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Funtek Raid Adventure : A low-cost, Land Rover style RC car
So we have taken a good look at Kyosho’s Mini-Z range in a couple of previous blog articles, specifically their drift edition cars. But today we take a look at their rear wheel drive offerings. So let’s dive in and see if this very small but detailed car has as much to offer as the others in the range.
When you receive the Mini-Z RWD Porsche 911 GT3, much like the rest of the Mini-Z range, it will be in a black and white box with a clear acetate window in which you can see the car. Once you open this up it has everything you need to get started apart from 8xAAA batteries that are required to power the car and the transmitter.
This includes the pre-assembled car chassis, pre-painted shell, the transmitter, small cones, spare parts, a pairing stick and the instruction manual.
As mentioned in the other blogs regarding the Kyosho Mini-Z series, they do not come with batteries. The chassis runs off 4xAAA Batteries whilst the transmitter uses another 4xAAA batteries. With a RC Car of this price point, it would be nice to include some rechargeable batteries saving both the environment as well as the customers money.
We would recommend you pick up a set of 1000 mAh rechargeable AAA batteries in order to save marching through them as you race around. That way you save yourself some pennies as well as helping the environment so it’s a win win!
The Kyosho Mini-Z series models all feature impeccable body detail and the RWD Porsche 911 GT3 is no exception. When you receive this car, you will most likely be like us, in awe of the detail. If you own a die-cast model and have ever wished to drive it then this is one to get! The shell simply doesn’t miss a detail and some of the models really leverage that with their complex curves and edges.
The level of detail doesn’t stop on the outside either. When you take the shell off, you will see that Kyosho have covered every detail on the chassis too, which considering the size is even more impressive. The miniature suspension at the front and rear provides some travel and the small motor provides substantial power to those tiny rear wheels. The design alone makes you aware of how well thought through this model RC car is.
The Porsche 911 GT3 comes with a 2.4ghz FHSS transmitter and receiver. The transmitter requires 4xAAA Batteries which aren't included. We found the range to be very good and the comfort was adequate with the foam on the steering wheel and a textured grip on the spine of the controller. When we received the Mini-Z Porsche 911 the transmitter and receiver were not paired together but the instruction manual guides you along the process with the included pairing stick.
The controls on the transmitter are a bit more limited than usual but the basic ones are there, including your steering dual rate, throttle trim, steering trim and also a lighting adjustment dial if you add the optional LED upgrade kit. These adjustments are more than adequate for most users.
When taking this mini RC car for a spin, it was quickly apparent that it is more meant for indoor use as most outdoor surfaces are too rough for its very low ground clearance. Unless you have a fresh and super smooth tarmac surface then it will perform much better on a hard/wooden floor.
The steering is amazing making this very agile which is perfect for carving a route between the included cones. You can practise your slalom skills or lay out your own little race circuit and be amused for hours. With the little motor kicking out more than enough power, we found this a RWD model a joy to drive, allowing us to power slide through turns.
If you are a bit of a fiddler and like to tinker with things, then this RWD Mini-Z Porsche is for you as you can adjust the car to your hearts content whilst following the detailed instructions. You can follow the detailed exploded views to replace a broken part or to upgrade and customise the vehicle to make it yours.
For example, there are optional extras you can install yourself such as LED lights which go into the headlights and taillights of the shell. You can purchase this kit and be fully equipped for some night time driving or just to show off the level of scale detail. A bit like we did with the R33 GT-R Skyline MA020.
In conclusion, we think that the Kyosho Mini-Z Porsche 911 GT3 would make an excellent gift with potential as a first RC Car thanks to both the training mode on the transmitter and its small form factor. It would also be great for your more seasoned RC enthusiast looking for a small indoor car for those rainy days that retains some capability for adjustment and customisation.
You can purchase the Kyosho Mini-Z Porsche 911 in orange as well as silver from our website with many other bodies available within the Kyosho Mini-Z Range. You can also check out our range overview blog as well as a more in depth look at the Mini-Z Drift series. We hope you liked this blog and as usual, if you have any questions then please do leave them below and we will try our very best to help you out.
Written by
Alex Baily