New Kyosho Lazer SB Dirt Cross (4WD Dirt Master-ish)

[Twinfan 2027]

I'm not interested in the new Optima Pro re-re but this looks cool:

https://*******uyamarccenter.com/product/product-39495/

[Saito2 7678]

Interesting. Looks sort of different with the cab rearward 2wd-ish body styling, reminiscent of the CAT xls and old 4wd RC10 conversions as well as the obvious connection to the Dirt Master. An affordable shaft drive Kyosho might give me pause on a forthcoming (albeit cheaper) Manta Ray purchase. I'm curious how well sealed the pinion/spur area is under that clear cover seen in the linked pics.

[Twinfan 2027]

I agree it looks quite interesting from a technical perspective.  I'm loving those wheels too!

[sosidge 671]

Kyosho making good use of the old ZX-5 tooling to release a retro brother to the Dirt Master 2wd (which is RB-5 based).

[tamiya3speed 517]

I like it!!

[Ferruz 12958]

Looks neat. Definitely loving those wheels!

[scoobybooster 348]

Nice one.

However, as for the wheels, i'm a little confused. 
I like the design, for being something different, they remind me of some standart steel rims for a car, but on this buggy, they look completely wrong

 Sorry., it's just me maybe

[Twinfan 2027]

Wrong can be good, it's nice to see something different IMHO.

[Twinfan 2027]

£249 at Modelsport, so about what you'd expect with the Dirt Master at £199...

[JimBear 1045]

Let's see if they provide oil for the shocks, and do a better job on marking the sprues and getting it into the manual this time.  It looks cool, but for me who don't any racing, I think I'd spend a bit more and get a Legendary series buggy (however long some of those will be available? - that product line is getting a bit crowded now).

 

[Andreas W 2533]

I love it and am happy that I have not got the finger out and bought an Optima of some kind yet. 

[JimBear 1045]

10 minutes ago, Andreas W said:

I love it and am happy that I have not got the finger out and bought an Optima of some kind yet. 

I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get my fingers out eventually ... and who knows, at 260 euros, 50 more than the Dirtmaster, it may be the better deal overall, if they don't skimp on the details. I think the Dirtmaster has to come down a bit now, under 200 euros.

[markbt73 5874]

Huh. Interesting. I see hints of the old Progress in the body and wheels, actually. I wonder if you could convert it to a mono-shock...

[Bash 358]

I wonder what the battery location will be given that the Lazer ZX5 used saddle packs which have gone the way of the dodo in modern race vehicles for quite some time now. It looks like they might be able to put a shorty pack on the motor side, but I'm wondering if they'd bother to make a new chassis, especially for a low-end kit like this.

[Bash 358]

Edit: Looked at the product page and it looks like it's based on the ZX5 SP which uses a standard size pack. Might consider to pick one of these up as a fun runner/race vehicle especially since 4wd buggy is picking up in popularity in my area. I was planning to get a used XB4 for one of the tracks that I race at since they only run mod and the track is closer to 1/8 size, but another track local to me runs 13.5 on a much smaller track which an older buggy like this would have a better chance of success at.

[Kowalski86 4312]

Looks a little cheaper than the original Lazer in some areas, like plastic shocks vs threaded aluminum. Guess that's in line with the Dirtmaster being a budget RB5.

Right now I'm mixed on Kyosho, I like my Rampage and felt like it was well equipped out of the box, but for those who like hop-ups and such there's basically no aftermarket for it that I'm aware of.

My Fazer looks nice (well they all look nice), but for what it costs new it's very "plastic-fantastic", think TT02D. Again, it has a limited aftermarket, with most first party hop-ups being out of stock. I'd go as far as to say that they're not great value imo.

I like how this buggy looks, especially the older bodyshell style. The metal motor mount driveshaft, and many adjustable parts are a plus, I'd take it over a TT02BRX (or whatever) any day of the week. For a guy that runs his stuff stock it'll probably work, but if you have a need for shiny aluminum or enjoy tinkering with aftermarket parts, I'd stick with Tamiya.

[IXLR8 1302]

Looks very good and price seems reasonable (in today's crazy economy).  The abundance of plastic parts doesn't bother me and I'd bet it drives way better than a comparable Tamiya. 

I'm in. 

[donfilippo 641]

I really like how this thing looks! I will probably get one. 

[GTodd 1569]

It looks GREAT!!! I love how Kyosho keeps going back to their old stuff to make a new buggy. Tamiya are you paying attention? The TDs didnt do well, revise the DB02, or just make more DB01s with full aftermarket support again!

 

[BuggyGuy 1140]

I'll definitely get one of these - will look good next to the Dirt Master and should drive well enough to be competitive on the grass track our club run on in the summer (assuming the geometry is the same as the ZX5 SP).

Will have to keep an eye out for a decent set of dampers for it, as the Kyosho plastic big bores that came with the Dirt Master (I assume they will use the same design here) weren't really up to much and the official Kyosho hopup item is absolutely outrageously priced in the UK

[Kowalski86 4312]

18 minutes ago, BuggyGuy said:

Will have to keep an eye out for a decent set of dampers for it, as the Kyosho plastic big bores that came with the Dirt Master (I assume they will use the same design here) weren't really up to much and the official Kyosho hopup item is absolutely outrageously priced in the UK

Yea...while looking at hop-ups for my Fazer I found the hop-ups a bit expensive, even more expensive than Tamiyas in most cases...that is when they're in stock.

10 hours ago, Saito2 said:

An affordable shaft drive Kyosho might give me pause on a forthcoming (albeit cheaper) Manta Ray purchase.

I'm curious to know what the price difference will really end up being once you add bearings, a better driveshaft, and an aluminum motor mount into the equation. All of the extra bits to make it a good runner.

[GTodd 1569]

4 minutes ago, Kowalski86 said:

Yea...while looking at hop-ups for my Fazer I found the hop-ups a bit expensive, even more expensive than Tamiyas in most cases...that is when they're in stock.

I'm curious to know what the price difference will really end up being once you add bearings, a better driveshaft, and an aluminum motor mount into the equation. All of the extra bits to make it a good runner.

The DF03 are great back yard runners with zero mods needed. Taking them to the truck is a different story and the kyosho would need far less upgrades to make it last a batter pack.

[Saito2 7678]

2 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

I'm curious to know what the price difference will really end up being once you add bearings, a better driveshaft, and an aluminum motor mount into the equation. All of the extra bits to make it a good runner.

I'd consider bearings, steel pinion and the all-plastic gearset as must-haves for a long-lived DF01. The motor mount a close second (possibly a must-have), particularly with a hotter motor and a new prop shaft as a nice-to-have. But there's one thing the DF01 Manta Ray has the Kyosho or an Associated never will: once the iconic box art lid is pulled off, the wonderful scent of those tires! lol

[Killajb 1633]

I like this one.  I dig the retro looks and I've owned a Lazer ZX-5 before, it was a great performer.  I like the Optima Pro as well, but more in a nostalgic shelf queen kind of way.  This one looks to be something one could put through its paces and have a blast.

[Sogogi 3361]

Like it