is a model car company based in Tokyo, Japan. The brand operates internationally under the name KYOSHO. The company's main office is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo

Chiyoda, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...

, and the production headquarters are located in Atsugi, Kanagawa

Atsugi, Kanagawa

is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 225,622 and a population density of 2,410 persons per km². The total area was 93.83 km²...

.

The company is one of the oldest model rc car makers in Japan, and produces a wide variety of products, including radio-controlled cars, planes, helicopters, and boats. Kyosho also produces highly detailed die-cast

Die-cast toy

The term die-cast toy here refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the die casting method. The toys are made of metal, with plastic, rubber or glass details. Wholly plastic toys are made by a similar process of injection moulding, but the two are rarely confused...

 model cars. Its major competitor in the RC automobile market is Tamiya. Kyosho has avoided direct competition against Tamiya in the hobby grade RC cars market since the 80s and 90s, where Tamiya was most active, focusing instead on designing professional 1/8 scale racing buggies, Mini-Z series, and RC helicopters; areas in which Kyosho dominates today. The company is best known for its 1/8 scale competition buggies, Mini-Z series, and RC helicopters, but it also produces remote-controlled bipedal robots in the Manoi

Manoi

Manoi was king of the southern Laotian Kingdom of Champasak from 1813-1819....

 series.

History

The company was created in October, 1963, and created its first trademark R/C

Radio control

Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...

 car in 1970. Production of die-cast model cars began in 1992.

R/C Products

Kyosho produces a wider range of RC product than any other RC manufacturer, including racing and ready-to-run cars, trucks, excavators, helicopters, scale, sport and warbird RC planes, and a range of RC boats. Having recently acquired Team Orion, Kyosho now has category-leading products in electric motors (brushed and brushless), Ni-MH and Li-PO batteries and battery chargers.

Notable Products

• 1/8 scale engine cars
• 1/10 scale engine cars
• 1/10 scale electric cars
• 1/50 scale electric earth moving equipment
• Mini-Z
  Mini-Z
  Mini-Z is a brand name for a popular line of 1:28-scale electric radio-controlled cars manufactured by Kyosho Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer of various radio-controlled devices. Kyosho makes a huge number of bodies for the Mini-Z. The wheelbase is nominally 94mm but can range from 86mm to 106mm...
  
   racers

Products that have won the IFMAR

International Federation of Model Auto Racing

International Federation of Model Auto Racing is the world governing body of professional radio controlled racing.The organization was created in 1979 by professional racer and RC model entrepreneur Ted Longshaw. At that time, many different governing bodies operated under their own rules...

 World Championship

• 1/10 Electric Off Road 2WD
  • 1987 - Ultima
• 1/10 IC Track
  • 2004 - PureTen V-One RRR
  • 2008 - PureTen V-One RRR Evo 2
• 1/8 IC Off Road
  • 1992 - Inferno
  • 1994 - Turbo Inferno
  • 1996 - Inferno MP-5
  • 1998 - Inferno MP-6
  • 2000 - Inferno MP-7.5
  • 2002 - Inferno MP-7.5
  • 2006 - Inferno MP777 WC
  • 2010 - Inferno MP9 TKI2
• 1/8 IC Track
  • 2003 - Evolva
  • 2005 - Evolva 2005
  • 2007 - Evolva M3
  • 2009 - Evolva M3 Evo

Engine cars

Notable current models

• 1/8 on-road
  • Evolva series (Evolva 2003, Evolva 2005, Evolva 2007, Evolva M3, Evolva M3 Evo)
  • Inferno GT series
• 1/8 off road
  • ST series
• 1/8 off-road
  • Inferno series
• 1/10 on-road
  • Pure-Ten series (Alpha, Alpha II, Alpha III, V-ONE, FW-05T, FW-06, FAZER)
• 1/10 off-road
  • Inferno TR15
  • DBX/DST/DRT/DRX
• 1/16 off-road
  • GP Mini Inferno 09

Notable past models

• 1/8 on-road
  • Fantom series
• 1/8 off-road
  • Burns series
  • Circuit 20 series
  • LandJump
• 1/10 off-road
  • Circuit 10 series
• 1/12 off-road
  • PeanutBuggy series
• 1/12 on-road
  • PeanutRacer series
• mini Z

