How To Get Into Hobby RC: Indoor RC Cars
Being able to operate an RC vehicle inwards the convenience of your own home provides a lot of benefits. Here’s one model that doesn’t trade convenience for spectacle.
Being able to operate an RC vehicle inwards the convenience of your own home provides a lot of benefits. There is much to be said for having a little RC joy night or day, regardless of the weather outside. In the case of RC cars, the tradeoff for such convenience is usually sub-par spectacle. In fact, many living room-capable RC cars are toy–grade rather than hobby-grade.
The good news is that more and more puny and feature-rich, hobby-quality cars are hitting the market. Some are downright little. Albeit not the smallest, Kyosho’s Mini-Z line of cars certainly has the best scale-like appearance. It turns out that these minis are rather sporty too.
Mini-Z Features
I should begin off by telling that there are several types of Mini-Z models. The can be had in 2-wheel-drive or 4-wheel-drive versions and as cars, trucks, buggies, or formula one racers. There are further subdivisions within each of those categories. It would take much too long to discuss them all.
Kyosho USA provided a Mini-Z version of the Ferrari LaFerrari from their MR-03 Sports series ($160) for this review. At 1/27 scale, it measures right at 7″ long. Not only does this model compare in size to the 1/24 and 1/25-scale plastic car models that I built as a kid, but the level of detail is right there as well. Most RC cars utilize vacuformed Lexan bods. Those bods are utterly harsh and resilient, but are brief on detail. The LaFerrari wears a elaborate, injection-molded assets that looks better than any static model I ever built.
The detailed figure certainly looks fine, but it raises questions of durability. A long-term opinion is still pending. I can say at this point that it looks almost as good after a month of testing as it did on the day I opened the box. Protruding parts such as the rearview mirrors and windshield wiper are made of a rubbery material that gives way on influence. The mirrors are still holding on, but I do see signs of material tiredness. They won’t last forever.
Granted, a low-slung supercar such as this isn’t subject to common rough and tumble RC shenanigans such as launching off of ramps and tumbling down stairs. Even so, it has seen its fair share of table gams, door frames, kick plates, and other hard, stationary, household objects. My initial assessment indicates that this car will proceed to look good for a while.
I was truly astonished to see how many different figure styles are suggested for the Mini-Z series. I count forty five different bod/color choices within the MR-03 Sports lineup. At a glance, they all seem to be on par with the detail seen on the LaFerrari. Kyosho claims that the figures within this series are interchangeable. So, you can mix it up if you ever get bored with your current bod style, or need to substitute it.
Removing the bod exposes a plastic chassis with features similar to larger RC cars meant for paved tracks. It is rear-wheel-drive with a gear differential. The rear axle and motor are paired on a pod that is joined to the main chassis with a ripple plate-type suspension. A single friction shock (no oil) provides damping for the rear pod. The front wheels rail on independent suspension with petite coil springs.
The Mini-Z calls for four AAA-sized alkaline cells for power. I’ll admit that I was disappointed by this. I would much rather have rechargeable batteries to power the vehicle. The good news is that rechargeable cells will fit and work just fine. After running with the alkaline batteries for a while, I exchanged in a set of AAA-sized 800mAh NiMH cells. Albeit the NiMH cells have lower voltage (1.2v vs 1.5v per cell), I can’t tell any difference in spectacle.
A brushed motor provides power to the wheels. It is wired directly to a circuit board that contains an electronic speed control and a Two.4GHz radio receiver. I have seen other puny RC cars that had only all-or-nothing “bang bang” steering. The Mini-Z, however, uses a digital steering servo that provides fully-proportional control.
Albeit the Mini-Z is rather puny, the included KT-19 transmitter is full-size and convenient. It has knobs for adjusting steering trim and steering volume (aka “end point adjustment”). There is a third knob that can be used to set the brightness of an optional headlight set on the car.
Like the car itself, the transmitter uses four AAA batteries. They are held in a removable cartridge that resides in the radio’s treat. My only gripe about the KT-19 is that the power button looks very similar to the battery release button. More than once, I’ve gone to turn on the radio but pressed the wrong button and dumped the battery cartridge on the floor instead.
Driving the Mini-Z
Most of my house has tile floors, which is a fine surface for running the Mini-Z. There isn’t much ground clearance, so I think that you may have trouble attempting to slog across shag carpet. The solid rubber slicks on the car provide only moderate traction on the tile. If I manage the throttle effectively, I can get a good slot shot and hold speed through sweeping turns. If I get punchy with the throttle, the rear end will break liberate. This is similar to my practice when driving the Mini-Z on wood floors as well.
I have no idea how prompt the LaFerrari is. I’m sure that if I put it up against one of my larger RC cars in a haul race, it would get left in a cloud of dust. Yet, when driving the Mini-Z indoors, it sure feels rapid. Even when I’m turning laps around my living room couch as quick as I can, I uncommonly hit full-throttle.
The Mini-Z can be driven outdoors as long as the surface is slick. I like to drive on my concrete driveway. The car gets truly fine traction there, so I can drive swifter without causing spinouts.
Overall the Mini-Z is indeed joy to drive. Anyone can drive it without much concern for cracking the car or anything in the house. At the same time, it has the power and agility to display astounding spectacle when it is driven aggressively and skillfully.
The car has survived several weeks of testing without any mechanical failures or harm from crashes. The only maintenance that I’ve performed is hair-related. One of my dogs is part Malamute – mostly the part that sheds. I often find myself plucking white dog wool from the rear axle and front wheel bearings to get the car back in top form.
Mini-Z Racing
In many ways, Kyosho’s Mini-Zs are among the most refined small-scale cars. That is very likely because they are also the oldest. The original Mini-Z was introduced in 1999. Since that time, the series has been refined and expanded. These cars are now popular all over the world.
Because of the cars’ petite size, race tracks can be set up in relatively restrained areas. There are many well-established tracks around the globe that host organized Mini-Z racing. As with all forms of RC racing, the competition is raunchy. Do a quick search on YouTube for “Mini-Z Racing” and prepare to be amazed by the speed and agility of these diminutive cars.
Several companies suggest hop-up parts for the Mini-Z series. These parts range from brushless motors and LiPo batteries to carbon fiber chassis components and extra goopy tires. Even for those who don’t race, the customization options for Mini-Zs are fairly broad.
As winter approaches and outdoor RC activities become less practical, indoor vehicles such as the Mini-Z suggest an alternative. Check out the links below to view some of the micro-scale RC car options that are available.