As the resident on-roader in the office, I see quite a few flagship TC’s make their way onto my desk. Because I’m so good at reviewing them (or the fact that no one understands on-road cars), I also get the privilege of doing some beginner vehicles. When this stunning Tamiya Lexus RC F TB-04 landed on the workbench, I shoved my way to the front and was running down the hallway before anyone knew what happened. Why would I do that, you ask? It’s not a top-tier TC by any means. Well, you’re right, but I’ve been wanting to play with a TB car for some time that had Tamiya’s IFS front end. I’ve also got an after-review project in mind that this platform would suit perfectly. I also LOVE the box art, meaning the finished Lexus body is going to be shelf-queen worthy.
AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Tamiya
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
PART NUMBER: 58595
HOW MUCH: $284.99
BUILD TYPE: Kit
FEATURE BREAKDOWN
• The chassis is your standard, single-piece Tamiya tub. It utilizes a left-side electronics/right-side battery configuration and a unique, enclosed spur gear unit. On the right side, the battery sits in a compartment that has been molded to accept square LiPo packs and has two different mounting straps; a full-length strap or a ‘swivel’ strap. I chose the swivel strap so you could see more of the battery; kind of an ‘Oh, check that out’ option. Right behind the battery is an unconventional transponder mounting box that allows you to feed a full-size AMB transponder into it (from the bottom) and secure it up top with a body clip. This is a great feature for those starting out that haven’t yet purchased a personal transponder. Mounted on the right side of the chassis are the electronics. Because the spur gear box takes up a little room on the right side of the chassis (behind the motor), space for electronics is at a premium. After installing the motor and servo, there was only room on the chassis for the ESC. While I’m not a big fan of it, I ended up mounting the receiver on the servo. If you’re dead set on mounting the receiver on the chassis floor, look into getting a shorty servo.
• The TB-04 features Tamiya’s infamous IFS suspension, or Inboard Front Suspension. What this does is remove the front shock tower, utilizing a cantilever system to actuate the lay-down shocks, which are plastic-bodied and use pre-load spacers for ride height. The suspension arms have four different shock mounting locations, anti-roll bar mounts and droop screw holes. The arm mounts can be replaced with option parts for tuning and the wheelbase can be adjusted by sliding the arms forward or back. Even the front cantilevers can be tuned.
• The TB-04 features a dual-bellcrank steering system that is semi-enclosed under the cantilever mounting deck. The servo rotates a horn with Tamiya’s integrated servo saver and a pair of steel turnbuckles reach out to the steering knuckles, each featuring a pair of holes for tuning.
• There is a gearbox at both ends of the TB-04, each containing fluid-filled gear differentials. Just in front of the rear gearbox is an enclosed spur gear box. This box contains a short, mid-shaft that connects to the spur gear assembly. Changing out the spur isn’t too much of a problem but does require you to remove a cover to access it. One cool feature that the TB-04 has is the spring-loaded center driveshaft. The front transmission output shaft has a spring in it that allows you to slide the shaft forward and then out of the car. Is this really useful? Probably not, as I’m really not sure how often I’ll be taking the shaft out, but it does make it super easy to remove and install should you need to.
• Finally, the visuals of the TB-04; the body, wheels and tires. Tamiya includes their generic rubber tires wrapped around a set of stylish multi-spoke wheels. The combo looks great and complements the Pièce de Résistance, the stunning Lexus RC F bodyset. Tamiya’s body designers are masters of reproduction; the bodies they produce are absolutely stunning! The lines are perfect and the sticker sheets are really next level … until you have to put them on. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always a very patient person; I like things done and done right now. This body was a practice in patience and took me around three hours to complete; that’s almost twice as long as it took to build the car. Now, after all that work, do I really want to risk wadding this body up? After the photo shoot it’s going on the shelf; maybe in an airtight case. Maybe some dramatic spotlights. Maybe even a motion-detector setup.
PROS
+ Tamiya’s excellent TB-04 chassis is super easy to build
+ IFS front end allows for lower, sleeker body styles
+ No electronics (not even a Mabuchi motor), so that helps keep the price down
+ Sealed drivetrain
+ Cool transponder mounting area
+ Trick center shaft installation
+ STUNNING body…
CONS
– …that takes almost three hours to complete, and then you’ll probably not want to run it!
