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Bruiser 2012 (spy photo from Nuremberg Toy Fair 2012

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Unless I win the lottery I won't be getting one. Even if I had £600+ burning a hole in my RC wallet right now I doubt I'd get one. Obviously looking at the pics of it its a work of model making art but having said that there's equally good looking trucks out there for less money that will crucially be more fun to run.

Can you post up some photos of the Bruiser's competition? I'm not particularly familiar with the scale scene.

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I hope this is the start of more models to come of this quality and technicality without necessarily using vintage platforms. Much as I would love to see and buy a Blazer as it remains an icon to me I would rather see a truly scale 3 speed hardbodied Toyota FJ40. Will be curious to see if Tamiya come out with more 1.10 scale items crossing over with their static model making division.

Fully agree with that. This could be the start of something big from them, by using the new transmission and adapting it to other metal ladder rail style chassis'. It would be a bit of a missed opportunity to just use it on a re-release Bruiser & Mountaineer.

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Can you post up some photos of the Bruiser's competition? I'm not particularly familiar with the scale scene.

Custom build yourself a rig from RC4WD and you'd have something pretty special http://store.rc4wd.com/Scale-Truck-Kit_c_7.html

Probably the best looking custom rigs out there as far as I'm concerned is a Tundra pimped out with Junfac's 4 link conversion kit http://www.junfac.com/shop/index.php?main_...b41b068ff52ed6c

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.....the gearbox is a gem, and at least they went all out to create a new gearbox to retain the style (and belly clearance) of the original rather than shoe-horning a high-lift undercarriage into the shell and nailing on a rock-guard

As far as 'impressive' goes, making a pretty much new kit look a helluva lot like an old one and going as far as making new axle casings etc (when they coulda re-used two or three others as a bodge) is right up there with hover boots and jetpacks :lol:

Yes, that is what is so impressive about this one. It's effectively a brand new model designed to replicate the form of an older one, but without the deficiencies.

What is also fascinating about this release is that it pretty much rewrites the rules about what can be classed as a re-release. In the past we have been able to make clear distinctions between models that have been simply brought back featuring the majority of the same components - and judging them to be faithfull, and those that have simply had the old bodyshell placed on a completely different looking chassis - and tagging them as 'tributes'.

The Bruiser 2012 though is a genial amalgamation of the two ideas. In my eyes though it is still a proper re-release and confirms to me that to be considered as such a kit has to be done in the right spirit, rather than form. It's not at all inconceivable that a kit could have every single component modified and still be classed as a faithfull re-issue of a vintage model.

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So the TOYOTA windscreen decal is included, they just chose not to fit it to the display model. :lol:

Sorry but I will disappoint you...The TOYOTA badge is for the tails gate lettering..No windsheild lettering this time only the a sun blocker sticker...I prefer this since it will help finish the look of the gate which was allways a problem.....:-)

I also see four square blue stickers and a round one,,propably to cover the extra holes on the front cab used in High-lift for side bars and the passenger mirror hole....??

Also the "4wd" sticker for the side fender is missing.??

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Custom build yourself a rig from RC4WD and you'd have something pretty special http://store.rc4wd.com/Scale-Truck-Kit_c_7.html

Probably the best looking custom rigs out there as far as I'm concerned is a Tundra pimped out with Junfac's 4 link conversion kit http://www.junfac.com/shop/index.php?main_...b41b068ff52ed6c

How would those two be more fun to run though?

With that suspension kit you'd be looking at paying £400 all in for a Tundra so not that much cheaper. And as much as I like the look of the Trailfinder 2 it looks cheap compared to the Bruiser. Didn't you also say that RC4WD quality was poor?

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Nice, me like :)

Thanks. Maybe Tamiya should include it on the box art. :lol:

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Not 3 speed, but that may change now that this gearbox will be available.This is an example of the type of chassis etc. out there http://www.rcmodelex.com/www-rcmodelex-com...Scale-Truck-kit

No doubt about it they are very nice but they make the Bruiser seem cheap to buy! And in terms of how expensive they actually look I think the Bruiser destroys them.

Or maybe I'm just a fanboy. :lol:

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Looks awesome, saving up now! I see Tamiya still haven't quite mastered the art of getting decals to follow compound curves, maybe they should leave it to others.

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No doubt about it they are very nice but they make the Bruiser look cheap! And in terms of how expensive they actually look I think the Bruiser destroys them.

Or maybe I'm just a fanboy. :lol:

Exactly why I hope Tamiya use the Bruiser as a start point for new models / chassis utilising their know how :)

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Fully agree with that. This could be the start of something big from them, by using the new transmission and adapting it to other metal ladder rail style chassis'. It would be a bit of a missed opportunity to just use it on a re-release Bruiser & Mountaineer.

