Celebrating 45 Years of Tamiya 2WD Off-Road Buggies - Tamiya Buggy Champ & BBX - Double RC Kit Build

BlackSeaRC presents a special video to celebrate 45 years of Tamiya 2WD off-road racing buggy evolution. To mark the occasion, we shall be undertaking a double RC kit build.

On 01 November 1979, Tamiya released the now iconic Rough Rider (kit number RA-1015 / 5815 / 58015). This was also known as the Buggy Champ in its Japanese home market. This 1:10 scale 2-wheel drive off-road model used a specially designed "Special Racing Buggy" chassis with lots of metal components for better performance, strength and durability. A month later, the Rough Rider was joined by the now legendary Sand Scorcher (RA-1016 / 5816 / 58016) and then in 1981, the Ford F-150 Ranger XLT (RA-1027 / 5827 / 58027).

These buggies were the start of an RC off-road revolution. Due to the success of the Rough Rider, a whole range of 2-wheel drive off-road buggies have followed.

On 15 July 2009, Tamiya launched the Buggy Champ 2009 (kit number 58441), a special limited production re-release to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rough Rider. It is closely based on the original kit, but incorporates a selection of discreet upgrades, including improvements to the die-cast metal components.

On 12 August 2023, Tamiya launched the BBX (kit number 58719), using the brand-new "BB-01" rear-wheel drive chassis. Like the very first Rough Rider, the BBX is 1:10 scale and has been designed to incorporate the latest off-road RC buggy technology for high-performance, durability and reliability.

In this video, you will be able to follow the construction of these buggies and see how they have developed over a 45 year period. The video includes the following:

Tamiya history (first RC car, first off-road capable RC car, "Special Racing Buggy" series).
Introducing the Tamiya Buggy Champ.
Packaging and box art.
Ancillary electrical equipment (CCP Acoms Techniplus AP-202 BEC 2-channel RC transmitter, 26.995MHz Band 1 Brown plug-in crystal, AR-2/27 receiver unit, AS-17 steering servo, Carson 7.2V Ni-MH hump battery pack).
Buggy Champ box contents with vintage blister packaging.
Buggy Champ instruction manual.
Buggy Champ kit build.
Overview of completed vehicle.
Inspiration for Rough Rider / Buggy Champ (Malcolm Smith and Bud Feldkamp's blue/white ISS sponsored "Bel-Ray Bullet", plus the Bob Maynard Racing orange/white buggy that became the Rob Mitchell Racing Rough Rider).
Power-up and functional tests (steering, throttle, suspension articulation).
Tamiya 2WD off-road racing buggy evolution 1979-2024.
Introducing the Tamiya BBX.
Packaging and box art.
Ancillary electrical equipment (Futaba 3PV 3-channel 2.4GHz RC transmitter, R304SB receiver unit, Hobbywing EZRUN Brushless System Combo with 3652SD BLK G3 3300KV motor and MAX10 G2 80A ESC with fan, Savox SC-1251MGB+ low profile steering servo, Core-RC 7.4V 4000mAh 2S LiPo battery).
BBX box contents.
BBX instruction manual.
BBX detailed kit build.
Overview of completed vehicle.
Suspension articulation.
Power-up and functional tests (steering, throttle).
Buggy Champ and BBX side-by-side comparison.
Beach photo shoot.

About Tamiya:
Tamiya Plastic Model Co. Ltd, Shizuoka, Japan, introduced its first radio-controlled vehicle, the Porsche 934 Turbo RSR in December 1976. It was allocated part number RA-1201 (later 58001). This was essentially a 1:12 scale plastic model kit integrated for hobby grade RC equipment. It was relatively fragile and intended for on-road use only. One year later, the first off-road capable RC car, the XR311, was released. In 1979, Tamiya released the first of the "Special Racing Buggy" series, the Rough Rider and soon after, the Sand Scorcher. The success of these highly capable 2WD off-road buggies meant that Tamiya quickly established itself as a leading manufacturer of high-quality RC vehicles. These scale-realistic high-performance on and off-road vehicles captured the imagination of adults and children alike and established Tamiya as a world-leading manufacturer of RC vehicles. In 1985, Tamiya launched the Hotshot, its first 4WD off-road racing buggy. Over the next 4 decades, Tamiya has been responsible for bringing us further iconic and legendary names and continues to make high-quality RC products to this day. To find out more, you can visit:
https://www.tamiya.com

About BlackSeaRC:
BlackSeaRC was established in 2020 to bring you a regular selection of interesting videos featuring scale realistic RC vehicles, accessories and equipment. Content includes unboxings and detailed reviews, kit builds, upgrades, modifications and customisation, vintage restoration projects, RC testing and driving adventures in scenic locations around the Black Sea and more. The BlackSeaRC collection currently includes models from 21 different manufacturers. To find out more, click the following links:
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