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Did Tamiya Dropped The Ball?

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Looking back it seems Tamiya was the only major player in RC. Over the years other companies arrived and produced products more in line with what the consumers wanted, especially the ones that can pay a bit more. Kind of like IBM with Microsoft and Apple.

Axial is one such company that produces good off road vehicles with good detailings. HPI and Traxxas too make good off roaders with attention to details. Tamiya's off road products are just to "entry" level or "cheap" feel.

The pend up of demand for the older models has allowed RC4WD to get established through parts and several decent chassises and running gears with excellent detail parts available.

I think off road capability vehicles are the way to go. One can run it in the woods, beaches, streams etc... and a change of rubber or foam tires you have street car. More play for the buck. One cannot do the same with a road car.

I for one haven't bought any Tamiya's new product for the last 5+ years. On the other hand I have purchased from HPI and Axial. I guess my taste has changed.

Tamiya is staying mostly with entry levels; offers a few niche lines and keeping all its product range from static to children grade toys.

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That's an interesting point of view. Because of where I live, I look at it quite differently. There is asphalt everywhere and 2 off road tracks within a 50 mile radius. You pay to run something off road when they're open or drive out of town. For the life of me I don't see the attraction of off road cars with no off road to run them. If I lived somewhere they could be run I'd see it differently. Quite possibly the engineers at Tamiya live in an asphalt jungle as well.

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I have to disagree.

Tamiya may be seen as "entry level" but with the amount of hop ups and mods you can do, when do they not become entry level?

You can run a "on road" car off road, minor adjustment and change of tyres is suitable enough, but it all depends on what grade of surface your running on. You can run a TA-02 off road with nobbly tires no problem, as long as the surface isnt too loose, rocky or muddy, yet its still off road. You could take it one step further and add larger tires and conquer some mud.

Theres so many levels of conditions to factor in, on road is pretty self explanatory, off road is very different.

There providing a base for modification and you learn about the product you have bought, its characteristics and such.

You buy from HPI etc, its all done for you, its not fun.

Id prefer to leave a all singing and dancing crawler on a shelf and, like I did with my CC-01 modify it over time, by myself. Some mods were bought, some I made myself.

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You say the last five years....in that time, Tamiya have given us, the Hotshot, Boomerang, Frog...heck even the Avante, you class these as children's grade toys???

I dont, as they weren't, the first time around when i was a teenager, not many parents would spend this kind of coin, on a children's toy, it was a step into a larger world, a rite of passage into modelling adulthood for me.

Sure, companies like HPI and Axial are producing decent product, but, id never buy one, i skimmed over HPI in my racing days, with a Pro2, the affair didnt last long, good car, not enough to keep me tacked to the brand.

Axial........horses for courses, but i find them lacking any soul whatsoever........with Tamiya, its all about soul, about memories, about FUN.

Lets not forget, the same company you claim to make only children's toys, are responsible for some of the most awesome offroad buggies today, namely, the TRF factory.........gun a TRF501x around with a 5.5t, then tell me Tamiya are "cheap".

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I think Ralphee summed it up when he said 'horses for courses'.

For me, a lot of the enjoyment is in the build, putting my own personal stamp on a car/truck/whatever. You can't do that with an RTR, whatever the brand.

I have an Axial SCX10, the Honcho kit, which was good fun to build and is a very capable truck - a perfect companion for my CC01 Landcruiser and my Tundra. All 3 have strengths and weaknesses, different characters if you like.

I've also got 3 Traxxas trucks, 2 Slashes and an E-Revo. Me and my kids have had hours of fun with them, they're fast, fun and tough and we like 'em a lot. But somehow there isn't the sense of occasion, of special-ness, that I get with running my Tamiyas.

It's interesting watching my kids' reactions. They love running the Traxxas beasts, no doubt about it. But if we're going to run, say, a couple of Wild Willys, there's a different buzz. They're more excited, and yet more careful, even though we're dealing with slower, less capable, less expensive vehicles.

They get it. The difference between something Dad bought, and something Dad built...

