So, can the Tamiya TD4 really be a serious racing buggy? Honestly, it depends what you mean by “serious.” Tamiya kits have always had a kind of split personality: they’re brilliantly engineered, fun to build, and full of character, but they’re not usually the first choice when you think of hardcore race machines. The TD4 (or Super Avante) is no exception.
On the track, it’s a mixed bag. The design is clever—those inboard shocks and the enclosed drivetrain are classic Tamiya touches, and they make the car feel tough and different from the cookie-cutter race buggies you usually see. It’s stable, it handles dirt well, and if you’re just running laps at your local club, it can definitely hold its own. Plus, it looks like nothing else out there, which counts for something when everyone else’s buggy looks basically the same.
But once you start comparing it to proper race kits from Associated, Schumacher, or Xray, the gaps start showing. The TD4 is heavier than most modern race buggies, and the suspension geometry doesn’t have the same razor-sharp tuning potential. If you’re chasing podiums every weekend, you’ll probably notice that you’re working harder to keep up. And because not many people race them seriously, you won’t have the same pit-lane support for spare parts or setups like you would with the more common brands.
That said, there’s something fun about showing up at a race with a TD4. You’re not just running another copy-paste race buggy—you’ve got a car that feels special, both to build and to drive. At club level, in the right hands, it’s definitely competitive enough to mix it up. Just don’t expect it to dominate a field full of purpose-built race machines.
So yeah, the TD4 can be raced, and you’ll have a blast doing it. But calling it a “serious racing buggy” is stretching it a bit. I’d say it’s more of a hobbyist’s racer: fun, unique, capable enough to surprise people, but not quite the weapon you’d choose if your only goal is winning trophies.