Tamiya offers a wide range of RC car kits that cater to all skill levels, from beginners to experienced hobbyists. Their kits provide an excellent opportunity for enthusiasts to build their RC cars from scratch, fostering a sense of accomplishment and pride. These kits typically include all the necessary components, such as the chassis, motor, electronics, and detailed assembly instructions. Building a Tamiya RC car kit not only hones one's technical skills but also offers a deeper understanding of the mechanics and engineering principles behind these machines. Due to it’s extreme maneuverability and high speed we have named this powerful buggy the “HORNET”. With front independent suspension using a friction damper, and rolling rigid rear suspension with oil filled dampers, plus a lightweight polycarbonate body, this aggressive vehicle is aptly named.

And yet despite these aesthetic considerations the car is still 100% functional and uncompromising as an R/C model. This was the genius of Tamiya’s design work during the “character car” era. It’s something they carried across several beautiful buggies. And it’s also something that no other R/C model manufacturer was ever quite able to replicate. Often they would copy Tamiya’s ideas, but they were never quite able to copy Tamiya’s eclectic and unusual inspirations – and pull them off. Tamiya's careful attention to quality, their commitment to ease-of-assembly, and their wealth of experience in the radio controlled kit car arena, makes the Tamiya brand popular with both old and new hobbyists.

First released on the 9th of October, 1984, I suspect it went on to become Tamiya’s biggest selling R/C car ever – although I have no specific proof. Tamiya has never released any sales figures. But the impression I got growing up in Australia was that this was by far the most popular Tamiya buggy of the era. And combine that with the fact that it was available for 8 years from 1984-1992, and there’s no doubt it had an incredible sales run.

Tire Width/Diameter: 21/73mm (Front), 49/86mm (Rear) ●Bathtub-Type Frame ●Suspension: Front Independent Swing Axle, Rear Rolling Rigid Mating the gearbox with the chassis. What's up with those weird tiny springs?? Plus, I greased the moving parts just as suggested in the manual, even the slots for the rolling rear axle. Not that great for actual running in dirt, as I found out later. instead of the hornet (good car) a much better and more user freindly option would be say a holiday buggy or something on the dt02 chassis, this opens up a world of options for you for the future. Chassis complete, plus a pair of Grasshopper / Sand Scorcher rear wheels for tarmac running. Woohoo! Thankfully the boxart Hornet has a very simple 1-tone-paintjob. Peeling off the overspray film to reveal a mirror finish surface felt very rewarding. Getting the decals to line up well was tough, though. The re-re Hornet comes with silver decals for the roof tube structure as well, which just won't stay were they should be. This is were Shoegoo came into play. I did several runs with the Hornet before getting the driver figure and front lights done.The box. I was pretty intimidated by its contents, so many parts that need to be put together, and even a bodyshell and driver figure to be painted. I felt like being thrown into cold water. Battery tray retainer for Hornet with no-tab trans: https://www.shapeways.com/product/KU6R78L27/battery-tray-retainer-for-hornet-with-no-tab-trans?optionId=59110649 Since the Hornet is an upgrade from the Grasshopper, it’s no surprise that they are incredibly faster than the Grasshopper since they can reach speeds as high as 43.4Mph. How fast is the Tamiya Grasshopper? I must have poured over that catalogue a million times growing up, and here’s the classic product photo of the Hornet as Tamiya intended it to be… Released on 4th May 1984, the Grasshopper had a bright green (grass-like) striping and angular body that gave it a natural aesthetic look of a Grasshopper insect. As with the Hornet, the Grasshopper was a 2WD 1/10 scale off-road buggy Baja that was rugged. However, it was one of Tamiya’s most affordable buggy at 7400 Yen when released.

If you are looking to get one of these old hobby-grade vehicles, you need to be able to differentiate them. The main difference between the Hornet and the Grasshopper The differential is enclosed in a sealed gearbox to ensure that dust and dirt stay outside, allowing it to continue providing the Hornet's trademark smooth cornering.The shell of the Grasshopper is designed using ABS plastic as opposed to the polycarbonate body of the Hornet. The body is polycarbonate (clear) and will need to be painted on the inside with a particular type of paint,you would need to add that to your cost. I particularly love the wheels and tyres on this car, which are shared between it and several other Tamiya buggies. Each wheel comes in three-pieces, all joined together by little screws so they are quite elaborate. The tyres all have high side-walls – not that efficient because they aren’t as rigid during cornering as today’s low-profile tyres. But they have a lovely, scale dune-buggy look about them. And the fact they are so fat – particularly at the rear – is all part of that 70s/early 80s-philosophy where a lot of cars in various motorsport around the world (even Formula 1) were thought to perform better if they had massive, fat rear tyres. The Hornet uses a 540-type motor while the Grasshopper uses a 380 motor, making them less fast than the Hornet. THIS KIT INCLUDES UPGRADED 3300MAH BATTERY, FAST MAINS CHARGER and SUPER STRENGTH METAL GEARED SERVO!