10 Fun Off-Road RTR Trucks from Tamiya

Paul Onorato January 30, 2021 Stories

Tamiya XB Mercedes-Benz Unimog 406 Series U900 —#57843

Scale: 1/10
Chassis: CC-01
Drivetrain: 4WD

The Mercedes-Benz Unimog trucks have been around for quite a while and have had many iterations. The Unimog 406 Series U900 modeled here was built in the 1960’s. They were incredibly popular due to their prowess when off-roading. The term Unimog is an acronym for “UNIversal-Motor-Gerat” where Gerat translates into machine or device. These trucks were utilized in all types of environments like jungles, deserts and in the mountains. Mercedes equipped the 406 with a powerful 6-cylinder diesel engine, 8-speed transmission and lockable diffs that allowed it to conquer some serious off-road terrain. Underneath the Unimog body is Tamiya proven CC-01 chassis which has been around for a long time. It offers great performance and scale looks thanks to its independent front suspensions and rear trailing arm solid axle. As an added bonus, Tamiya gave this truck operational LEDs to depict the head and tail lights to give it that extra realistic touch.

Tamiya XB Mercedes-Benz Unimog 425 —#57896

Scale: 1/10
Chassis: CC-01
Drivetrain: 4WD

This XB built Tamiya truck is set up with the Mercedes-Benz Unimog 425. This version of the Unimog was developed and released in the 70’s following the Unimog 406 shown above. The angular body lines of the full size truck was accurately recreated by Tamiya in this great-looking 1/10-scale version. It is also mated to the Tamiya CC-01 chassis that gives you full-time 4WD with front double wishbone suspension, a rear 4-link rigid suspension with solid axle, and oil-filled shocks and those are the key features.

Tamiya XB Toyota FJ Cruiser —#57877

Scale: 1/10
Chassis: CC-01
Drivetrain: 4WD

Also spec’d on the Tamiya CC-01 chassis is this XB Toyota FJ Cruiser. The blue with white roof FJ body is an ultra-realistic copy of the full size Toyota SUV that hit the market back in 2006. The distinctive styling with round headlights, oval front grill, chunky fenders and trio of wipers drew quite a following. Tamiya molded this FJ body out of durable polycarbonate and to give it the added detail, ABS parts were created. The ABS parts are used for the front grille, spare tire cover, and side view mirrors. If you would like to boost the scale appearance, the front and rear light are setup so you can easily add functioning LEDs. Under the body rests the CC-01 chassis where the motor is positioned longitudinally and transmits its power via gearbox out to the front tires and via a propeller shaft to the rear tires for full-time 4WD. In order to give the CC-01 great maneuverability when off-road, the front and rear are equipped with gear differentials. If you need better performance of harsh terrain, the rear diff can be rebuilt so that it is locked.

Tamiya XB Mercedes-Benz G 320 Cabrio —#57898

Scale: 1/10
Chassis: MF-01X
Drivetrain: 4WD

Here is another Mercedes-Benz but a sport utility vehicle as opposed to the Unimog work trucks mentioned above. The Mercedes-Benz G 320 Cabrio is a convertible version of its popular G class of vehicles. Tamiya nicely replicated the convertible top and painted it black to further highlight this feature. Instead of the CC-01 chassis, Tamiya placed the fun to drive and easy to maintain MF-01X chassis. This shaft driven 4WD monocoque chassis is equipped with 4-wheel independent, double-wishbone suspension supported by friction shocks. This is a great car for someone starting out due to its affordability and ease of maintenance.

Tamiya MF-01X chassis.

Tamiya XB Suzuki Jimny JB23 —#57888

Scale: 1/10
Chassis: MF-01X
Drivetrain: 4WD

Another one of the Tamiya XB series of vehicles based on the MF-01X chassis is the Suzuki Jimny JB23. If you are familiar with these cool little Suzuki trucks, then you will know it is modeled after the 3rd generation Jimny that came out in 1998. The telltale feature is its modernized rounded body design that concealed a potent little fuel injected, turbocharged 658cc engine. For the RC version, the tough monocoque MF-01X sits underneath the well-detailed Jimny body. The integrated gearboxes are spun via a propeller shaft that is ultimately driven by a rear mounted motor. Gear differentials are found at the front and rear and mounted perpendicular to the chassis is the battery bay to offer excellent balance when tearing around on off-road terrain. The wheels have a split spoke design like you would find on a real SUV like this and are wrapped with Tamiya’s Rally Block tires.