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I think it boils down to the old saying, 'Jack of all trades, master of none'. Tamiya seem to have mainly concentrated on off-road buggies, on road cars, and nostalgia re-re releases, which seems to be serving them very well commercially. Axial are doing very well with their offerings, but they aren't exactly cheap by a long stretch. Likewise rc4wd seem to sell a lot of scaler pickups, but again, they are not cheap, and this sort of model are a niche in comparison with mainstream rc models. True tamiya make the 1/14 trucks and the 1/16 tanks which are niche, but these are very high quality expensive models, which no-one would classify as toys. It looks to me like T are using the mainstream areas of RC to make most of the rc money, and maintaining their reputation for quality with their rc tanks and trucks. For example, if they were to produce a scale pickup similar to that done by rc4wd, how would they improve upon the engineering without bringing the price up, or stand out from that product. I wonder how many people bought the recent bruiser re-release for reasons other than nostalgia ? Not many I suspect, given the price.

I would like to see T stretch into more niche areas of off-roading, like a 1/10 scale 4wd tractor, forestry equipment, or even a 6x6 military off-roader, but these would be a niche market and a risk to enter, and with a world recession on, now is not a sensible time for companies to be investing in 'risky' business.

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You can hardly say they dropped the ball - the fact is that they are still a highly successful multinational company after 57 years in business (37 in RC)...

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The most successful onroad touring car series winning 5 world championships(TRF's) European and UK championships (Off road). That's what matters and Tamiya delivers :) Tamiya's range of RC is wider than any other manufacturer. They may not have delved deeply into every possible area but they usually have a chassis that will be in the general area (That can be modified to compete or at least be applied in that manor).

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For the life of me I don't see the attraction of off road cars with no off road to run them.

Do you mean the type of tracks? You have two great facilities right there that I used to drive up to every weekend until we got a great track in the Springs. I'm guessing you want more of an old school, loamy dirt track and don't like todays clay tracks? Just curious Dave. :)

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I'd be happy if they'd unlock the 400 meter ruberized asphalt oval next door :D . Unser's is the better of the off road tracks and it's open 3 days a week. Today is race day and I'm thinking of taking a look to see who and what is there. My point though is that in some places on road is so much easier, I can run road cars any day or night but not off road.

What kind of fence is around the olympic velodrome? Can it be climbed with a car or two tucked under your arm? :o

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I'd be happy if they'd unlock the 400 meter ruberized asphalt oval next door :D . Unser's is the better of the off road tracks and it's open 3 days a week. Today is race day and I'm thinking of taking a look to see who and what is there. My point though is that in some places on road is so much easier, I can run road cars any day or night but not off road.

What kind of fence is around the olympic velodrome? Can it be climbed with a car or two tucked under your arm? :o

Probably, it's a wrought iron fence, about 7ft tall, but I wouldn't take the chance. I had to go to court over "trespassing" in an empty field with my dog! No markings,signs, nothing. Stupid waste of my time. I think it would be worse at the US Olympic Training Facility. I suppose we could petition the IOC about adding RC as a sport. ;) I know Unser has a better layout, but I have much love for MHOR. I've been able to meet some of the best guys there like Dustin Evans, Matt Chambers, Cody Neumandahl, and other guys. They are all nice and always wanting to help with set ups.

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I realy do see the apeal of offroad cars,you can run them around without worry,jump kerbs,run on grass, etc bit more restricted with specificly on road cars.

If i can come with you Dave i can bring a balaclava and boltcutters :ph34r::D

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I realy do see the apeal of offroad cars,you can run them around without worry,jump kerbs,run on grass, etc bit more restricted with specificly on road cars.

If i can come with you Dave i can bring a balaclava and boltcutters :ph34r::D

I get dizzy running the speed cars on a big area, I'd definately need help with running one on a velodrome. I do have off road cars and trucks but without a real track it's just like driving the road cars. Everything that's not groomed and safe for pedestrians is fenced off. It's the same with crawlers, there's a shop that rents time to use thier rocks.

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I am new to RC' although fairly familliar with Tamiya's range of products over the years.

To call them toy like is unfair, as a kid the only RC options to me and most kids I knew were Bandai' Nicco and such, after seeing these models a tamiya was like a real eye opener' its like someone used a shrink ray on a 1:1 buggy!

