Baja King

[Pandoras Kiste]

Have you noticed that Tamiya released a new 'Off Roader'???

It's called 'Baja King'!

Interesting body but no news to the chassis. Still a TL-01B... [V]

Here is the link:

http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/583...aking/index.htm

Where is the 'real vintage' Xmas gift, Mr.Tamiya [?][?][?]

[loopjuice]

Looks OK, not a 'proper' buggy but it's a start ! Might get one, looks much the same as the Baja Champ....still the fun is in the building !

[netsmithUK]

Oh no!!! One more step down that slippery slope mind numbing averageness.

This has got to be one of the worse bodies I've seen. When Tamiya renowned for its excellent attention to detail start using decals to try and simulate some sort of frame buggy on a lexan shell, its a sad day.

There was a time when they would have made something to set them apart, to get RCers, model makers and collectors alike just dieing to get one (or several) Now they launch an new car, with a body that looks like its come from Tomy and thier preschool range and the best response it gets from our membership of die hard Tamiya fans is three posts (including this) - with the best comment being 'looks ok'

What is the world coming to.

Debate.

[TWINSET]

Yep, I think the bod sux too.

What's the fascination with blue and yellow - did they get a bulk delivery, or does it guarantee 'off road capability'?

Seems they're going the cheap route with the shells now- can't see if it's a pre-paint but I hope to god it isn't!

The only thing it does have going for it is that the battery isn't visible like the champ, but otherwise 'naff' springs to mind[V]

Wonder if it has a sound chip to complement the fake exhausts?

[J3cubfan]

Its the end of the world as we know and I feel fine....

Anoter Lexan clone. Come on. I shutter to think how much this thing is going for. Although I did find it interesting that it has an ESC.

[TWINSET]

quote:

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Originally posted by J3cubfan

Although I did find it interesting that it has an ESC.

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Cool - naff and expensive!

Just saw this bit;

On the front part, pre-applied stickers give an agile look to the Baja King

Oooooooh

[mr_lister999.]

well it does make you apprecite the old vintage more. [^]

[loopjuice]

Yes the pre=applied 'space-frame chassis' stickers are somewhat 'Tandy catalogue RC section' circa 1984. I was pretty chuffed that they have produced a new buggy, but disappointed as it has as much chance of doing well as the Arrows F1 team.....

[Stu.B]

I agree with pretty much everything I have read, the car looks like a poor effort. I think however that this a sign of the times. I don't think kids these days have the patience for 'attention to detail' old school kits. Most kids want a ps2 or something requiring an equally sub-terrainian level of brain effort. This car has a hard job to do. Tamiya should no better and realize that they don't just compete with Kyosho any more.

[njmlondon]

quote:Most kids want a ps2 or something requiring an equally sub-terrainian level of brain effort

id="quote">id="quote">

Maybe, but most kids go for the huge virtual games that require hours of gameplay and involve becoming characters in other worlds, or things like GT3 whcih take years to build a garage of ubercars... the games that you can master in 1 hour dont attract followings...

I think this is the problem Tamiya are making themselves [] - kids (i just realise i have become an old man writing that![:I]) still love things that keep them occupied for hours.

What would be interesting is for Tamiya to make a proper complex model and have a go at selling it...[8D] why not experiment?... if the baja bungle outsells it so be it and we will have to accept the world has changed... but i have a hunch that a classic complex precision car would sell immensely well. The profit margin may be lower but their reputation would remain in tact.

Remember Tamiya has made bland plastic bits of **** before but always called them "entry" models... it seems that that is all they do nowadays.[V]

[TWINSET]

This is getting like the convo's me and my old man have about 1:1 kit cars;

Look at that - they started with a blank piece of paper and that's the best they could come up with

Exactly, why spend all that time making THAT

I dunno, all they had to do was put some nice curves on it.

For the amount of tme you spend building it you might as well buy a Ford

Etc. Etc. back in the bath chair Etc.

[]

[ideal2k]

This disgusts me, I want a new competition buggy, not this worthless heap of junk!

[SJoerD]

I guess I'll wait for the 'Twin Belt Drive 4WD Buggy'... Probably just a lifted TA-04 for gods sake! []

[djcrossie(2)]

I'd put £20 on it being just that [V]

[SJoerD]

I'd put my Baja King on it it's just that! []

And god do I want to loose now for 2 reasons! [] []

[terry.sc]

Theres nothing wrong with a buggy based on the TA-04. After all the design of most twin belt drive tourers owes an awful lot to the Kyosho Lazer or Yokomo Dogfighter. In fact the latest Yokomo buggy is a larger scale version of their tourer. Losi put their latest 4WD buggy on pole at the world championships, and the car was a stretched version or their touring car.

The problem is that kids these days do just want something that goes together quickly and easily, so they can get outside and wreck it as soon as possible. The reason Tamiya don't make many buggys is that kids want the cars that Tamiya make. Thats why Tamiya make so many variations of the Impreza, 'cos thats what sells. Lets be honest here, none of the companies making a living selling competition kits are going to sell anywhere near as many cars as Tamiya and Kyosho, because by far the majority of cars are bought by people to run in their back yard or with their friends in a nearby car park.

The Baja King looks will appeal to young children. Its certainly going to be easier for them to decorate. If it means they buy one of these instead of a toy one, some of which cost more than this, then they are more likely to progress onto something more serious.

A very competitive car for the price of Tamiyas mid range products. If Tamiya brought out a serious off roader no one who races would buy it. Tamiya went to the touring car world championships with a two car team to take on the might of the Americans and Europeans. They won, but everyone I know still wants a Losi XXX-S or an Xray. The off road classes are dwindling, thats why there are loads of touring cars in the shops and very few buggies. It cost a manufacturer a fortune to develop a race winning car. If Tamiya built a 2WD buggy, no one in the lucrative US market would buy it, why when you can get a Losi or Associated for less? 4WD is an even smaller market.

And if you want a serious 4WD off roader at a decent price, pop down to your local hobby store and ask about Yokomos latest buggy.

[ideal2k]

quote:Originally posted by terry.sc

a buggy based on the TA-04.

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A buggy based on the TA-04 would kick *ss if you ask me!

(From now on I'd refer to it as the TA04-

The TA04-B would be a world beater, just think of the multitude of readily available hopups!

I just hope they make a decent body for it.

Some kind of combination of the Top Force / Egress / Terra Scorcher bodies would be swweeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Preferably they'd make the suspension arms a proper length so that one could use MIP CVD's if you wanted to, that would be popular.

I don't see why a TA04-B shouldn't beat a XXX-4 or Schumacher buggy.

This could be sweeeeet []

[ideal2k]

quote:Originally posted by terry.sc

no one in the lucrative US market would buy it, why when you can get a Losi or Associated for less? 4WD is an even smaller market.

And if you want a serious 4WD off roader at a decent price, pop down to your local hobby store and ask about Yokomos latest buggy.

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Well.. the Losi XXX-4 costs $299.99 at stormerhobbies, one of the most popular webshops.

I believe that a $300 Tamiya TA04-B would be pretty good. If you look at what the TA04 touring car chassies cost, then at $300 you should be getting a lot of hopups!