April 28, 2021

Someone Is Building A Life-Sized Tamiya R/C Model That You Can Drive


Ask any child of the 1980s what names like the Hornet, Lunchbox, Sand ScoR/Cher, and Avante meant to them, and they will likely reminisce about one thing: Tamiya.

The original Tamiya Wild One (58050) was released in 1985, and became one of the brand’s most iconic models. Such was the popularity of the model it was even re-released in 2012 (58525) to further acclaim.

Now, one British company has announced that it will be building a life-sized Wild One dubbed the Wild One MAX for release next year.

Officially a 8/10th scale (rather than a 1/10th scale of the R/C), the Wild One MAX will be built by The Little Car Company—the same one who did the Bugatti Baby II and Aston Martin DB5 Junior.

True to its R/C counterpart, the Wild One MAX is a rear-wheel drive, off-road buggy. It measures around 3.5 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and weighs around 250 kilograms. With that, it will certainly take more space than the R/C kits of the past, but just like the original, owners will get the opportunity to assemble these models at home.


The Wild One MAX will have a spaceframe chassis with four-wheel coil-over suspension. It gets the power to the ground through 15-inch off-road tires on lightweight wheels. The buggy’s braking system includes hydraulic Brembo disc brakes on each corner, backed up by regenerative braking to maximize range.

When taking to the driving seat, customers will find an adjustable composite seat with a three-point seatbelt, digital gauges and a racing steering wheel. This allows drivers between 160 cm (5’ 3”) and 195 cm (6’ 5”) to get comfortable. There are even multiple driving modes including Novice, Eco & Race, which offer different top speeds, throttle mappings and power outputs according to driver skill level.

The base Wild One Max comes with a top speed of 48 km/h and a peak output of 5.5 horsepower. It has a single PowerPack onboard with a capacity of 2-kWh and a range of up to 40 kilometers depending on terrain and driving style.

However, if owners would like to go faster or further, several of the modular PowerPacks can be added to increase the performance and range.

As any big kid Tamiya fan knows, half the fun following the build of your Tamiya R/C car was delving into Tamiya’s upgrade catalogue to choose your Hop-Ups. The Wild One MAX will be no exception.


48 km/h not fast enough? There is a Hop-Up for that. Yearning for a four-point racing harness? The Little Car Company can help. High performance brakes and suspension? They’ve got that covered too.

On top of the individual Hop-Ups for the Wild One MAX, there will also be complete ‘Packs’, which can be added to your buggy. For example, a Tarmac Pack will provide owners with road-biased tires and mudguards.

And taking it one stage further, for those who wish to roam both off and, on the roads, there will be three Road Legal Packs so that the adventure can continue way beyond the workshop. These packs add the components required to build the vehicle to be compliant with EU and USA legislations. Parts will include brake lights, turn signals, reflectors and rear-view mirrors.

The Tamiya Wild One MAX is expected to cost starting USD 8,250 or around P 400,000. And yes, it will be sold globally. Customers can reserve a build slot right now at just a small £100 (P 6,755) deposit (click here to know more). Build slots are allocated on a “first come, first served” basis.

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