What back in the day prototype should Tamiya release?

[GTodd]

Kyosho and now AE (shortly) have released production copies of prototype cars that they campaigned in the glory days.  This could be the next level of the Rere genre.  

The news of AEs RC10 4wd got me thinking. What stillborn or race only car would I like to see Tamiya release? 

I was a big 4wd fan, I still have the Avante that my brother and I fought over in the 80s and the top Force which was my last RC car for decades.   I'd like to see a production version of the TRF 411x. It was kind of like Tamiyas version of an Optima Mid. I was planning on getting one and then nothing 

Image pulled from Tamiya Base, can't seem to find an official body pic now.....

What would you like to see brought out?

[GToddC5]

58306 Neo Shot 

[Twinfan]

TRF 411X for me too!  

[GTodd]

1 hour ago, GToddC5 said:

58306 Neo Shot 

Yes!!!! That was the other one I was watching and then it got dropped. I wonder why. 

[GToddC5]

11 minutes ago, GTodd said:

Yes!!!! That was the other one I was watching and then it got dropped. I wonder why. 

It was to be the MB-01 chassis I think and belt 4WD, but Tamiya officially released a different looking chassis in '23 and gave it the MB-01 name

[Juggular]

I wonder if the old MB-01 (not the new on-road chassis) was too good?  

IF it ran better than more expensive stuff, the value of other buggies would fall.  

After MB-01 fell through, DB-01 Durga game out (at higher price range), so the belt-drive lives on.  DB-01 is a good chassis, so that makes me wonder if the rear-biased MB-01 might have been just as good?  

It looks to have very similar weight distribution as DF-01 (Manta Ray).  The Manta Ray is also a good runner.  So maybe Tamiya ended up creating an ultimate buggy so they had to scrap it?  Generally, I despise conspiracy theories, by the way. It's born when we don't know enough. In this case, we really don't know why the old MB-01 was dropped, hence the conspiracy. 

Reality tends to be much more boring, though: the subcontractor for the belt had their factory flooded, the mold was accidentally damaged? Abandoning it was cheaper than re-doing it? And another project was almost ready anyway?  Maybe the price was set too low.  To make it work, it would have to be 25,000 yen ($250 twenty years ago was no small money). But at that range, it would no longer be competitive, etc, etc... 

 

[ADRay1000]

I had an M01 that I bought used in ‘02 that had some sort of aftermarket 4wd belt drive, I think made by the same company that made a 2wd belt drive transmission for M01. I don’t remember who made it and I never got it running before I got rid of it. 
 

I think was this: 

 

[GTodd]

Oooh, I thought of another one. The Egress/Top Force Jamie Booth thing! Come on Tamiya give us something cool!

[Wooders28]

Don't believe it was named (unless you guys know different) , but a 4WD, TRF prototype, Lee Martin was involved with , before Tamiya pulled the plug...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GTodd]

Ok, what the heck in all that is awesome is that?!!!!

[Saito2]

I think I'd want the Jamie Booth Egress. While many of the parts could be made and easily adapted to the current re-release Egress, Tamiya would have to redesign the current diffs or return to the old shim design. When the Full Option replica kits came out years back, it was discovered the combination of the re-release diff's design and the new front geometry caused front drive shaft ejection.

[Thommo]

TRF 211X

Every other suggestion so far is pure uncut, awesomeness.

[Andreas W]

It's less likely now that we have got the Hornet Evo,  but something like this Hornet IRS from this thread would have been nice. A mid motor Hornet with the right,  undiscutable, proportions and a blast from the past.

 

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/91718-1985-“worlds”-irs-hornet/

[ThunderDragonCy]

On 2/25/2025 at 3:24 PM, Andreas W said:

It's less likely now that we have got the Hornet Evo,  but something like this Hornet IRS from this thread would have been nice. A mid motor Hornet with the right,  undiscutable, proportions and a blast from the past.

 

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/91718-1985-“worlds”-irs-hornet/

That's such a cool thing. Would be great to see that as a kit. 

[GTodd]

On 2/24/2025 at 4:00 PM, Wooders28 said:

Don't believe it was named (unless you guys know different) , but a 4WD, TRF prototype, Lee Martin was involved with , before Tamiya pulled the plug...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any more details about this?  When was it made? Did it fall between the 511 and 503? New belt drive to replace the not as succesful shaft drive 502? 

[Howards]

1 hour ago, GTodd said:

Any more details about this?  When was it made? Did it fall between the 511 and 503? New belt drive to replace the not as succesful shaft drive 502? 

Next time I’m at Slough I’ll ask him. 

would have thought the SP motor / esc and small bore shocks would date it quite well.

[Howards]

Another vote for the JB egress/df01 proto-hybrid 

[GTodd]

11 hours ago, Howards said:

Next time I’m at Slough I’ll ask him. 

would have thought the SP motor / esc and small bore shocks would date it quite well.

Ah good point, probably between 511 and 503.