RCPRESS

From a hobbyist’s perspective, the difference between Tamiya Quick Drive (QD) and the XB series RTR kits is pretty striking. Quick Drive cars are clearly designed as a “plug-and-play” introduction. Everything comes pre-assembled with integrated electronics, so you can open the box and drive immediately. It’s great for casual users or younger drivers who just […]

I have to say that the Tamiya RC car manuals are almost as iconic as the kits themselves. When you first crack open a Tamiya box, the smell of fresh plastic parts and rubber tires hits you — and right under the lid is that thick, black-and-white manual. For me, that booklet is half the joy […]

When you look at Tamiya’s off-road history, the jump from the Hotshot to the Manta Ray feels like stepping from the “classic era” of RC into the beginnings of the modern age. The Hotshot (1985) was one of Tamiya’s first proper 4WD buggies, and at the time it was a game-changer. For a beginner like […]

When I first dipped my toes into off-road RC, the TT-02B was my buggy of choice. It’s basically the off-road version of the famous TT-02 touring car chassis — simple, affordable, and a great way to get into 1/10 buggies without breaking the bank. The build was straightforward, the parts were easy to find, and […]

When I first started in RC, the TT-02 was my entry point — and honestly, it’s still one of the best ways to get into the hobby. The TT-02 is affordable, easy to build, and super forgiving to drive. It’s basically the Swiss army knife of Tamiya on-road cars: you can run it with a […]

When I first saw the Jun Watanabe edition Hornet (58527), I wasn’t sure if it was a serious RC car or a fashion statement — and honestly, that’s what makes it so cool. It takes the classic Tamiya Hornet, one of the most iconic beginner buggies ever, and gives it a wild, artsy makeover thanks […]

When you look at the Tamiya DT-01 and DT-02, you can tell they’re from two different generations of Tamiya’s beginner buggies — and driving them back-to-back really shows how much things evolved between the two. The DT-01 is the older design, and it shows in the simplicity. It’s almost bombproof, with a big bathtub chassis […]

I still remember the first time I built a DT-02. It wasn’t the flashiest kit, and it definitely didn’t come with the bells and whistles you’d find on some of the higher-end buggies, but there was something about its simplicity that just clicked. The bathtub chassis was solid, the suspension was easy to understand, and […]

On an RC car, the relationship between the pinion gear (on the motor) and the spur gear (on the drivetrain) determines your gear ratio. When you run a larger pinion with a not-so-large spur, you’re gearing the car toward higher top speed at the expense of torque and thermal efficiency. Here’s what that means in […]