Does Mini4WD deserve more fame in the US? | Mini 4WD

Zep talks about cars and builds the cars and races the cars, all to varying levels of success.
Tamiya 4WD has been running strong since 1982, and especially so after 1986 when the series pivoted to on-track racing as the main focus of the hobby. Unquestionably the defining toyline of the "plastics" genre of hobbyani media, the series has been loved worldwide. Just not so much in our neck of the woods.
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We're The Daft Brothers, a comedy troupe that makes fine art, whether it be a scripted romp about 2000s nostalgia, hobbyani, or making pizza out of communion wafers. We don't create content for you to consume - we make videos for you to watch. Subscribe for silly and quirky clips that aren't like the other 20-somethings comedy groups! OwO
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#hobby #anime #mini4wd
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[@jomzojeda]

Yeah, the problem with this hobby is the tracks. It's a big investment! So either you have a dedicated hobby shop that deals with this, or you organize a club to pool money, organize races and a bunch of other activities. And yes, the fun and appeal of these cars is seeing them go in a race track. Well, if a track is not available, you could always do what the people in Italy are doing - Street Mini 4WD. You run with the cars (stock motors, thankfully) by guiding them with hockey sticks - Dash Yonkuro style! Great video.

[@thedaftbrothers]

I really want to travel to Italy just to see Street Mini4WD in person. People are really out there making HobbyAni real.

[@cinnabar546]

The problem of this hobby is accessibility. While the cars and parts are inexpensive, the race tracks and space for race tracks are difficult to come by

[@CCCASMR]

I somehow have 2 friends missing a ball. The silver lining is they're on opposite sides, leaving open the potential for a fusion dance down the line to unite their manhood.

[@thedaftbrothers]

How, um, convenient?

[@pronationontherise5056]

I first discovered them back in the Philippines at a young age.. currently living in Canada , just got back into the hobby last summer lol. But I would do a facebook search .. you'd be surprised maybe there is already a community built nearby (Major cities). Est Coast : there is D'PitStop US based in Maryland/New Jersey West Coast , You got DXN Provisions , etc.

[@nopparutcp13]

In Thailand it is still been active here and always for 30 years with a official shop of tamiya and alot of shop that had a track , even tamiya in thaniya plaza had a big track.

[@magnumcyclonex]

Just found your video and you definitely put in a lot of effort incorporating media from Tamiya, the animes/mangas and your own real life Mini 4WDs. Well said about the issue in the USA. Certainly more hobby stores need to pick this up, but many are reluctant to due to the dedicated space required, and the player base needs to remain interested to justify the cost of the tracks and carrying kits and parts.

[@thedaftbrothers]

Yeah, probably the only thing that could help would be domestically produced track or a big media push.

[@VestedUTuber]

So, apart from the general lack of availability (I've never seen these in person in any hobby store I've been to), space requirements and import costs, I think the main reason why Mini4WD didn't catch on here is because in the US, Tamiya is only really known in the military miniatures and RC car hobbies. They're not a huge household name here like they are in Japan, and as a result Tamiya just kinda sticks to their guns in the US rather than trying to introduce new or Japan-only product lines. Honestly, you'll probably find this ridiculous, but I hadn't even heard of Mini4WD until I saw it being mentioned in a small Latios and Latias slice-of-life comic someone posted on Deviantart.

[@DallyASMR]

I'm wanting to be a proud business owner of a club/hobby shop of Tamiya Mini 4WD parts and racing. I think this hobby is amazing and it really needs more spots across the world for racing and customizing.

[@awedwards08]

It's a shame tracks are so hard to come by, because the model cars themselves are very inexpensive (like $10-$20). Even when you go full bling on them, it's still way cheaper than similar hobbies like RC cars. I bet if someone had the funds to get a space in a mall, set up a cool track, have some loaners on hand, and do some fun all-ages events...it could really catch on.

