So I finally got some wheel time with the Tamiya Avante (and by extension, the Egress, since they’re closely related), and wow — as someone who’s still pretty new to RC racing, this thing feels like stepping into RC history. You can tell right away it’s not just another buggy; it’s one of those “dream builds” that Tamiya made to really stand out back in the day.
Building it was an experience in itself. Compared to the simpler chassis I’ve put together, the Avante has way more parts, and it feels like you’re assembling an actual little machine rather than just snapping pieces of plastic together. There’s aluminum, carbon fiber, all these intricate suspension links… it definitely takes longer to put together, but you end up learning a lot in the process. I had to slow down and really pay attention, which I think made me appreciate it more.
Driving it is kind of a mix of “whoa, this is amazing” and “okay, I need more practice.” The Avante handles differently from beginner buggies — it’s super responsive, and the suspension has this unique feel because of the way it’s designed. On a smooth track or packed dirt, it’s quick and agile, but you have to be precise with your steering and throttle. If you overdo it, the car will remind you that you’re not quite Masami Hirosaka yet. The Egress is like the Avante’s more refined sibling: longer suspension arms, lighter overall, and a bit more forgiving when you push it hard. It feels racier, but still keeps that same high-tech vibe.
For me as a beginner, I wouldn’t call these the easiest cars to drive — they’re not like a DF-01 or TT-02 where you can bash around and shrug off mistakes. The Avante and Egress reward smoother, more careful driving. But that’s also why I kind of love them. They force you to focus on consistency instead of just mashing the throttle, and you start to feel those little improvements in your driving every run.
The other big thing is the pride of ownership. These aren’t just RC cars — they’re shelf-queens and track-runners rolled into one. Even just sitting on my desk, the Avante looks like a piece of art. When you do take it out, it gets attention from other RC folks, and you instantly have something to talk about.
So yeah — for someone still new to RC racing, the Avante and Egress are maybe not the first cars I’d recommend if you just want easy fun. But if you want a chassis that teaches you finesse, makes you feel part of RC’s golden era, and gives you that “wow” factor every time you see it, they’re absolutely worth it.
Book updated May 2025.
The Tamiya Avante and Tamiya Egress are iconic 1/10 scale 4WD off-road buggies known for their high-end design and performance (especially during their 1988–1990 era and re-releases). However, both have room for performance and durability improvements. This is true even for the rerelease versions. Your upgrade goal and strategy for either should be guided by how you plan to use the car: shelf queen, vintage racer, or modern competition. If this is a shelf queen you will not need to do anything special. As a vintage racer, some mild upgrades would be good enough. For modern competition, you may want to dig deeper into certain aspects of the car.
Tamiya Avante/Egress Chassis RC Car Practical Upgrade & Maintenance for Beginners has been developed from the ground up for beginners who are new to Tamiya Avante/Egress cars (onroad, truck, Rally and Buggy). It gives an introduction to their architectures. The primary goal is to explain various RC technical concepts and essential DIY upgrade & maintenance techniques in very simple language. Modern features such as 2.4G radio, Lipo batteries and brushless systems are covered in addition to the more traditional RC terminologies, techniques and technologies. We believe that this book and its support materials have everything you need for an informative, interesting, challenging and entertaining RC experience with cars based on the Avante/Egress chassis (Egress has slightly wider wheelbase than Avante).
