Mini 4wd
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:Cleanup-date A mini 4wd is a small (ratio 1:32) battery powered race car without a remote control or steering mechanism. It was first created by the Japanese company Tamiya in 1982. Since then racing and tuning up mini 4wd cars has become a hobby for people across the world. Both cars and parts can usually be found in hobby shops.
The popularity of the car would encourage other companies, including Tokyo Marui to bring out their own line of cars. Marui's line included licensed versions of Kyosho's and their own cars, but the company would discountinue all car production including radio controlled cars, in the early nineties to concentrate on airsoft guns.
To feed on the high popularity of the cars, Tamiya commissioned Shogakukan who owned the publishing rights, to produce two animes TV series based on the Mini 4WD cars, one of them was Dash! Yonkuro in 1989 via Tokuda and the later in 1996 Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go. The latter series spawned two followups Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go WGP and Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go MAX in two subsequent years. In 2001, the franchise would finally spawn a feature film Let's & Go!! Tamiya, The Movie about the Gunbluster XTO car which Tamiya would subsequently bring into production.
In 1997, Tamiya America introduced the first mini 4wd cars (from the Fully Cowled and Aero series) to the United States. Tamiya started out with its first car series, Racing, and then went on to Super, Fully Cowled, Aero, and Mighty. Every year, Tamiya holds a Great Japan Cup, a big mini 4wd racing event. (but stopped in 1999 because Tamiya would promote their new racing product "Dangun Racer" which has begun in 2000)
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Auldey
Auldey is another company (the second largest in the world) that produces mini 4wd cars. It is a Chinese company which recently made a set of cars known as the Team of Dream. Most of these cars uses chassis that Auldey made, the LV (designed after VS) and LW (designed after X).
Every year, Auldley has a huge final race for the Auldey Cup. During this race, selected racers from different provinces must go through Auldey's largest track, the Five-Lane Huge Dragon.
Okami
Okami is a company that produces high quality hop-up parts. The company is especially recognized for making trikes, or three-wheel cars. Okami also sells parts, Tamiya doesn't make, such as Aluminum Wheels and armatures to make your own motor.
These cars are in a class of their own. They are commonly known by other names such as fence cars and track cars. Although highly unpopular in the United States, this hobby is highly popular in Asia and Europe. These cars are intensely studied and require a lot of time and knowledge to go to their top speeds. As of now, the record holder for the fastest car is a man known as Bin Lang Wang from Taiwan, with a car speed of over 23 meters per second. Video clips of these cars running can be found below:
ftp://mini4wd@ftp.tcfans.org:2121/Mini4wdVideo/ShowTime/4WD_All_Auldey.mpg
ftp://mini4wd@ftp.tcfans.org:2121/Mini4wdVideo/ShowTime/3WD_By_Wang_Haifeng.mpeg
ftp://mini4wd@ftp.tcfans.org:2121/Mini4wdVideo/ShowTime/shanghai_hailun.mpg
http://www.tcfans.org/download/video/3WD_First.mpg