What happens if dynamic modeling meets sport? The staff of Mini 4WD Sport tells it briefly in this article!
Dynamic modeling is the hobby of building, customizing and driving models, but have you ever thought of physically driving your scale model?
In the 80’s Tamiya decided to produce and market 1:32 scale reproductions of known 1:10 scale RC models, Hotshot, Avante, Hornet, to name a few of the most famous, calling them “Mini 4WD“.
They were the Jr. version of the big brothers who had already earned considerable success among Asian and other dynamic modelers.
The mini 4WDs are small model cars equipped with a class 130 engine, powered by 2 simple AA batteries, characterized by the absence of a steering system and the presence of four driving wheels.
They’ve been advertised in 1987 through the work of a Japanese mangaka, Tokuda Zaurus, Dash! Yonkuro. Zaurus, with his intuition, reinterpreted the concept of dynamic modeling, if you are between 30 and 40 years old surely you have also known the TV series broadcast on many television networks in different countries of the world which made the budding modelers of that period literally mad.
In the manga the protagonists challenge each other in rally-style competitions by piloting their own models, which are not toys but real racing cars (cit.), using a hockey stick or making them run inside tracks with raised sides. Subsequently, given the commercial success of the product, Tamiya decided to dedicate an entire production sector to these assembly kits, which still today benefits from technical and aesthetic updates and a rich arsenal of hop ups.
In Italy a group of boys, driven by the enthusiasm of these races with a “driving stick”, gave birth to a circuit of races and events based on off-track races that from north to south puts together pilots-athletes in a federation called Mini 4WD Sport. The competitions take place mainly in open places such as parks and squares and include the preparation of the car (use of spike tires, more or less powerful gear ratios, lights for night races) to better adapt to the type of ground to be tackled as well as the driving style of the pilot.
Mini 4WD Sport is very active on social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) where it informs the numerous followers about the scheduling of events and shares tutorials on the preparation of these little jewels in 1:32 scale.
If you are curious, you can use the contacts below for more information or ask to attend one of the rallies to
“The world is your track!”
The staff of Mini 4WD Sport