Kyosho manufacture some fine RC products, models expertly created by true enthusiasts, rather than bean-counters on a budget. Designed and manufactured in Japan, Kyosho has become a byword for quality in the RC world. Over the past 6 months we have reviewed a whole host of their items, so lets recap some of the Kyosho RC range.
Off Road Action
Whether it be 2WD, 4WD or AWD with powerful brushless electronics, Kyosho have a model suitable for your requirements at a reasonable price.
Kyosho Outlaw Rampage Truck
The Outlaw Rampage is an interesting truck that proved incredibly popularon our Instagram TV channel. A ready to run model, its simple, cleanly styled body sits upon a no-nonsense rear wheel drive chassis with solid rear axle.
The truck features flexible LiPo ready electronics, and when fed by a 2S battery the motor puts out more than enough power to trouble the rear wheels. Whilst aimed at beginners, the resulting performance can be a handful to handle on loose surfaces. Thankfully the Syncro KT-231P+ included with many of these models offers some assistance with its trim-able throttle dual rate .
This truck was most at home at the pump track where the firm surfaces allowed the rear wheel drive setup and relatively hard tyres to shine. You check out the full review in detail here.
Kyosho Axxe Buggy
The Axxe buggy is Kyosho's entry level off-road RC car. Its rear-motor, RWD chassis is a hoot to drive and the included electronics make a controllable beginner friendly model for teenagers or older children.
Ready to run, it includes an 1800mAh battery with trickle charger alongside the car itself, you only need supply the four AA batteries to power the transmitter. Learn more about it in our detailed review.
Kyosho Fazer Rage 2.0
For those looking for something a little more powerful, the Fazer Rage 2.0 features a 60A Speed house ESC hooked up to a G14L motor. This setup will accept a 3S LiPo and really tear up a trail.
The ready-to-run buggy features oil filled shocks, shaft drive AWD and overall great build quality. You can learn more about it in our review here.
On Road Racing
Back on hard tarmac (or even indoors) Kyosho produce a selection of cars aimed at the track/street racer inside us all!
Fazer T1 Toyota Supra
With its stickered up Mk4 Toyota Supra body, the Fazer T1 drift car certainly looks the part. A ready-to-run bundle, Kyosho include the transmitter, battery, charger and chassis, requiring only 4xAA batteries for its controller.
Ideal for the novice drifter, the Fazer arrives ready to drift with hard plastic tyres and shaft drive 4WD. The chassis has a shallow learning curve, allowing you to dial in the basics of drift car control in no time, albeit at the cost of adjustability.
Running the staple electronics found in the majority of 1/10th scale models featured in this article, the Fazer has the right amount of power to learn to drift with, whilst also allowing for a power upgrade with its LiPo compatible ESC. See the car in action and read about its pros and cons in our in-depth review.
Mini-Z : big fun even indoors
Celebrating 20 years in the making, Kyosho's Mini-Z range of 1/27th scale cars are more popular than ever. These palm sized cars are just 17cm long, can turn in under 50cm of space and will crack 35mph when modified. Shipped ready to run, they require just eight AAA-sized batteries to get going.
These are joined by the EX Madforce 'monster' truck, a dinky 6cm tall, 290g truck. Beyond cars, the selection includes a series of MOTO Racer sports bikes that have proved incredibly popular on our webstore.
Whilst some people struggle with the price of the models, owners appreciate the agility and speed not to mention the convenience of a car that can be driven indoors in an apartment or home on a rainy day. Want to learn a little more about Mini-Z? We debuted the range back in April in this introductory article.
Mini-Z Drift cars
We unboxed the R33 GT-R Skyline MA020 drift car for a closer look later the same year and were blown away by the performance and depth the package offers. The scale steering setup and digital ESC provide the fine control required for controlled drifting and it wasn't long till we had forgotten the size of the car we were piloting! The tuning market for these cars is absolutely massive from simple alterations such as a wheel swap to custom suspension springs, metal pinion gears and aluminium shock mounts!
Shipped with a set of spares and a whole stack of cones, it includes everything you need to train yourself in the art of scale drifting. We particularly liked the included LED light kit this particular edition included. Remotely switchable, they could be configured to strobe for a drift championship event feel.
Whilst we love to slide, we know drifting isn't for everyone. With this in mind we 'selflessly' reviewed the Mini-Z RWD Porsche 911 GT3. Much like its drift brother this tiny-scale car features a die-cast level of detail to its body.
The RWD chassis differs in layout and balance from the drift model with a more natural weight balance. The included tyres were more suited to grip racing on smooth floors and carpets, not the tarmac shown. A detailed manual introduces you into the basics of grip racing, weight shift and braking in a depth reserved for spec-racing kits!
A left-field addition to our selection, the Kyosho Zephyr Force Racing Drone offers a new way to operate racing drone, potentially lowering the barrier of entry to the hobby.
Operated by the same pistol-grip controller found on many of the cars in this article, the Zephyr Force was certainly unique to operate. Distance sensors in the base pair with an altitude adjuster switch to alter the height at which the drone holds. Find out more about this racing-drone for beginners in our in-depth review.
RC Geeks : RC Enthusiasts
We are confident that whatever Kyosho model you pick, you will enjoy a high quality, well-designed product that will last. Throughout our reviews we have had fantastic fun playing with these RC models, no matter which scale we picked up! We have a host of articles covering these models in depth, so search our blog archive for further information.
We are looking to expand the range of Kyosho models that we stock in the UK, so if there are any models or parts that you are looking for in particular, please let us know via our contact page or in the comments below.
Written by
Tom Begley
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