[@thedaftbrothers]

The hopes of the people lie in the hands of someone who has disposable income and is really, really cool

[@TBustah]

The best way to to it is probably through compromise/adapting something else. When I lived in Yuma, Arizona, there was a store that had a fairly expansive indoor track for small scale RC cars. I don't know if they ever used it for Mini 4WD (I never went it/saw it used for that), but it probably could have been. It had walls on the sides that the rollers could probably grip, and the corners probably would have worked well enough. There'd be no lanes, though, it'd be a race where cars could crash into each other like the anime.

[@terrya450]

It's definitely the cost of the track limiting factor you can 3D print a track but the cost of the filament is about the same as buying one from Japan.

[@F1ukez]

My fav childhood anime. Always watch it every other year

[@thedaftbrothers]

It really is one of the all time bangers

[@VestedUTuber]

So, one thing I wish Tamiya would do is port more of their Mini4WD body designs to their various RC chassis. So far, only the Fire Dragon and Thunder Dragon have got this treatment (technically the Avante as well, but the RC version of the Avante came first).

[@emiliano5113]

I'm a simple man. I see let's & go, i click

[@thedaftbrothers]

Rarest and best kind of simple man

[@andimjustalex]

Wow, I love Turning Mecard!

[@KotaJMomo]

hi, life-long Mini yonku fan here... '_'

[@armanusleftarm8800]

Indonesia is good market for toys. (Maybe for everything) 😂

[@ianmanalus5542]

6:29 (Hard Time theme Intensfies) LOL it's the Big Bossman from WWF! Plus I owned Mini 4wd like my favorite the 2 versions of Beak Spider!

[@thedaftbrothers]

Just ran into the episode where Beak Spider debuts and they really went into the lab that day thinking "We're going to make a child so dastardly"

[@ianmanalus5542]

@@thedaftbrothers the jack ripper machine!

[@mahalkita383]

Tamiya mini 4wd popular in the Philippines too I started playing mini 4wd back in 90's

[@thedaftbrothers]

The Philippines are also one of the magical places on this Earth.

[@barchettaberlinetta9977]

I miss racing mini 4wd... my category is speedtech and pro stock but i stop playing due of pandemic..

[@meestasqueed5867]

As someone living in the us, it is painful not having a nearby hobby shop that runs mini4wd. The nearest one is 3 hours away from me lol. But I’ve been making plans to build my own track, and I have a small collection of cars to run. You should look into the other companies that made mini4wd like cars, such as Aoshima and Auldey. Hell, back in the late 80s, early 90s, there was a big boom of tamiya copycats as they exploded in popularity, including American companies like Tonka, hot wheels, matchbox, and Mattel.

[@tokugeeky2931]

Just found your video after getting back into this hobby. Was lucky to found a hobby shop near me with tracks for it. And yeah Indonesia is awesome purely for their love of plastic toys 😆

[@thedaftbrothers]

If we lived in Indonesia, all of our money would be spent on plastic instead of most of our money. I'm glad you were able to find tracks near you! I wish there was a more comprehensive map of them for people to figure out where to go.

[@tokugeeky2931]

I honestly just Google map 4wd mini Tamiya hobby shop then prey from there. That or Yelp and if there a store near u with the photo showing they have a track for it then u r lucky. Hope u found such a place near wherever u r if u decide to get into this hobby for good. It definitely fun, I already got multiple cars 😂 it’s where most my work money go honestly

[@RSA1254]

I don't know how I am here. But yes Mini 4 WD is popular again in Indonesia right now since the sport is now under the motor racing association since 2 years ago. Local shop race and national championship race are also organized more professionally On the other hand, crush gear is alive and well, and a friend always got the job to copy those unavailable parts.

[@albertusaswin2012]

You can just make collections like I do. I have Year of Dragon 2024, Shadow Shark Italia, Heat Edge Red Metallic, the first four Magnum Premium, Great Magnum R, Avante Mk III Red, Lightning Magnum.

