LIFELONG OBSESSIONS START HERE – Tamiya’s X-SA Series Brings The Classics To RC Beginners & Lifetime Fans Alike

The sight of these two RC vehicles together conjures up great memories in lifelong RC obsessed fans such as myself. We’re sure that, if you’re a child of the ’80s or ’90s who grew up with RC in your youth, you would agree.

Tamiya has been producing fun-to-build and even more fun-to-drive RC vehicles since the hobby’s earliest days. Well-known for their off-road buggies and trucks, Tamiya’s ’80s-era RC vehicles were a giant leap above the toy-grade RCs that graced store shelves at that point in time. Iconic models such as Grasshopper, Hornet, Lunch Box and Midnight Pumpkin—just to name a few—were the foundations on which many an RC hobbyist started and built upon his or her obsession.

Tamiya’s nostalgic RC kits are so popular that the company still sells many of the same vehicles today. In fact, Tamiya’s re-releases have been a smashing success worldwide as evidenced by their ramped-up releases of old favorites. Up until recently, these kits were relegated to those who enjoy building their vehicles. While assembling your own car or truck is a fun and worthwhile activity, we now live in an age where RTR, or ready to run, vehicles are all the rage.

SEMI-ASSEMBLED

There are merits to both assembly-required and pre-assembled RC kits. Assembling your own kit allows you to learn about the inner workings of the vehicle and arms you with the knowledge that if anything breaks on it you’ll know exactly how to fix it. An RTR, on the other hand, takes you directly into the action as soon as you can unbox the vehicle and charge up its battery. Tamiya now offers a bridge between the built-it-yourself kit and an RTR. The brand’s latest line of RC cars are known as X-SA, which stands for Expert-Semi-Assembled.

Assembly kits are a big part of what Tamiya is all about, but the company also understands that some enthusiasts may not have the time or confidence to take on the complete assembly of an RC model. To bridge that gap Tamiya has come up with the X-SA series, which features a fully assembled and set up chassis along with a fully painted body with marking stickers already applied. Tamiya even includes its TEU-105BK ESC (electronic speed control). All you need to do is to provide an RC transmitter (radio controller) and install a receiver, steering servo and a charged-up battery pack and you’re ready to drive.

Tamiya’s X-SA series vehicles are perfect for new hobbyists who are just getting into RC but still want to do some of the final assembly work. Think of the X-SA as a 90% complete RTR—just a few final assembly steps and you’re out the door and running your RC. Best of all, these semi-assembled kits were built by the experts at Tamiya so you can rest assured that they are done right.

NOSTALGIC LINE UP

X-SA models include Tamiya’s longtime favorites, the Hornet off-road buggy and Lunch Box monster truck, as featured here. The series also includes another famous off-road buggy, Grasshopper, and monster truck, Midnight Pumpkin, as well as the more modern Racing Fighter buggy and small-scale Lunch Box Mini. It’s hard to choose just which one to take home with you. We experienced the same struggle, which is why we ended up featuring two vehicles in this article.

FINISHING THE BUILD

As already mentioned, the X-SA kits come pre-assembled and include an ESC. All you need to do is provide an RC controller, receiver and steering servo for final assembly. In typical Tamiya fashion, the company includes well-illustrated instructions and everything you need to assemble the kit minus very basic tools such as a screwdriver and plastic side cutters.
The kit comes with all the parts you need, plus both the full-length instructions and an X-SA-specific assembly guide. We gathered our accessories, which consisted of a KO Propo EX-II transmitter, a matching KO Propo receiver and a KO Propo servo, and got to work. Along with the included Tamiya ESC, installation of these items went smoothly and everything fit perfectly. We’d say that the assembly would be easy to tackle for even the greenest RC novices. Rolling up your sleeves and getting some work done on your kit is gratifying and does give you a sense that if anything were to go wrong you would know how to handle it.
We like how Tamiya’s experts completed the bodies. To be honest, we don’t think we ever had a better finished body. The paint is perfect and so is the decal application. For lifetime fans, these X-SA kits reveal another aspect to the enjoyment of RC. We’re talking about collecting and displaying.

COLLECTORS REJOICE

Yes, RC vehicles are meant to be enjoyed while they are driving around, but they are fun to look at and collect, too. It’s one thing to collect an unassembled kit that sits in its box, but there’s a whole other level of enjoyment when you see an expertly built kit on display. For those looking for a Tamiya factory completed vehicle, the X-SA is a godsend. We have to admit that we’re planning on buying the X-SA Grasshopper just to put on our shelf, with no intention of adding electronics to it or driving it. We just want it to look pretty, sitting on display.

Kit Options

Tamiya X-SA Hornet

Type: Semi-assembled Kit
P/N: 46703
Scale: 1/10
Price $254
Includes: TEU-105BK ESC, extra parts, four-way wrench
Requires: 2-channel radio, steering servo and 7.2-volt battery pack and compatible charger

TAMIYA x-SA Lunch Box

P/N: 46701
Scale: 1/10
Price $279
Includes: TEU-105BK ESC, extra parts, four-way wrench
Requires: 2-channel radio, steering servo and 7.2-volt battery pack and compatible charger

FINAL THOUGHTS

Whether you’re an RC newbie or a longtime Tamiya-phile, the X-SA series of kits offers something for everyone. The vehicles are iconic and fun to drive and have been the foundations for many RC enthusiasts for the better part of four decades. There’s a reason they’re still around and enjoyed the world over. We’re excited about the X-SA series for their drivability as well as collector and display reasons. We can’t get enough of these kits and we’re sure you won’t be able to, either.

Source:
Tamiya USA tamiyausa.com

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Text and Images by Jerry Tsai