Showing posts with label Tamiya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tamiya. Show all posts

Saturday, September 5, 2015

The Connection Between Dash! Yonkuro and Tamiya 4WD Revealed!












The Connection Between Dash! Yonkuro and Tamiya 4WD Revealed!


If you are into anime series and car racing tournaments, then do not dare to miss Dash! Yonkuro. It is an anime television series that was based on the Tamiya Mini 4WD. For those who do not know about Dash! Yonkuro and what the Tamiya Mini 4WD is, this article will help you to understand about both.


What Is the Tamiya Mini 4WD?

The Tamiya Mini 4WD is a miniature car produced by Tamiya, a Japanese company. It is the world’s most popular miniature car, first produced in the year 1982. Due to its popularity, many companies in the United States, Singapore and Russia, to name a few, have ventured into the idea of mini cars as well. There are different types of Tamiya Mini 4WD available in the market.
Though there are only six categories of the Tamiya Mini 4WD, it does not mean that there are only six designs of the miniature car. Each category is a series, which has a wide variety of designs that you can choose from. The pictures shown below are the selected models of each Tamiya series.

Tamiya Mini 4WD Pro


Tamiya Mini 4WD Pro Series – Nitro Thunder Blue Model

Tamiya Super Mini 4WD


Tamiya Super Mini 4WD Series – Tom Ghody Special Model

Tamiya Aero Mini 4WD


Tamiya Aero Mini 4WD Series – Knuckle Breaker Model

Tamiya Mighty Mini 4WD


Tamiya Mighty Mini 4WD Series – Variatron Model

Tamiya Mechanical Mini 4WD


Tamiya Mechanical Mini 4WD Series – Vise Intruder Model

Tamiya Mini 4WD Limited Edition


Tamiya Mini 4WD Limited Edition – Year of the Rat Model

What Is Dash! Yonkuro?

Dash! Yonkuro is the very first anime series that was based on the Tamiya Mini 4WD. There was in fact a sequel to Dash! Yonkuro that was based on the Tamiya Mini 4WD called Bakusou Kyoudai Lets & Go!!

In Dash! Yonkuro, Yonkuro Hinomaru, the protagonist, and the Dash Warriors, Yonkuro’s friends, are all crazy about the Mini 4WD.  It is all about climbing to the top and participating in the championship with the top performance of their Tamiya Mini 4WD.
Some of the Tamiya Mini 4WD models that you can see in the anime series are:
  1. Dash-1 Emperor (model number 18012)
  2. Dash-2 Burning Sun (model number 18015)
  3. Dash-3 Shooting Star (model number 18019)
  4. Dash-4 Cannonball (model number 18023)
  5. Rising Bird (model number 18017)
Aside from these miniature car models, tune-up parts and first chassis were also featured in this anime. The chassis that were introduced in the Dash! Yonkuro anime series are the Type-1 chassis, Type-2 chassis and Type-3 chassis. Without a doubt, this anime has definitely served its purpose.

The Growth of Tamiya Mini 4WD Sales After the Anime

It cannot be denied that the Tamiya Mini 4WD was already very popular, even before the release of the two anime series. Nonetheless, the two anime series featuring the miniature cars, certainly gave sales an extra boost.
The popularity of the miniature cars led to the boom of racing tournaments. However, racing nowadays is no longer about driving a car. It has now become about, tuning up your Tamiya Mini 4WD and letting it race on its own at a certain track. Tamiya Mini 4WD races do not rely on the skills of the driver, instead, it relies on the parts of your miniature car.

Improve Your Tamiya Mini 4WD Performance with Tune-Up Parts!

It is undeniable that there are owners of Tamiya Mini 4WD who want to upgrade their miniature car in order to achieve full speed. Fortunately, there are ways to improve the speed and stability of a Tamiya Mini 4WD. How? Simply by replacing their standard parts with upgraded parts. There are many available upgraded parts that are sold in the market.








 

Before you start upgrading your Tamiya Mini 4WD, you should understand the importance of each part first. Continue reading this article to have a good grip of how the parts work. It is now your chance of making your precious miniature car much faster than ever.

Understanding the Parts of a Tamiya Mini 4WD

Below are the different parts of the Tamiya Mini 4WD. Each part has available tune-up replacements, so do not just choose any part. Know what you really want for your miniature car. Always remember that each kind of tune-up part has its own specialty.

