Super Shot/Egress connection

[Saito2 6686]

Just a brief thought on how Tamiya history repeats itself.  I was watching the classic Star Wars Vader/Luke scene the other night and strangely re-imagined it. In this case, the Super Shot was looming over the Egress (with one wheel cut off from a lightsaber) speaking about how Tamiya never told the Egress what happened to his father...I'm weird, I know.

It struck me that the Hot Shot was a fairly complicated buggy for Tamiya at the time, one that full of neat but untested design features.  Some of those features didn't work but Tamiya didn't give up. Unlike most vehicles earlier, Tamiya produced a series of specific hop-ups like the H.P. suspension set, under guard and even a complete bearing set just for the Hot Shot. It was, after all, an important buggy for Tamiya.

Then, the Avante was a fairly complicated buggy for Tamiya full of untested design features, some of whom didn't work. Again ,Tamiya produced a number of Avante-specific hop-ups to rectify certain issues

By this time, we see the connection wherein all those hop-ups were added to the buggies in kit form and birth the Super Shot and Egress. Aside from a few odds and ends (like the Thundershot rear wing or the Grasshopper H.P. suspension kit) Tamiya didn't offer a ton of vehicle-specific hop-ups back in the day. It lends some credence to my theory that the Hot Shot and Avante were pretty special to Tamiya designers. I'm pretty sure Fumito Taki was quite fond of his Avante. 

[RCvet 63]

I laughed out loud from the way your mind works.  If people could be inside my head sometimes at work, funerals , and other inapproprate times and see how much I am not even paying attention and thinking about RC it might strike them as odd to say the least. 

[SuperChamp82 743]

Another goodie @Saito2

The Hot Shot was surely that irritating young Skywalker in Attack of the Clones - unproven, flawed but adorable in its own way ... if only for out acting the pointless Jar Jar Binks.

And it’s a classic case of never meet your heroes btw ...

The Avante was a true turning point - ambitious, far from perfect and brittle ... much like Luke in Return of the Jedi. 

The Egress is probably how we see Luke in the new movies - still struggling but composed, refined + able to hold his own when it suits. 

SuperShot ?

That’s difficult - because, for me, at its time it was only beaten by better Kyosho drivers + more robust designs with clever drives.

Maybe Han Solo in the Force Awakens ?

Whats my favourite ? Well actually Episode IV / the original ... so maybe the 934 that started it all that year 👍

[WillyChang 1814]

14 hours ago, Saito2 said:

It struck me that the Hot Shot was a fairly complicated buggy for Tamiya at the time, one that full of neat but untested design features.  Some of those features didn't work but Tamiya didn't give up. Unlike most vehicles earlier, Tamiya produced a series of specific hop-ups like the H.P. suspension set, under guard and even a complete bearing set just for the Hot Shot. It was, after all, an important buggy for Tamiya.

Then, the Avante was a fairly complicated buggy for Tamiya full of untested design features, some of whom didn't work. Again ,Tamiya produced a number of Avante-specific hop-ups to rectify certain issues

you've overlooked one main thing... $$$

when hotshot appeared it wasn't cheap... to kid-me back then, it was 2X Frog or 3.5X Grasshopper 

the ballbearing set alone was same price as hotshot kit!!

When boomerang released it was about 1.5X Frog and it sold a lot better.

On debut Avante was over 3X hotshot price!! There was a built one at LHS kept behind glass that we all oogled... but the pricetag was like 1mths average graduate salary! That's the kit alone; and same again if you wanted the Adspec CPR radiogear. Don't know anyone who bought that.

the supershot was 2X hotshot price but you got bearings & technipower "came free". LHS even threw in a black 1200 Racing Pack free I think... (that pack cost like 1x Grasshopper kit) 

Optima appeared soon after, priced like Supershot level but depending on Turbo or not you might have to buy an ESC, which added to the bill immensely.

Other chassis at same price level was Yokomo Dogfighter and PB Mini Mustang. 

Interesting times  

 

[94eg! 834]

I would say the most evolved iteration of the Hot Shot would be the Terra Scorcher.