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Kyosho Turbo Optima Re-Release!

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I must admit I'm not taken by the gold chassis myself based on the pictures provided to this point.  I will reserve final judgement for when some better images of the chassis itself come out.  I will say the gold on the shocks looks nice so I expect it's just the images instead of the actual color of the chassis.

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6 hours ago, Wandy said:

The original kit was fitted with the OT-66 tyres, right?

The new gold plating does seem to be a different shade of gold to the original. It's early days of course with only a few photos of the new buggy....but based on the photos I prefer the original shade of gold to this new variant. Oh well, at least they made they effort.

 

I think its 1 thing that Kyosho have been big on, not duplicating the past, almost making a tribute to rather than a copy of the original releases

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3 hours ago, mtbkym01 said:

I think its 1 thing that Kyosho have been big on, not duplicating the past, almost making a tribute to rather than a copy of the original releases

I think if they'd kept the original moulds and tooling, like tamiya did, kyosho would have done copies.

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14 hours ago, GTodd said:

This I need this! I need something different and this might be it! In your opinions this or the Cat XLS? I wish Yokomo would release their old 4wd beast!

Both! Just get both then you don't have to decide😉 and then when/if the yokomo appears get that aswell👍

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Well I just love it! I don't care about the shocks if they are original or completely different or the gold parts on it are the right shade of gold bla bla I couldn't even care if it just came in a plastic bag!........I just love the look of it as it is in the photos if it comes in production and it's all a different shade of everything still don't care!.....I'm having one😀👍👍

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I like it a lot, and it could be the different that I’m looking for. What I really want is a Lazer or Optima Mid.  

Whats really cool about all these old buggies is they kind of look like sand rails. These new buggies are completely fugly with the everything fwd design . These are just fun to look at when you drive them.

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4 hours ago, GTodd said:

I like it a lot, and it could be the different that I’m looking for.

If you've never built a Kyosho re-re, you're in for a treat. Really nice stuff with well made metal and fiber reinforced parts. Even being rear motor'ed (Tamiya did get that right with the Hot Shot from the beginning), the Optima series really performs well. I was shocked when I first took mine out for a run.

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On 2/1/2019 at 8:19 AM, Wooders28 said:

I think if they'd kept the original moulds and tooling, like tamiya did, kyosho would have done copies.

I have been wondering about this for some time. Why do Kyosho just not remake the Mid, the Ultima II and even the Lazer? I had heard a rumour (here, in fact) that Kyosho had destroyed all their tooling for unknown reasons BITD and were therefore having to remake their classic models from scratch, making their re-re schedule very slow, very expensive and occasionally not retro compatible with the originals they are based on.

However, a recent conversation with the proprietor of my LMS has shed new light on this. The man in question has been working in the industry for many years now, so I am assuming the basic facts of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the industry to be true, although I am willing to hear anyone else's opinions on what is going on.

It turns out Kyosho's position with regards to re-res is definitely compromised, as although their original tooling was probably not destroyed per se, it was never actually in their possession in the first place and may now be permanently inaccessible. This is because unlike Tamiya, who owned all their own tooling and produced most of their output in their own factories with their own staff, Kyosho's output was entirely manufactured by third parties, mostly by Kingstar in Taiwan. This means that the tooling may still be in existence, but is probably either literally or figuratively lost and beyond their reach, especially given their current straightened circumstances.

This raises a number of interesting questions:

1. Who actually owns the tooling? Or alternatively, who has the legal right to use it if it is still in existence?

2. Who, if anyone, currently has possession of it?

3. If it is in a viable condition, would it not be in everyone's interest for the parties involved (who may have ended their relationship on bad terms – Kyosho made some very questionable business decisions during the 1990s and it could well be that whoever was making their products at the time broke off the relationship rather unhappily) to kiss and make up in order to start building Mids again?

If ever there was a product which could give an ailing Kyosho a shot in the arm it'd be a pukka Mid re-release made from the original moulds. Because they were beautiful models in every way and they would sell by the truckload. And they came in about 400 different versions, so Kyosho and their partner would get a lot of potential bang for their buck.

 

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9 hours ago, Yalson said:

It turns out Kyosho's position with regards to re-res is definitely compromised, as although their original tooling was probably not destroyed per se, it was never actually in their possession in the first place and may now be permanently inaccessible

I never put 2 and 2 together, but I can see this as completely possible. From what I've read (even supported in Mr. Tamiya's own book). The mold makers really held model companies "hostage" so to speak in the early days. Bribing them could get your work bumped up in the schedule, ahead of other jobs. If you weren't on good terms, your job got pushed aside. The mold makers were in such high demand, they had this kind of clout. Tamiya tired of these issues when they moved from wooden models to plastic and eventually started making their own molds. It was an expensive investment that paid off.

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I like the great look of this buggy. When I was a kid, I had the Tamiya Bigwig and my friend had a Kyosho Rocky. However, we both dreamed of having a Turbo Optima! This came never true, but now it is happening :rolleyes:

IMG_20190207_183305.png

IMG_20190207_183236.png

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Not sure I will bother resisting as more pictures of this come out.  It gets better looking every time.  I went to the LHS yesterday and he has two on order.  I didn't reserve yet, but I'm getting close.

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Are those wheels the three-piece split rims Kyosho used to make, or are they a new one-piece version?

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Not that I actually know for sure, but they will most assuredly be one-piece rims. Three-piece is too expensive/complicated these days (screws to hold rims together in 2019?).  It will be the same as Optima and Javelin re-re rims.

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I'm rapt about the re-release can't wait.

still making up my mind about some of the gold parts etc , wonder if they will produce the side rails?

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On 1/30/2019 at 6:49 PM, Raman36 said:

They’re not. They’re threaded modern velvet shocks 

 

The 2019 re-release however might not please everybody as the buggy features updated gold shock absorbers with threaded big bore shock bodies, something the purist might not like as the original standard bore shocks were of a clamping design with plain bodies.

According to Akira, these are not big bore threaded velvet shocks, they are just threaded red shocks, which is a little disappointing.

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Has anybody found out when it's actually going to be released🤔 kyosho are not very good when it comes down to release dates they make tamiya look reliable😏

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Yeah I woudlnt pay 400 holes for one. That will be rrp I'd guess and may be less on release.

Lee

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37 minutes ago, thetamiyakid said:

Now showing as 369 for preorder - still too expensive 😞

I agree. Should be in the £299 area in the UK IMO. It's a lovely car, very well made going by the Optima release, but that is a lot.

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I'm guessing this will have a price of around US$330 from the HK shops, which will make it around £260 from them if you can avoid the duty.

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