1. Motor

The best way that you can do to boost up the speed of your Tamiya Mini 4WD is to install a tune-up motor. Keep in mind that there are seven different kinds of upgrade motors. All seven of these motors are guaranteed much better in terms of performance compared to the motor that is included in the Tamiya Mini 4WD kit. Some are designed for cornering, while others are for reaching top speeds.

2. Gear Ratio

The gear ratio is the part that determines the motor’s top speed, acceleration, and output. The larger gear ratio is designed for acceleration, while the smaller gear ratio is designed for top speed.

3. Tires

When we are talking about a car’s performance, it cannot be argued that tires play an important role. The smaller the diameter of the tire is, the better. Why, because tires with a smaller diameter have better cornering.

4. Wheels

Just like the tires, wheels are very important. Each kind of wheel is designed for a specific purpose. Therefore, you have to select your wheels carefully. Make sure it is the right one for your application.

5. Rollers

Whenever you are racing on a walled circuit, rollers are undeniably significant. Altering your Tamiya Mini 4WD’s roller will allow your car to cope with the track’s demand. Always consider the roller’s size, angle and location whenever buying one. These aspects will determine the performance of your tune-up rollers. If you are planning to enter a racing tournament, check the regulations first regarding the use of rollers. Some tournaments have restrictions on how many rollers can you use for your Mini 4WD.




The five parts above are the most significant parts of a Tamiya Mini 4WD. Whenever upgrading your miniature car, always know what you want for it. Remember that each tune-up part serves a different purpose. The right kind of tune-up part for you depends on what you really want for your Tamiya Mini 4WD.

History and Succes of Mini 4WD Tamiya


The Tamiya Mini 4WD has been one of the most popular creations since the day it was produced by Tamiya, a Japanese company, in the early 1980s. Tamiya manufactures radio-controlled cars, plastic model kits, sailboat models, solar- and battery-education models and other modeling supplies and tools. The Tamiya Mini 4WD is a miniature car model that has become popular not just for young kids, but for adults as well. This article will unveil the successful history of Tamiya Mini 4WD.

When Was the Tamiya 4WD First Produced?

The Tamiya company produced their very first Tamiya Mini 4WD in 1982 and immediately became a favorite among many people. Since the first production of these miniature car models, it has turned into a hobby for many people all over the world to tune up and race their Tamiya Mini 4WD, several competitions are held every year.

In the beginning, the Tamiya Mini 4WD kits were sold solely by Tamiya’s exclusive distributor in the United States – the Model Rectifier Group (MRC). However, in 1989, the Model Rectifier Group was replaced by Tamiya America as the exclusive and sole licensed distributor of Tamiya Mini 4WD in the United States. Tamiya America is headquartered in California. It also conducts several competitions of the Mini 4WD, including the USA Mini 4WD Championships.

Anime Series Based on the Tamiya Mini 4WD

There were two anime television series that were based on the Tamiya Mini 4WD, Dash! Yonkuro and Bakusou Kyoudai Let’s & Go!! There was even an anime movie titled, Let’s & Go Tamiya, The Movie. The two anime series were produced in 1989 by Shogakkun under the commission of Tamiya. Soon after the release of the anime series, the sales of the Tamiya Mini 4WD increased dramatically.

Both anime series, Bakusou Kyoudai Let’s & Go!! and Dash! Yonkuro, featured different models from different series of Tamiya Mini 4WD. These anime series revolved around the story of Tamiya Mini 4WD owners competing against each other to determine who has the best model and upgrades of Tamiya Mini 4WD. These two anime series, especially Bakusou Kyoudai Let’s & Go!!, became a hit to people who are fond of Tamiya Mini 4WD and even to people who are not into miniature cars.

The Expansion of the Mini 4WD Market

Considering the growth, popularity, and sales of the Tamiya Mini 4WD, it was not a surprise when more companies decided to venture into manufacturing their own Mini 4WD cars. Some of the companies that have ventured into manufacturing Mini 4WD are Tokyo Marui, Hot Wheels, Hasbro, and Tonnka. Many of these companies decided to introduce their very own version of miniature car lines. On the other hand, there are also companies that decided to produce replicas of the popular Toyota 4WD. Soon after the Mini 4WD market became a world-wide market, popular even in countries like Thailand for example, who beat Japan’s record for the longest Mini 4WD track at 1,074.5 meters.