Electric on-road cars

Notable current models

• 1/10 touring scale
  • TF-5
  • TF-5 stallion
  • TF-6

Notable past models

• 1/12 scale
  • SuperSport
  • MachSport
  • SonicSport
  • LazerSport
  • Super Alta
  • Fantom EP-4WD
  • Plazma EP 2WD MarkI,Mark II,and Mark III
  • Fantom EXT EP-4WD
  • Axis EX
  • ImpressR961
• 1/10 touring scale
  • PureTen EP Spider
  • PureTen EP Spider TF-2
  • PureTen EP Spider TF-3
  • PureTen EP Spider TF-4 Type-R
  • KX-One
  • PureTen

Electric off-road cars

During the 1980s, the 1/10 scale electric off-road car (buggy

All-terrain vehicle

An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...

) was immensely popular, leading to the release of several different models. Many of these models have retained popularity, even after going out of production.

Notable models

• 1978 Eleck Peanuts
• 1979 Rally-sports Renault Alpine A310
• 1982 Scorpion
• 1983 Tomahawk
• 1984 Progress 4WDS
• 1985 Optima
• 1987 Ultima
• 1989 Lazer ZX

DASH 1

Kyosho started selling the DASH 1 in 1970, accepted widely in the industry as the first RC car made in Japan. There were three body styles to be chosen from; the most popular racing machines in the Japanese Grand Prix: the Porsche 917

Porsche 917

The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the 917/30 variant was capable of a 0- time of 2.3 seconds, 0– in 5.3 seconds, and a top speed of over .There are 6...

, Lola T70

Lola T70

The Lola T70 was built for sports car racing, popular in the mid to late 1960s. Developed by Lola Cars in 1965 in Great Britain, the T70 was made for endurance racing...

 and McLaren Elva

Elva (car manufacturer)

Elva was a sports and racing car manufacturing company based in Bexhill, then Hastings and Rye, East Sussex, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1955 by Frank G. Nichols. The name comes from the French phrase elle va .-Racing cars:...

. The bodies were vacuum molded, a totally new innovation in RC cars at the time. The DASH 1 was priced at 23,000 yen, not including the engine. Engines used were still the imported 19-class VECO (West Germany) and K&B (U.S.A.) marine engines with a Perry Carburettor and Kyosho's Fuel Stopper and a car muffler.

DASH 2

In 1971 the DASH 2 targeted at beginners (price: 16,500 Yen) was released. The DASH 1 used a two-piece chassis, but the DASH 2 had a one-piece chassis and the engine was only at a slight front angle. In addition, the SUPER DASH (price: 26,000 Yen) was released as a competition level machine.

DASH 3

The DASH 3 and the DUNE BUGGY were released in 1972, starting the buggy racing phenomenon.

Eleck Peanuts

This was the first electric off-road car sold by Kyosho. A motor was placed on the PeanutBuggy, which had previously been sold as an engine car. It was sold for 9,800 yen at the time.

Rally-sports

A 2WD off-road car with a RS540 motor in the rear. The frame was that of the Alpine A310. Uses a double wishbone

Double wishbone suspension

In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control...

 for front suspension, and a semi-streaming arm for rear suspension. The cars aluminum frame and rear design were passed on to the Scorpion. Sold for 16,000 yen at the time.

Scorpion

Races with electric off-road cars increased in popularity after the release of Tamiya's Rough Rider. The 2WD "Scorpion" was released by Kyosho during this period. Kyosho had been promoting its 1/8 scale engine buggy "Circuit 20" in races at the time, and the Scorpion can be described as a miniaturized version of the Circuit 20. The double trailing arm front suspension, semi-streaming rear suspension, aluminum ladder frame, rear-mounted RS540S motor, oil damper and coil springs very much resemble the design for a 1/8 scale racing buggy of the time. The thin body was realized by placing the batteries pointing forward, and its light weight (1680g, with full equipment) gave it a huge advantage over rival models. Its main rivals were Tamiya's Rough Rider and ayk's 556B.

The Scorpion revolutionized radio-controlled racing with its release, as it became almost impossible to win races without using a Scorpion. This model became one of the most popular of Kyosho's products, and sold for 17,800 yen at the time.

The "Tomahawk" uses the same suspension as the Scorpion, but its layout was completely made over. The plastic mech box was changed to a double-deck mech plate, allowing its weight to decrease to 1,450g. It was sold for 19,800 yen at the time.