[@thedaftbrothers]

If I had the room, I would have a wall of these funny little cars.

[@Big-Image]

Mind doing Crush Gear at one point? It was one of my favourite toys back in my childhood.

[@thedaftbrothers]

It is very much planned, we just need to gather the funding to do it.

[@MattThePenguin]

I too, almost clicked "order" on the same site, until it said the shipping estimate was a bazillion dollars lol.

[@thedaftbrothers]

It happens to the best of us.

[@chasingsunset9801]

Here in the Philippines,we play mini 4wd since 1999 that only lasted to 2005...then they revive it last 2021...but Indonesia was the OGs and masters of mini 4wd they never stop since 1999,and Philippines is just a wannabe

[@Buizie]

Yes the tracks are quite tough on your wallet to get one which is why I haven't touched it for almost 19 years until now when they have a permanent location in the mall I frequent to But hey I just started 3d printing meself some tracks to go for my test tra- oh.. I ran out of 3d printing filament-

[@bataradharma3994]

Does anyone know where to play mini4wd in Dallas Fortworth area?

[@irfanfakhrizal9166]

2:22 INDONESIA MENTIONED!!!🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩 Bhinneka point:+999💥🎉

[@Boongkar]

Keren bro..mari kita hidupakan lagi dunia mini 4 wd..

[@ljcool17]

I miss back the days when the tracks were simple

[@VestedUTuber]

You can still make simple tracks. It's just that the more complex tracks add to the challenge of tuning your car to the track conditions.

[@VestedUTuber]

Ok, for the wheels, I'm kinda surprised Tamiya just went with press-fit ones on these, instead of taking a page out of their RC department's book and using locknuts and hex hubs.

[@jomzojeda]

For this, there is a Grade Up part called HG Aluminum Wheels that might be similar to the RC thing you're talking about.

[@mrcoolguyawesome8701]

Nice Yo-kai watch there bro

[@ArckMotor]

nice topic bro

[@hazymaze3313]

I am sure the tracks could be 3d printed

[@hockeykings46]

So if I order one of these toy car do I need to assemble of this myself?

[@chasingsunset9801]

Yes sir...and don't worry,its just basic assembling...and by the way you need a race track and a very good battery...if the car goes out of the track,you just unlock the world of mini 4wd modification

[@hockeykings46]

@@chasingsunset9801About battery thing do you need to buy a Tamiya battery or Duracell that I have already? Edit: I mean I order already and finish assemblying and that is Beat Magnum Premium. Which is safe to the toy car - Tamiya battery or Duracell battery?

[@michaelshive6748]

They're not popular in the US because they'll eat the small metal parts in a TikTok challenge like Tide Pods.

[@thedaftbrothers]

Unironically true

[@afraid2crashrc]

What small metal parts are you talking about? There is very little metal in them.

[@pronationontherise5056]

maybe he meant the hardwares @@afraid2crashrc

[@bataradharma3994]

Yes it does

[@christopherford39]

And then this later on became Scan 2 Go

[@thedaftbrothers]

Oh, Mini4WD is still going! Scan2Go was a New Boy product based on the Mini4WD play pattern aimed minus the mechanical bits of building and tuning the car. Similar but unrelated brands.

[@christopherford39]

@@thedaftbrothers oh, looks like I have some catching up to do. Btw do you think y'all do Scan 2 Go

[@maxthunder2]

Dude mini 4wd is awesome! I think the reason why it's not popular in the United States is because you can't control the cars themselves! Even though all the skill of mini 4wd is learning how to set up and do preparation on the car! Americans just do not want to learn how to set up the car. I guess they figure if you're able to control it you can overcome a poor setup. Which is never the case. Plus they don't look like a real cars either. I mean there are some licensed cars but they're terrible you might as well put a slow moving brick on the track!

[@abram8156]

🙃 P R O M O S M