Tamiya XB Cayenne S Transsyberia 2007 —#57769

Scale: 1/10
Chassis: DF-01
Drivetrain: 4WD

Rally racing fans will be drawn to this exotic high-performance luxury SUV since it is a copy of the Porsche Cayenne S that competed in the two week long Transsyberia Rally of 2007. This grueling race covered nearly 4,500miles and ran from Moscow, Russia all the way to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The full-size Cayenne S was outfitted with reinforced suspension and off-road tires that worked in unison with the traction and stability control of the Porsche to that it could successfully navigate rough terrain. River crossing were necessary in this race so large skid plates were added to protect the underside of the vehicle and the floor and doors were sealed to keep water from entering the cabin. Tamiya faithfully recreated this very special Cayenne S Transsyberia in lightweight polycarbonate that is painted and detailed to look just like the full-size rally vehicles. It is completed with the small details molded from ABS that help bring it to life like the snorkel that runs up the A pillar of the passenger side, the roof mounted light bar, rear spoiler and side mirrors. To help ensure great off-road performance, Tamiya enlisted their semi-style 4WD DF-01 chassis. It features four-wheel independent coil over suspension, full-time shaft-driven 4WD, and enclosed gearboxes with durable gear differentials.

Tamiya XB Toyota Land Cruiser 40 Pick-Up —#57880

Scale: 1/12
Chassis: GF-01
Drivetrain: 4WD

With one luck, you can tell that Tamiya created the XB Toyota Land Cruiser 40 Pick-Up for pure fun. It is based on the GF-01 4WD gear-driven chassis that is based around a lightweight and tough monocoque frame. The gearboxes are integrated into the chassis with the motor dropped right in the middle and it is designed to have a square setup where the tread and wheelbase lengths are near-identical. Inside of the sealed gearboxes spin reliable gear differentials to allow for tight turning capability. Fully independent front and rear suspension is supported by easy to maintain friction shocks. And for great response, the steering uses a two-piece tie rod design with the servo conveniently mounted on the left side of the chassis. Big oversize 110mm diameter treaded tires wrapped around black, 5-spoke wheels give the Land Cruiser its caricature-like look and a wheelie bar mounted at the rear will help keep this truck from flipping.

Tamiya XB Heavy Dump Truck —#57890

Scale: 1/24
Chassis: GF-01
Drivetrain: 4WD

Also based on the GF-01 chassis is the XB Heavy Dump Truck. The biggest difference is its molded yellow color for the chassis components and massive front truck bumper. On top of the 4WD chassis sits a realistic injection molded resin body with separate cab and rear bed parts. The body can alternate between flat and raised by adjusting the positions of two stays. Tamiya then gave it some meaty chevron style tires with pins that are mounted on deep rim yellow wheels. A Tamiya torque-tuned motor beats at the heart of the Heavy Dump Truck and is controlled by the Tamiya TEU-105BK speed control. Like on all of the Tamiya XB models, the electronics are already installed onto the chassis and all you have to get is the batteries and charger.

Tamiya XB Suzuki Jimny SJ30 Wheelie —#57862

Scale: 1/12
Chassis: WR-02
Drivetrain: 2WD

Another variant of the Jimny is the Tamiya XB special edition Suzuki Jimny SJ30 and offered on the WR-02. The WR-02 chassis is similar to the GF-01 with the main difference is that it is 2WD instead of 4WD. Tamiya also has this chassis setup for on-demand wheelies that can seemingly go forever thanks to the wheelie bar attached at the rear. The monocoque chassis is built to be extra tough to withstand hard driving. The gearbox is well-protected within frame and the oversized wheels and tires gives some extra cushion to the SJ30. A brushed 540 motor is attached directly to the gearbox and drives just the rear wheels. Notice the position of where the battery pack is placed. High on the chassis frame and toward the rear to help facilitate wheelies. This Suzuki Jimny comes with a blue molded ABS plastic body and sharp-looking shiny blue plated wheels. The blue and white theme of this special edition XB has the chassis and some other accent parts colored accordingly and makes this WR-02 a standout.

Tamiya XB RC Tractor Kumamon Version —#57881

Scale: 1/10
Chassis: WR-02G
Drivetrain: 2WD

Rounding out the 10 Fun Off-Road RTR Trucks from Tamiya is the very unique Tamiya XB RC Tractor Kumamon Version. If you want to have one of those rides that stands out in a crowd, a tractor complete with the Japanese mascot Kumamon at the wheel will surely to it. The Kumamon character is possibly the best known in Japan which is a country flooded with mascots yet is instantly recognizable. The super detailed tractor body is molded from polycarbonate, pre-painted in black, detailed with stickers and the Kumamon figure is molded from ABS plastic and placed in the driver’s seat. The WR-02G chassis is essentially the same one that is used on the Jimny SJ30 Wheelie, but is equipped with large tractor tires.