Based on the new tabs on all four corners of the new transmission (including the two in the rear that are not used by the 2012 Bruiser), they might have some more plans for it in the future. I hope so, anyway!

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Based on the new tabs on all four corners of the new transmission (including the two in the rear that are not used by the 2012 Bruiser), they might have some more plans for it in the future. I hope so, anyway!

They could be going to use it in the truck's / rig's / Lorrie. ( just depends on what country you come from to what you would call it . )

So this COULD be why it has the tag's on the four corners ????.... Will have to wait :lol:

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Sorry but I will disappoint you...The TOYOTA badge is for the tails gate lettering..No windsheild lettering this time only the a sun blocker sticker...

Are you sure? I thought the lettering on the rear panel looked thicker? Oh well, just have to buy a second decal sheet and add the decal onto the windscreen too!

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Are you sure? I thought the lettering on the rear panel looked thicker? Oh well, just have to buy a second decal sheet and add the decal onto the windscreen too!

I reckon so to as if look at decal sheet on tamiya blog the toyota logo is to big and not curved to at for windscreen!

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I reckon so to as if look at decal sheet on tamiya blog the toyota logo is to big and not curved to at for windscreen!

Yeah, just had a look at an original sheet & the difference is clear. Wonder why they didn't include the windscreen decal this time?

Edit : Just noticed that a familiar ebay seller offers an, ahem, "alternative" windscreen decal. :lol:

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Yeah, just had a look at an original sheet & the difference is clear. Wonder why they didn't include the windscreen decal this time?

Edit : Just noticed that a familiar ebay seller offers an, ahem, "alternative" windscreen decal. :)

Another subtle difference between the too ?? , As not too meany car's have that anymore

in this day in-age , maybe . :lol:

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How would those two be more fun to run though?

With that suspension kit you'd be looking at paying £400 all in for a Tundra so not that much cheaper. And as much as I like the look of the Trailfinder 2 it looks cheap compared to the Bruiser. Didn't you also say that RC4WD quality was poor?

RC4WD sure ain't Tamiya but then again my opinion of Tamiya's quality isn't what it used to be either. Lots of scale enthusiasts run RC4WD trucks and generally seem to get on fine with them. My opinion of their universal shafts isn't good thats for sure.

How would they be more fun to run? The four link Tundra for me would almost certainly be more fun to run. Its looks vs performance would be a really good balance, which for me personally is important. For slow speed crawling the four link set up would be articulate and compliant, you would see it easily do its job going over rough terrain, nice to see working in a scale truck. In third gear and at speed it would easily handle jumps and again would take what was thrown at it. I've never run a Bruiser but I have run a F-350 with 2.2's and jacked up suspension, so a pretty much similar set up. For slow speed crawling the suspension was almost entirely non existent, it might as well not be there. In third gear at speed my F-350 used to go through leaf springs all the time, they would just bend utterly out of shape even with the hardest set up, and I don't seriously misuse my vehicles. Maybe the 2012 Bruiser will be better engineered for it but I suspect it'll be the same story. Tamiya seem to have a habit with their trucks of over engineering certain parts and under engineering others. With the huge amount of motor combos available to people these days it not always a good mix.

At the end of the day my pimped out F-350 looked a lot more fun to drive than it actually was, reading around others reports of driving the Bruiser it sounds like a similar story.

A pimped out Tundra with four links plus shocks sure isn't cheap either, definitely agree there. Like I said though, probably much better performance

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I haven't read through all 11 pages, but by the looks of the pics on Tamiyablog, I guess Bruiser enthusiasts don't have a lot to complain?

Yes ok, it's a re-re, and value may drop some... But again some parts are different, so original and re-re can be distinguished easily. However, the overall feel of the car (at least to me) seems to be maintained to satisfy the enthusiasts, and if anything, the quality of finish of the (cast) parts (like the gearbox) look better than the original, just like on the SRB re-re.

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The clear signal lamps are more realistic. What vehicle have you ever seen with white lamps?

Obviously, the white plastic in a model car is not made to stay white. And good TC modelers like mcovalsk or Wyoming would sure be able to make that white plastic look even more realistic than the clear signal lamps. I prefer the original ones, it's my choice. You just have to work them, while the clear ones require more money than talent to look accurate to the 1979 Toyota SR-5.

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PLease don't let the MSRP be $1299.99! That's more than I paid for my actual 1983 Toyota Pickup.

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I liked the mounty better, the bodies are the same right? I could just order a original set of stickers off ebay.

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Anyone guess when we might see the Mountaineer and Blazing Blazer coming? I want them all and I want them NOW! :lol:

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