The "Turbo Scorpion" was also derived from the Scorpion. This model was sold for 19,800 yen at the time.

The same chassi was used for the engine driven models "Advance" and "Assault"
These were popular models at the time but not near as popular as the original Scorpion.

Progress series

The "Progress 4WDS" was Kyosho's first electric 4WD off-road racer. The motor was mounted on the rear overhang, and the forward wheel moves with a chain extending from the rear gearbox. This chain system was also tried on the on-road racer, "Fantom EP." The rear suspension was an orthodox double trailing arm and oil damper with coil springs, but the front suspension featured a double wishbone and mono damper, and substituted a torsion bar for a spring. This unique front suspension was rather difficult to set up, and had a short arm, which prevented it from taking powerful strokes.

The front wheel on the 4WS series could only move in the opposite direction as the rear wheel, and turning wide curves was also difficult with this series.

Adjustments were made with each successive model, but the Progress series became infamous as a slow car unable to live up to its full potential. Kyosho's first series of 4WDs was too heavy and clumsy to compete in serious RC racing.

• Progress 4WDS
• Gallop 4WDS
• Gallop MKII

Optima series

This was Kyosho's highly successful series of 4WD off-road racers. Many of the models gained widespread popularity in off-road RC racing.

Notable models (in order of release)

• Optima (a 4WD buggy with a chain drive
  Chain drive
  Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles...
  
   system. Uses an aluminum ladder frame)
• Javelin (uses the same frame, but was equipped with a frame-like body. Some parts, including the damper stay, became optional parts)
• Gold Optima (this limited model was released after the 100,000th Optima was sold. 10,000 of this model were produced. The name comes from the gold colored anodic coating) used on many of its parts.
• Turbo Optima (sections were strengthened to allow an 8.4V battery to be used. Equipped with a Le Mans 240S motor and ball bearings)
• Salute (a Turbo Optima with a different body. The motor was sold separately, resulting in a cheaper overall cost)
• Optima Pro 4WD (the last Optima to use a chain drive system. Uses an amp (ESC))
• Optima Mid (all of the Optima models below are belt drive models. The location of the motor was changed from the rear overhang to an RMR layout. The frame was made of duralumin
  Duralumin
  Duralumin is the trade name of one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The main alloying constituents are copper, manganese, and magnesium. A commonly used modern equivalent of this alloy type is AA2024, which contains 4.4% copper, 1.5% magnesium, 0.6% manganese and 93.5%...
  
   and fibre-reinforced plastic
  Fibre-reinforced plastic
  Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually fibreglass, carbon, or aramid, while the polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic...
  
  )
• Turbo Optima Mid (the upper echelon of the Optima Mid series. Sold with several optional parts)
• Turbo Optima Mid SE
• Turbo Optima Mid Special (the wheelbase
  Wheelbase
  In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
  
   of the Optima Mid was extended, and was sold with a carbon fiber
  Carbon fiber
  Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
  
   frame. Only a maximum of two were shipped per store, as it was a limited model)
• Optima Mid Custom (a low priced version of the Turbo Optima Mid special. The frame is made of duralmin)
• Optima Mid Custom Special (similar to the Turbo Optima Mid special, with the LWB duralumin frame (some were confirmed to have been produced with the carbon fiber frame), but the body was changed to a "bullet type" canopy body)

Ultima series

The 2WD racing buggy created following the Tomahawk. The double wishbone suspension and aluminum monocoque frame gave the buggy far more speed than previous models. The car won 1st place in the 2nd electric off-road 2WD world tournament held in England in 1987.

