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An exciting new-to-me project has appeared with the: This was the result of my wonderful fiancée finding one for me for our anniversary! It helped that I got her an expensive gift as well! Excitement is high. (A Loosely-Researched) Overview The Tamiya Hotshot was Tamiya’s serious entry into four-wheel-drive off-road buggy racing. It was notable for its use of shaft-driven four-wheel drive at a time when most competitors were using chains, pulleys, or belts to connect the front and rear wheels. A unique suspension system, using monoshocks at both the front and rear of the chassis, was also novel. Like a number of its competitors at that time, the Hotshot bore a resemblance to the full-size off-road racing buggies of the period, even if it was more of a passing one compared to its predecessors in the Sand Scorcher and Rough Rider. Resplendent in an aggressive red colour scheme, accented by bright red plastics for components like the monoshocks and suspension uprights, the Hotshot eventually found success. For a short window of time, it was the car to beat, until the competition elevated its entries even further. This would spur the development of the Avante – another story in itself… The Hotshot became something of a classic, with interest further renewed in 2007 when Tamiya brought it back as part of its nascent re-release program. Minor design changes were implemented, such as the redesign of the monoshock internals and the use of a dog-bone propeller shaft, but in many other ways it was true to the original kit. It was in this form that the Hotshot was introduced to new audiences and reacquainted with its original fans. The consensus would appear to be that the Hotshot, despite lacking the cornucopia of high-end materials like an Avante or inherently-complex mechanisms like a Bruiser or a 3-speed truck kit, remains a desirable kit to build. For all its reported flaws, such as the lack of space or accessibility in the monocoque chassis or its bump-steer issues, the Hotshot has a character all its own. Even the unique suspension system is prone to issues, yet it remains part of its fundamental appeal. This would be all up for discovery in this build thread… Grastens and the Hotshot To me, the Hotshot was unique, but not really the kind of kit I aspired to build. I was drawn more to the aforementioned cornucopia of high-end materials in the Avante and the inherently-complex mechanisms of the Bruiser. For a time, my interests also appeared to be rooted in two-wheel-drive buggies, on-road racers, and rally cars. Flipping through the manuals available online for the re-release kit still did not pique my interest. That changed after the Avante had been built and sold, and the Bruiser project stalled (to this day, I still have to finish it – bodywork is my nemesis). I found I missed the Avante dearly, and having it sold off to a collector who did not appreciate it in the same way I did hurt a little. It left a four-wheel-drive buggy-sized hole in my collection – and my heart, in a shape that could not be filled by the Comical Avante (despite sharing the same basic parameters!). The Hotshot had never left my consciousness. Even when I was out of the hobby, I was still ordering Hotshot decal sheets specifically for the “Hotshot” script I was so fond of putting on the back of each of my ice hockey helmets: I also liked the “Are You Hot?” stickers for their obvious cheekiness! They helped connect my past and present in a unique way, as maybe the only Tamiya enthusiast to tend goal for the area’s ice hockey teams. The picture shows the first helmet that I adorned with these decals; the red shell made obvious the connection to the Tamiya buggy. Even when I switched to different-coloured helmets and masks, Hotshot decals remained a fixture on the back of each one. It inspired a new, aggressive personality in the net, modelled after what I thought a Hotshot would be, and even produced some writing projects on the side. In a way, I suppose I began to embody the Hotshot itself: my own approach to sport was offbeat and distinctly “old-school,” much in the way that Tamiya’s buggy was on its re-release. For a while, too, I was the goalie to beat – again, until the competition stepped up their game even further… This must have been how the Hotshot eventually found its way back into my heart, and it was near the top of my wishlist for Tamiya kits. At the time, they were even affordable, with both standard re-release kits and the Metallic Special available for about $250 CAD. Sharing space on that list with the Avante 2011 and the Buggy Champ, it was far easier to justify, too! I left the hobby for a long time in the middle of 2020, having been actively employed since the start of the pandemic (meaning little down time), and with bigger life plans (I was saving for a house with my fiancée). Bigger life obstacles hit, too, with my diagnosis of depression, and the long road of treatment to get it to a manageable state. All of this left me little time, means, or motivation to do anything with a radio-controlled vehicle. Fortuitously, I ended up buying an electronic tablet for my fiancée as part of our anniversary proceedings. With such an expensive purchase for her, she seemed eager to splash out for me, too. What would make me excited? A list of RC cars came to mind… And so, on the day, she handed me a big box wrapped in gold paper. I was able to guess what it was based on the size, but that was not about to diminish my mood. Sure enough: More valuable than the gift itself was the joy I experienced. Hobby things and toys seem to elicit the same reaction in my adulthood as from childhood, so I was quite happy! More importantly, after my hobbies had proven detrimental to my future planning (and therefore discontinued), this was at least some form of approval to continue pursuing the things I loved. It came at a good time, too: I received notice that I would be effectively laid off from work, pending medical clearance to return. I had relapsed in my depression to the point that I was felt to be a liability. The nearest appointment I could book with a professional was three weeks away – and suddenly, my schedule emptied itself… I found myself with the RC kit of my dreams, and now I found myself with nothing but time on my hands. It is easy to guess what happens next! First Impressions and Build Overview Ultimately, this is a Tamiya forum, and so the personal story ends there. It gives some context to the build – as if I needed much more meaning in a kit this extensive: The box is divided into three sections: the central one contains the body, wing, tires, wheels, and miscellaneous items; the left one (viewed from opening the box) has most/all of the plastic sprues, and the right one has many of the metal bits and some specialized plastic sprues (suspension arms and uprights, for example), sitting in its own special box. The contents of said box-within-a-box: A stylish partition separates the left and central sections. I enjoy these: Almost as much as I enjoy the unique non-box-art images on the box-within-a-box: It even has a basic creed for running RC cars – possibly useful for me after a long time away: Some items of curiosity for me were the already “assembled” steel antenna mast: As well as the decal on the otherwise-humble silver can motor: My positive reaction to the motor decal reaffirms that I am a sucker for marketing! A small sample of the equipment and other parts I will be using: The driver set and torque wrench proved to be overkill, so they were omitted early on. This is unlike the tub of white lithium grease pictured here, which I normally use for my bicycles. Also making a special appearance in this project: The driver parts tree was actually from my dearly-departed Astute, which ultimately never got a driver figure before being sold on. I wanted to experiment to see if a larger driver torso would fit in the Hotshot; in the more-likely event that it did not, I at least wanted to use the helmet. Its styling felt more appropriate for a radical off-road racer like the Hotshot; as a reminder, this figure is typically used in the Bigwig and the Fox/Novafox. The ball bearings were spares left over from when I ordered a full set for a re-release Terra Scorcher, only to realize that the kit always had its own. They were all usable sizes, though, so I was not displeased with this development. The Hotshot does use plastic and metal bearings in places, so these spares will see use in this build. The biggest acquisition/cop-out for this build was a pre-painted bodyshell: Bodywork takes space I do not have, and my own painting skills with bodyshells leave a lot to be desired. This set was expertly-prepared by an online Japanese seller, and will ultimately cut down on the painting required to finish this kit. Many of my stalled projects get hung up at the painting stage; this body kit will hopefully make the remaining painting required (the driver figure) manageable enough to see this particular build through. It also allows me to concentrate more fully on the chassis build, which at this early stage promises to be quite engaging! With everything reviewed, it looks like time to begin the build!