I have a strong dislike for HPI Traxxas and other modern manufacturers because the products they offer are very unrealistic, they all look the same even after modding' all performance and no style' which sucks most of the fun out of the hobby for me

I like playing around and trying to figure out how to upgrade my Tamiya' so when I hit the beach or whatever' I know nobody else has one like mine!

Now a simple entry level Tamiya Kit like a Hornet has so much possabilities with even minor modifications...

just look at a Sand Scorcher... have you ever seen two the same? (exceptions to box stock)

The only other manufacturer that has me excited is RC4WD, expensive stuff for an entry level though.

At the end off the day its what appeals to you' I know people have loads of fun with the likes of HPI and Axial etc and thats what its all about yes?

I

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how did we get from Tamiya needs more high end off road cars opinion to vandalism and trespassing ?

and i feel its not fair to put Axial in the same box as HPI, sure they both do RTRs , but Axial also makes kits which are fun to put together and solid, also all their models offer a lot of DIY modding and hopping up . Both of my Axials have had more DIY done to them than all the Tamiya's i own combined . Also any company that does not produce a Short Course truck is fine with me :)

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how did we get from Tamiya needs more high end off road cars opinion to vandalism and trespassing ?

and i feel its not fair to put Axial in the same box as HPI, sure they both do RTRs , but Axial also makes kits which are fun to put together and solid, also all their models offer a lot of DIY modding and hopping up . Both of my Axials have had more DIY done to them than all the Tamiya's i own combined . Also any company that does not produce a Short Course truck is fine with me :)

I hope people realise we were joking. I do not support criminal activity in any way. Getting back on topic, I feel Tamiya have done a fantastic job over the years. They offer kits in almost evry calss. Their moldings and bodies are amazing and to top it of, they've let me relive my childhood through re-res. Not much more I could ask for.

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I hope people realise we were joking. I do not support criminal activity in any way. Getting back on topic, I feel Tamiya have done a fantastic job over the years. They offer kits in almost evry calss. Their moldings and bodies are amazing and to top it of, they've let me relive my childhood through re-res. Not much more I could ask for.

well , maybe a next version of the XC/CC01 chassis .

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I dont realy own a balaclava and boltcutters,or live near dave. :)

No balaclava but I do have a black ski mask and boltcutters. I wouldn't break in but if they opened it for RC cars I'd be camped out in front of the place. I was only trying to point out that in a lot of urban settings the off road thing doesn't work very well. Something that hasn't been mentioned very much is that Tamiya makes cars and trucks that look like cars and trucks. Not big bars of soap looking bodies. In the beginning Tamiya produced a better car and sold it for less because it was in kit form, the same is still true today. There are issues like bearings and bushings but those are really up to the end user and what they intend it to be. Axial, Associated, HPI and traxxas all make fine products for thier intended markets, so if what your looking for is in one of thier lineups it's all good. To have your heart is set on an Axial but want it made by Tamiya, that isn't too realistic.

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Something that hasn't been mentioned very much is that Tamiya makes cars and trucks that look like cars and trucks. Not big bars of soap looking bodies.

nuff said !

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i think that over the years Tamiya have learned a lot , they have got to know their market and try to give that market what it wants , they try not to jump on 'trends' ,rather they try to find a niche within a trend that suits the brand , HPI have won their fans but they blew it with the true ten for instance , its far too expensive and just cant touch the M chassis (my favourite rc cars and always will be), their touring cars always felt a bit naff to me and the monster trucks, savage etc are for a 'special' type of owner , axial were great at first but they have went for premium prices but dont have the quality to go with the prices and are going more and more for the RTR way of doing things , as their market has grown they keep getting more expensive rather than using increased production to lower the prices , tamiya cars that are a huge success tend to go down in price over time , they have the odd 'what the badword are you doing tamiya' , moments but,for the most part they try and cover a vast market but not all of it ,kids toys? some of it, but, not all of it , its why i love Tamiya , they are not trying to completely dominate as if they were i believe that they would crush the competition just like they do every time they re-enter the race scene , when they try they do deliver and , as has been mentioned they are still the best at making rc cars that look like cars .

i have owned cars from associated , losi, kyosho, hpi, axial , marui (remember them?) mardave, thunder tiger and none of them offer the same smile i get from TAMIYA , i accept the bad times as i know Tamiya will provide the best times.

