallye competition. I have seen it in videos such as Tamiya RC Live, they take a couple of small ramps/bumps and put them on a regular on-road course – in this particular case this car could work well. Screenshot taken from here: https://www.youtube.com/live/VS5EKCJHo8s?feature=share&t=876

Che cazzo dici? My italian ends here so I will just ask in plain english: is the "Olio" part of the Fiat brand? It seems to be part of the logo? And then there is also an "Abarth" on the car? So what's the history behind this?

Agree, especially with how the battery is being installed. While I don’t care for the center of gravity too much in rally car (which is primarily a fun scale basher to me as there are no competitions for them around), for an on-road car with potential track use it matters a lot. That being said, I was thinking about an XV-02 for parking lot bashing as is much more accessible for me to visit a rough surface parking lot than a smooth surface one. It is still a parking lot, so no loose surface as in most rallying conditions. This release might end up on my shopping list 😅

You are right in terms of costs – the LEGO example is kind of flawed in that regard as their system allows them to throw existing pieces together for new products. Licensing usually works both ways – organising bodies such as the FIA or the ACO usually just see them as a source of income – but manufacturers know that a licensed product creates exposure and marketing for them and usually have a large interest in these deals. Plus Tamiya has strong ties to a lot of companies, for example Toyota.

I didn't necessarily mean for Tamiya to connect to a younger audience, just that they missing out on building a new audience. LEGO's target group is also not kids, at least not with their high-priced premium sets. Take a look at their marketing images, they are targeting people between 30–50 with disposable income.