• Ultima (a 2WD buggy created in the style of the Optima series)
• Turbo Ultima (: duralmin flat pan frame, white color,special "Platinum Shocks" with graphite shock towers and full ball bearings. Ball differential and motor guard. )
• Ultima Pro ( fibre-reinforced plastic frame, Gold shocks,full ball bearings, Ball differential, motor guard, adjustable tie rods, stick or saddle pack battery configuration. )
• Ultima Pro XL (Similar to the Ultima Pro but with a single plate chassis. Longer front and rear suspension arms. Adjustable rear toe in and 48 pitch spur and pinion gears.)
• Ultima II and Turbo Ultima II (The Ultima II was a basic Ultima for beginners. The Turbo Ultima II had Gold shocks,full bearings and ball differential. Both models had the new Kyosho "Kelron" chassis.)
• Outlaw Ultima ST (The only Stadium truck made from the original Ultima II chassis. Kelron chassis and aluminum front shock towers with long shocks. Ford Ranger body came with the kit.)
• Triumph
• Pro X (the first edition had a problem with the ball differential, but was fixed in the second release)
• Ultima RB (appeared for the first time in the 1999 world championship. The Type-R model was geared towards competitions, while the sport model was designed for beginners)
• Ultima RB Type-R Evolution (the Ultima RB Type-R with optional parts included)
• Ultima RB5 (released in March, 2007)
• Ultima RB5 SP (released in May, 2009)
• Ultima RB5 SP2 (released in April, 2010 featuring a new rear end and body)
• Ulitma RT5 (2WD truck released in September, 2009)
• Ultima SC (2WD CORR truck released in February, 2010)

Lazer series

A series started with the "Lazer ZX", which became the basic model for the Optima series. It evolved from "Lazer ZX-R" to "Lazer ZX sport," "Lazer ZX-RR, "Lazer ZX-S," "Lazer ZX-S Evolution." The body design for the Lazer ZX was rather unpopular from the start, and many users, including the Kyosho racing team, preferred to use the bodyset from the Turbo Optima Mid Special. The current model, "Lazer ZX-5" has a similar name, but bears a completely different design from its predecessors. It employs a shaft-driven 4WD system rather than the belt-driven system of its predecessors, a longitudinally mounted motor, and a new low-profile body. At the moment (2011, June) there is avabile Kyosho ZX-5 FS2, and ZX-5 RTR.
The ZX-5 has been a huge success at racing in Europe and North-America. The kit has been upgraded from FS to FS2 featuring lipo ready chassis, new body and a new rear end.

Die-Cast Cars

Since 1992, Kyosho has specialized in creating high end collector's grade Die-Cast Car Replicas. Kyosho offers a wide array of scale replicas and car makers. Kyosho's main competition comes from companies such as AUTOart

AUTOart

AUTOart is a Hong Kong-based diecast model car line sold by AA Collection Ltd. The company was formerly owned by Gateway Global Ltd. based in Costa Mesa, California.-History:AUTOart was established in 1998...

, Minichamps

Minichamps

Minichamps is a die-cast car producer founded as Paul's Model Art GmbH in 1990 in Aachen, Germany, best known for its 1:43 scale models. The company grew out of the Danhausen trade catalog of miniature vehicles and specially made Danhausen releases during the 1970s.-The Danhausen Legacy:Danhausen...

, and Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...

. Kyosho is also the official manufacturer of BMW Authorized scale replicas sold exclusively through BMW Dealerships. As of January 2008, their online catalogue includes approximately 1000 die cast cars and accessories.

Radio controlled aircraft

The 2000s saw a shift toward the growing hobby of radio controlled model aircraft and the creation of almost ready-to-fly models. One such model, the "Phantom 70," is a quarter-scale replica of the Aberle Phantom biplane. Based in Fallbrook, California

Fallbrook, California

Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census....

 USA, the full-scale Phantom was built by Aberle Custom Aircraft and sponsored by Kyosho during the 2007 Reno Air Races

Reno Air Races

The Reno Air Races, also known as the National Championship Air Races, take place each September at the Reno Stead Airport a few miles north of Reno, Nevada, USA...

. The plane set a biplane-class speed record in 2004 with a top speed of more than 241 mph. A new record was established in 2006 with a speed of 251.958 mph.

Potential for renewed production

Since rival company Tamiya renewed the production of popular classic models such as the "Frog," "Grasshopper," "Hornet," and "Hotshot," many fans hope for Kyosho to do the same with its own classics. However, the company has already gotten rid of most of the old frame casts, making prospects of renewed production costly and difficult.

During the Shizuoka

Shizuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...

 Hobby Show in May, 2006, Kyosho introduced "Optima" and "Turbo Scorpion" in its new "Miniature Racing Buggy series". Though only 10 cm in length, these die-cast pullback

Pullback motor

A pullback motor is a simple clockwork motor used in toy cars.Pulling the car backwards winds up an internal coil spring. When released, the car is propelled forwards by the spring...

toys feature exactly the same package design as the original RC kits, showing that Kyosho does recognize fan demand for renewed production.