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Gentleman and ladies?(just to cover all possbile TC readers) Let me clearify some of my points...I haven't purchased any Tamiya's "NEW" product for last 5+ years does not mean I have not purchased any of the re-releases; children's toy... have a look at Tamiya's catalogue not just the RC catalogue and one would find toys along with static models and a mini hardware store selling calipers, pliers, screwdrivers, cutters, glue, paints etc.

..

Maybe the topic shouldn't have read has Tamiya's dropped the ball, because it does appeal to a very broad base consumer from the very young and financially limited to the more mature with deeper pockets... instead maybe the topic s/b Could Tamiya Do Better instead, which I am sure it can as no company is perfect.

I look back at the modern 3 spd and the parts were just ugly, everything seems square like the square axle. I purhased an Axial SCX10 (not RTR version) the amount of detailings with the chassis looking more realistic, which Tamiya could do without breaking a sweat for the modern 3 spd. I picked up a HPI Cup Racer 240Z, the details on the body provided are much better than Tamiya's. Could Tamiya spend an extra $0.50 on part likes a bumper, tail muffer, wipper blades, license plate, lens shield? Sure can, but most Tamiya bodies are detailed with decals and not with 3D parts. I agree, I would not be able to affort the SCX10 or 240Z if I was still in school (no money rich parents). Substantially all my RCs are by Tamiya and is still the No 1 in my book, but I think Tamiya could go the small extra distance to make its product from a ave. B to a B+ or even an A. Tamiya has the capacity and capabilities to do it no questions about it, but it always if Tamiya has just done this would've been perfect (I guess just can't please everyone everytime)

Who knows with the recent massive re-releases may have allowed their engineers / designers time to line up several new models that will have us foaming at the mouth and thinking about it everyday of their release dates and dreaming about building / customizing it, and putting it through the pace and be an addict again requiring the monthly Tamiya Hit....

.

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That's an interesting point of view. Because of where I live, I look at it quite differently. There is asphalt everywhere and 2 off road tracks within a 50 mile radius. You pay to run something off road when they're open or drive out of town. For the life of me I don't see the attraction of off road cars with no off road to run them. If I lived somewhere they could be run I'd see it differently. Quite possibly the engineers at Tamiya live in an asphalt jungle as well.

:lol:

Sorry Dave, this really made me laugh (In a good way). In the 1:1 car world there's thousands of people that buy 4x4 vehicles and the tyres never see mud in their life (We call them chelsea tractors over here).

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I just like tamiyas for the fun you get driving them because they look so cool!!

other RC's are fun but tamiyas just are FUNNER! LOL!!

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I guess "dropped the ball" really depends on your perspective, and whether Tamiya is releasing what you like.

For my part Tamiya 1/10, I agree with you. I think Tamiya have dropped the ball in recent years. Because they seem to produce very few new items that appeal to me.

I'm all about vintage/retro/realistic buggies. Other brands like Axial and Kyosho have started releasing new R/C buggy model designs that have interesting retro realism and appeal to modern customers.

But all Tamiya has done (buggy-wise), is...

1) Re-release classic buggies that I already own, except with period-incorrect modern upgrades and alterations, and silly fake decals.

2) Release boring new sleek performance buggies that have no realism (Sand Viper, Leonis, Zahhak, Plasma Edge, etc)

3) Release unimaginative entry-level buggies (e.g. Rising Fighter), that smack of zero thought or innovation, and are based on designs Tamiya pioneered in 1984.

Outside of buggies, there are a few Tamiya scale off-roaders that are worthy. Realistic models like the Dakar Touareg and Lancer, and the Toyota Land Cruiser. I have my eye on those and may buy them eventually. It was nice to see those models released.

But in buggies, there is nothing new from Tamiya that appeals to my love of off-road buggy realism.

You'd think Tamiya would want to capitalize on the goodwill extended to them from everyone who's been buying their re-hashed buggies from the 1980s, by launching a whole new line of modern realistic buggies that would capitalize on this style and appeal to fans of off-road realism in the longer term.

But after practically a decade of re-releases, Tamiya have made no such move. Meanwhile, some other manufacturers are now becoming quite well known for their realistic new buggies instead.

cheers,

H.

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