Update on the Yokomo Sonic Racer
 

Here's an article we scanned from a Japanese RC Magazine; this looks like one killer package - the tiny cells and sensible component placement suggest that this will be a great platform:

Can't wait to get more details on this one!!! 1/24-1/27 scale rc is expanding at an amazing pace. The nice thing about this scale is that you can race them in places not possible with 1/10 or 1/12 scale. This makes year round racing possible for many who never had the chance before. This is the most excited I have been about this hobby in over 20 years!!!

wow! those look like mini-z wheels and a ball diff similiar to a mini-z, is it? i bet that thing handles good, do you know when they will be in?

Not yet, but we'll get them as soon as they are released in Japan! :D

Apears same size as Mini-Z... apears to hold the mini-z bodies there apears to be a tab or whatever were the bodie posts would grab.. wich makes me want the GT40 body they have for the sonic for my Mini-Z but ONLY if I can just snap it onto my Z ;).. and I hope its non painted or comes in various colors...

it looks a little wide for a mini-z. i don't know though because i have neve seen one in real life

Well that photo is probly 6mm wider then usual yea.. because it has the GOLD CLK rims on it !!! :)

Any news yet on when and how much yet TinyRC?.

No news yet - I'll post info as soon as I have it! Thanks!

i thought it was to be called the m1

oh, i read it will be around $100-150 and includes radio and batteries(nimh). read about the prototype:: http://www.radiocontrolzone.com/foru...ghlight=yokomo

check out these links too http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-...ic/sonic_b.jpg http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-...nic_kata_b.jpg

Yokomo
 

Those wheels look very similar to the CLK wheels, don't they?
I reckon the design makes sense.
I'd probably get one of those before I get an ABC DTM

I wonder how sturdy the chassis is? And the way that the servo sits doesnt look very promising if its only those clicps that hold it in. But hey u never know until u test it out:cool:

Mondo, I think that they are CLK wheels, or are exact clones - the Sonic Racer is designed to be extremely Z-compatible, including bodies, wheels, diffs, etc.

WOW! This looks REALLY KEWL! I'm VERY INTERESTED (but unlike Mondo... AFTER my DTM... LOL).

TinyRC... is RadioControlZone yet ANOTHER sister site?

Nope - it's RC Car Action magazine's Forum.

tinyrc (gawd, i almost called you mini-z, lol) my question is, would you really want radiocontrolzone.com? sounds like an assload of work, lol.

Not sure about a lot of work, but their site really sucks - each car, e.g. Mini-Zs, only gets one THREAD! Not even a sub-forum, but a single thread, like this one, to discuss every aspect of the car. Yuck! :rolleyes:

That's exactly what I thought! It was WAY to unwieldly for me to have to read EVERY post and then figure out who said what about that when and if we were talking about the same thing!!!

These boards (yourmicro.com and minizracer.com, along with this site) are the best! KUDOS!

Thanks The Thunderer! If anyone is aware of any other RCs that lack good forums, email us and we'll see if we can set one up!

do you guys think this thing would be quicker than abc sp or x4s, mini-z, or kawadas?

I think it is intended to be a Mini-Z killer, so it will be faster than a Mini-Z. Not sure about an ABC DTM SP though, as these are already Mini-Z killers!

How much are they saying they will cost? they will not be more then 8,000 yen here in Japn.............. There is not news of their release yet. Maybe not until oct or nov..............

usagi, you said you saw the car, how many cells does it use?

it takes 4 cell 1.2v 270mAh The halfcell as they call them out here. The 8000 yen is only the kit. the Whole set will be around 14,000 yen or so.

By whole kit do you mean including electronics etc.? So 8000JPY is just the chassis?

The existing chassy is just a proto type materal ( molding proposes only, The way the sevo is fixed does look weak, but its going to be better in the final design. The cells are on sell now for the sonic car, strange, but from what i heard they car should have been released 2 months ago......... But then again the puchi maru was delayed 3 months before it hit the market. Yokomo is akway late..................
Yes 8000 is only a chassy, but (said back in may)yokomo is know saying they will not sell just the chassy for now, but the complete set.

Don't know if anyone can verify this or not, but I read
elsewhere on the net that the 8/02 edition of rc extreme
shows the new yokomo. mini-z bodies fit.
$150 for the car, all electronics, ni-mh batteries, charger, and an FM radio. It's called the M-1 and slated for late summer.
that's an unbelievable estimated retail price if this is accurate info.

i read that in xtreme too, but we already know that info.

HUM:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Anways, The FM radio that comes with the sonic is the same one the puchi maru came with 1/60 scale. The charger unit is cool, it charges all the car cells and radio cells too. It going to be one hell of a car........... Can`t wait to get it?

Thanks Usagi. I should read the forums more closely. It sounds
cool to me too. I think I want the kawada mid first though. I think the mid will be better for configuring and riding on a variety of different surfaces. the yokomo sounds like it would be especially good for track racing.

Bilbo, I just got the mid24 today......... its cool. But problem I know want the sonic too:D

does anybody have any idea on estimated run time for half cell 270mah???

mr. usagi...

any news on yokomo sonic racer release? what's the latest development?

I haven't heard any new info on this car in a while. It is way past the holiday season and we still do not have an update on availability. Does anyone have any new info on release date or why it is taking Yokomo so long to release this car? The wait is killing me.

No update - Yokomo refuses to give us an ETA! :rolleyes:

Radio Control Car action has some ads for it and they did a mini article about it but no release date.

They don't have it on their website that I saw!:(

It is now close to the end of August and still no Sonic Racer. Now that the Kyosho mini-z chassis is in distribution, Yokomo needs to get the ball rolling on this car quickly. The irony is that most of us knew about the Sonic Racer long before info was available on the Mini-Z MR-02 chassis. Any new info on the Sonic Racer?