Bring the Toys! Tamiya reissues the Hotshot
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Tamiya has responded to fans' calls for a re-release of its classic 1/10 scale 4WD R/C kit, the Hotshot. The 2007 edition goes on sale July 21in Japan, and while it looks like its forbear, it has been updated. The basic suspension setup is carried over -- front and rear double-wishbone with adjustable monoshocks -- but the dampers themselves are of a modern variety. Tamiya also updated the drive and propeller shafts in the name of efficiency, and uses an electronic speed controller in place of the original's mechanical unit. The old-school speed controller necessitated a pair of aluminum heatsinks at the rear of the car, which were part of its signature look. The ESC obviates the heatsinks, but Tamiya uses dummy units on the reissue to preserve the original car's classic appearance.
There are differences in some of the kit's decals, as well. Gone are the fully-licensed logos for the likes of KC HiLites and STP. Instead, generic ones appear (like the "BL" on the off-road light covers). CDs containing vintage decal artwork are readily available on sites like eBay, however, so hobbyists will undoubtedly find ways to decorate the new version to match the classic. Tamiya also says that a number of optional parts will be made available to allow further customization as well. Finally, since the '07 Hotshot is in fact different in the ways we've described, it's probably not unreasonable to believe that values of the collectible original-issue cars should be nominally affected, if at all. That said, we're not experts on this topic, so if any Tamiya enthusiasts are reading, we'd be interested in hearing your take in the comments.
On the Tamiya America website, the car's MSRP is set at $282 and it's listed as 'Coming Soon." We also found it listed for $222.24 and £124 with August availability at a couple of UK online retailers.The official Tamiya press release can be found here or by clicking the "Read" link below.
[Source: Tamiya]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TJ 2:11PM (5/30/2009)
i'm excited about the rerelease tamiya hotshot! i'm getting one tomorrow. its the first real rc car i'll build.
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vectorbug 4:13PM (7/20/2007)
R/C cars are so cool. Too bad they only last 60 seconds on a charge.
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YouFaceTheTick 4:50PM (7/20/2007)
60 seconds? Unless the tech has gone backward, I would get 10-12 minutes out of charges on my 7.6 volt battery. I'd guess in the 17 years since I stopped checking things would get BETTER.
AMGoff 4:21PM (7/20/2007)
So it's overpriced like every other car from Japan...
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Mani 11:54PM (7/20/2007)
I can only shake my head at that comment.
racer01 4:29PM (7/20/2007)
Wow are you a complete *uking idiot... what does charge length have to do with $$? So I'm guessing you don't own any hi perf. R/C - you'd know that 5 min run times (with a hot motor) is normal and the limitation of the average R/C battery. Nice post - nice defense for your stupid response.
MCS05 4:21PM (7/20/2007)
my dad built one of the originals back in '86 or '87 just before he died, it is invaluable to me.
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Bevill 6:24PM (8/13/2008)
I used the race R/C cars from the time I was 13 till I was 20 or so and this was over 10 years ago. Right before I got out gas was just becoming popular. It has a higher entry cost but in the long run you save on not having to buy motors and batteries. Run times are also much longer plus you just bring a gallon of fuel with you and run all day.
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Ben H. 4:37PM (7/20/2007)
I've still got the Super Sabre and the Vanquish upgraded to a carbon fibre chassis. I don't run them too many times nowadays (I have a life), but they were a blast to build!
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Tim 4:38PM (7/20/2007)
Dammmn, now you got me thinking about picking up a Tamiya car again... my first R/C was a Hornet. Man, we beat the living sh** outta those things, but half the fun was fixing them.
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wildfrisco 5:23AM (7/21/2007)
My Tamiya Hornet is under the sink. Wing mounts and front suspension arm mounts are cracked. Still on the mechanical speed controller but at least it sports full ball bearings throughout the entire car. It was an awesome R/C vehicle.
YouFaceTheTick 4:49PM (7/20/2007)
I loved my old Kyosho Optima. I modded the hell out of that car and it'd race by real cars on our desolate road. Kinda fun at night to put the Camaro body (complete with working headlights) and street tires on it. Then I'd take it out and freak out drivers on our dark roads.
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Rocket Punch 5:16PM (7/20/2007)
WOW! I still remembers when they first launch this thing 20+ years ago....god I am old :(. It was such a big deal back them as this was suppose to the first 4WD RC from Tamiya. BTW, the suspension design totally doesn't work. They abandoned that design when they came out with the HotShot II, but the mono front shock design still remains.
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Robert 10:48AM (8/04/2007)
I never had a Hot shot; how bad is the shock design? All I hear is that is "doesen't work." Is it possible with the new shocks fitted on the re-release performance will be better? What were the flaws in the old design?
Nick 5:22PM (7/20/2007)
Yeah, I don't expect values of the original hotshot to be affected much if at all.
This is a great site with info on all the old cars and their projected value today:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/20/bring-the-toys-tamiya-reissues-the-hotshot/
Most interesting to me is the 959, though the Bruiser with its 3 speed tranny, ladder frame, and solid axles is also fascinating.
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Nick 5:24PM (7/20/2007)
And... I am officially an idiot. The link is here:
http://classictamiyarc.com/tamcars24.html
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Max 5:39PM (7/20/2007)
Anybody else have a Tamiya Frog?
My main memory is of some sort of broken capacitor, which I burned my fingers on.
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robbie 9:22PM (7/20/2007)
I have a Frog in the basement, seriously thinking about a frame-off restoration now, cause the Bugatti Royale is done
I used to go through gears and I totally remember frying my digits on the little resistor at the back!
Seriously, this thing is coming back out this weekend. Thanks Autoblog!
James K. 8:36PM (7/20/2007)
Wow... This is the best Blog EVER!!!! Cars and R/C are my two hobbies and this combines both!!!! :D
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peecarfan 5:00AM (7/21/2007)
What a throw-back! I have a Supershot, which is a slightly upgraded version with a shock in each corner complete with anti-roll bars. I saved up like mad back in the day and swore to myself I'd be into R/C cars for the rest of my life. Well, many years later, I'm still into cars but just not so much the remote-controlled kind!
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