– Space is limited for electronics
OUT TO PLAY
Since this car is geared more for the beginner, I decided to test it where a beginner might go … a parking lot. The surface I chose is somewhat gritty and has many cracks to simulate a semi-rough course. The biggest issue I had, however, was the tires. Most Tamiya cars come with a Mabuchi motor (in fact, this may be the first time I’ve reviewed a car in this ‘class’ that didn’t), so when out testing I can get a good feel for how a car reacts without a ton of horsepower pushing it around. Give the car some juice and you quickly overcome the limits of the tires. So, to give this car a fair shake, I ran the car with the stock tires and then threw on a set of racing rubber. I figured this review was on the performance of the chassis; most of you will swap out the tires right quick anyway.
STEERING
The TB-04 was fine at slower speeds on the stock rubber. Steering was positive and precise, but the moment you gave the car any throttle that quickly went away. The tires just can’t keep up at higher speeds and you soon find yourself with heavy understeer going into corners and counter-steering coming out. I was quick to appreciate the speed of the Savox servo as I was constantly on the wheel trying to keep the TB-04 in a straight line. On the modified rubber, you get a good sense of what this car can do. The steering was excellent but the biggest reward to the fresh tires was the added rear grip. There was still the push going in/oversteer coming out effect, but it was much more manageable.
ACCELERATION/BRAKING
With the LRP power I could easily light up the stock tires on heavy acceleration. Braking distances were also pretty long, the tires would lock up and the car would just slide, and that was with the brakes turned down! Once I installed the performance tires the TB-04 was a whole different animal. I could still spin the tires for about a foot but then they would dig in and launch the car. The LRP Flow delivers extremely smooth power to the X12 motor but is ready at any moment to dump the 7500mAh’s of juice right through it. I reset the brake power to 100% and made a few high-speed panic stops to see if I could get the drivetrain to skip under lockup but couldn’t seem to get it to falter.
HANDLING
Moving right along to the racing rubber, the TB-04 seemed happy around the makeshift track. Steering was good as was rear grip, and it handled the cracks in the surface like a champ. The rear of the car did bounce a little over the bumps but that could just be the light shock oil or an overly-heavy spring setup. The ride height also seems a bit high; that can be changed up front with the turnbuckles and out back with the pre-load spacers. As far as a parking lot car goes it is pretty fun to drive. If you plan on putting this car on a track, I would suggest a spring, shock oil and definitely a ride height change. Oh, and different tires!
DURABILITY
Tamiya does a great job of building some solid vehicles. The parts fit together with precision and they use machine screws to really cut into the plastic to keep things together. Tolerances are tight so the chances of things falling apart or flexing are almost nil. I was able to go through two full packs running at high speeds in a less-than-perfect track setting and it’s still as good as new. Be warned, though, that if you do decide to run the Lexus body in race-like conditions, there is a chance that the rear wing (or side mirrors, if you used them) will rip off in the event of a roll over.
SPECS & TUNING OPTIONS
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 18.9 in. (480mm)
WIDTH: 7.4 in. (188.2mm)
WHEELBASE: 10.1 in. (257mm)
BODY, WHEELS AND TIRES
BODY: Clear Lexus RC F
WHEELS: Plastic multi-spoke
WHEEL ADAPTER TYPE: 12mm hex
TIRES: Rubber with foam insert
SUSPENSION
TYPE: 4-wheel independent
SHOCK POSITIONS: (F) 1-cantilever, 4-arm, (R) 4-tower, 4-arm
CAMBER: Adjustable turnbuckles
ROLL: Adjustable ballstud heights
WHEELBASE: Adjustable
RIDE HEIGHT: Pre-load spacers on shocks
MISC: Kick up, anti-squat
STEERING
TYPE: Dual bellcrank
TOE: Adjustable turnbuckles
CHASSIS
TYPE: Tub
MATERIAL: Molded plastic
THICKNESS: N/A
DRIVETRAIN
TYPE: 4WD
TRANSMISSION: None
DIFFERENTIAL: Fluid-filled gear
GEAR RATIO: Optional pinion gears
BEARINGS: Metal shielded
CLUTCH TYPE: None
WRAP UP
Tamiya’s TB-04 is a great car for anyone looking to sink their teeth into on-road racing. The sealed drivetrain reduces repair and maintenance, the Inboard Front Suspension works great and allows you to mount some pretty sleek body sets. There is a bevy of aftermarket support for this car that will allow you to turn the plastic-tubbed beginner model into a carbon fiber racing machine. Then, of course, there’s Tamiya’s stellar body line up. The included Lexus RC F body requires quite a bit of work to complete but, once done, it’s an absolute masterpiece. Just make sure to bring some tissue with you on your maiden drive; if you crash this car (and wreck the body), you’re going to need it!
LINKS
Futaba, futabausa.com, (217) 398-8970
LRP, lrp-america.com, (949) 276-6060
Savox, savoxusa.com, (800) 622-7223
Tamiya, tamiyausa.com, (800) 826-4922
