TAMIYA58650 RC Volkswagen Beetle Rally MF-01X

Great kit fun to build just pay attention to the gears and the extensions.

This is my second Tamiya kit build, and it sure was a ton of fun. The instructions were perfectly clear and easy to follow - just take note of which body configuration the car uses! I used a highlighter to mark parts of the build that were specific to the Beetle's frame size so that I wouldn't mess up as I went along.I loved the look of the beetle on the box, so I decided to do all of the painting and decals 100% by the book using Tamiya polycarbonate paints. The black hood with the matte finish is exceptional looking, as are the "chrome" plastic bumpers and mirrors. I like the look of the long antenna, and for better visibility I added a little construction flag.The provided motor is pretty ordinary and doesn't have a ton of power, but I'm not generally going 100% speed off road so this is not really a big deal for me. I also find that it has a satisfyingly "authentic" high pitched sound, not unlike a real vintage Beetle. It's fun on the road, but the real joy is cruising around on gravel or on a grassy beach like in my attached photo. This car doesn't have a ton of lift, so it's relatively easy to high-center on rocky terrain. This just adds to the challenge! It is a 4wd vehicle and comes with grippy tires, and it performs markedly better than my 2wd rear-wheel Tamiya Subaru Brat on slick surfaces. After a long day of playing, I will tune the car up by tightening anything loose, shaking dirt and rocks out of the chassis, and washing the body gently with water. I use a dry paintbrush and canned air to loosen stubborn dirt in the chassis. With care, I have no doubt this car will last a long time.My kit did come with an ESC, but if this is your first build you will need tools, batteries, and RC radio/receiver. If you've been wanting to build a hobby RC kit, this would be a great pick.

This tamiya kit is cool.

I really like the Tamiya kits, I’m an avid builder of model’s and enjoy these working models the best.I have several and with a universal controller, you can enjoy more cars with out having to buy a controller for each one.

The most disappointing product

When you look this kit up it shows to comes with a torque tuned motor and esc. mine that i just received only had the basic 27t silver can and no esc. other than that its a great kit and i am pleased. sadly i am having to wait to build it as i had to order more parts i was not expecting.

super fast car steering kindof sucks i think its because of the suspension. if you make a sharp turn to the right and try to straighten, it pulls to the right until you turn the other direction hard then it seems to want to go the other way.

If it wasn't for not coming with the ESC, I would have given it a 4 star review. 4 stars because it was not designed for LED lights. Of course it does not come with the radio and receiver. Unless it is RTR (Ready to run) .