trf 2wd rumor

[PositivoNegativo]

Release date 2010/06/19 ??

http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products...f201/index.htm

[CraigM]

mmm got my pre-order in. Rcchamp is saying ETA is sometime in June. The car looks great, even if it resembles the B4 (which I loved) the TRF shocks and being metric make it a cut above

[mof]

Originally Posted by PositivoNegativo

Release date 2010/06/19 ??

http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products...f201/index.htm

A Finnish retailer said they are expecting kits to arrive in May.

[CraigM]

anyone know if it will come with a body in the kit? it's a bit of a joke that you have to buy the 511 one separately

[CraigM]

Originally Posted by CraigM

anyone know if it will come with a body in the kit? it's a bit of a joke that you have to buy the 511 one separately

Apparently they didn't feel the need to include it

Tamiya 54210 2WD Buggy body parts set
Tamiya 54211 2WD Buggy rear wing set

[DCM]

Just got an email, Tamiya have set a Release date of 17th June!!

[mof]

Originally Posted by CraigM

anyone know if it will come with a body in the kit? it's a bit of a joke that you have to buy the 511 one separately

except you wouldn't buy the 511 one for 201, would you?

And no body/wing included.

[mof]

Originally Posted by DCM

Just got an email, Tamiya have set a Release date of 17th June!!

Apparently kits will arrive in Europe before that (end of May is expected).

[muratti]

Does it mean kits in Hongkong will be available before Europe will have some? I hope so!!!

[fastinfastout]

you would think so!

HK is closer to japan than anywhere else that would sell trf kits.

I'm hoping so, just waiting for someone to offer preorders from HK, such as rcmarket, rcmodel, rcmart, and then I will all over it

[kentech]

Europe always gets TRF kits first, usually 3-4 weeks before Japan and Asia, as long as the distributor has ordered the cars in time. This has been the case for 4-5 years already and is a Tamiya strategy to help the European distributors compete with Asia.

HK will most likely get the kits a few days before Japan, but still middle/end of June time.

Kits for Europe will likely be sent from Tamiya last week of May...

[Carno]

Originally Posted by kentech

a Tamiya strategy to help the European distributors compete with Asia.

Smarter strategy for the European distributors would be to not ask ridiculous prices for the products.

So many shops and esp. the LHS here ask ridiculous prices for the kits.
If you order something from Asia and can save like €50 or more even when charged with import taxes and shipping you start wondering where those €50 come from.

I understand people have to make a living. but if you can save 50 euro on an amount of 250.

Found a German webshop that asks decent prices for kits though. Was looking at the TB-03R kit to replace my old TA-03 and compared the prices with Hong kong and including 19% tax the price was nearly identical.

Classic example was the old Dutch distributor that sold the Volac ESC (rebadged Sphere TC€240) for €350

[CraigM]

Release date in Japan is 17 June.

RC Champ are taking preorders

[kentech]

Originally Posted by Carno

Smarter strategy for the European distributors would be to not ask ridiculous prices for the products.

So many shops and esp. the LHS here ask ridiculous prices for the kits.
If you order something from Asia and can save like €50 or more even when charged with import taxes and shipping you start wondering where those €50 come from.

I understand people have to make a living. but if you can save 50 euro on an amount of 250.

Found a German webshop that asks decent prices for kits though. Was looking at the TB-03R kit to replace my old TA-03 and compared the prices with Hong kong and including 19% tax the price was nearly identical.

Classic example was the old Dutch distributor that sold the Volac ESC (rebadged Sphere TC€240) for €350

The unfortunate fact is that within the EU distributors have to cope with things like the following:

- VAT (about 15-25% depending on the country)
- High shipping costs from Asia (think 20-30%!) if you want it delivered within a reasonable timeframe. These costs are constantly rising as well...
- constantly changing Yen exchange rate which is today @ 122 when it was @ ~165 under 2 years ago (do your maths and you notice a 35% change - has Japanese products you buy risen 35% in 2 years?)
- high costs for employing people
- etc.

Those are the unfortunate facts. Still, if the customer can buy the same product considerably cheaper from Asia and have it at his home within a week, of course he will! So European distributors and shops naturally have to try to compete with Asia, USA AND Europe today. But the distributor is not there to lose money. If that's what's demanded to sell cars then he will in the long term most probably stop selling that car before it makes his company go bankrupt. So we end up with a situation where there is no distributor selling that car.

Just a somewhat simplified example to show it's a more complex situation than most think. Of course some chose to sell the cars with very little or no profit just because they're Tamiya fanatics

[Carno]

Originally Posted by kentech

The unfortunate fact is that within the EU distributors have to cope with things like the following:

- VAT (about 15-25% depending on the country)
- High shipping costs from Asia (think 20-30%!) if you want it delivered within a reasonable timeframe. These costs are constantly rising as well...
- constantly changing Yen exchange rate which is today @ 122 when it was @ ~165 under 2 years ago (do your maths and you notice a 35% change - has Japanese products you buy risen 35% in 2 years?)
- high costs for employing people
- etc.

Those are the unfortunate facts. Still, if the customer can buy the same product considerably cheaper from Asia and have it at his home within a week, of course he will! So European distributors and shops naturally have to try to compete with Asia, USA AND Europe today. But the distributor is not there to lose money. If that's what's demanded to sell cars then he will in the long term most probably stop selling that car before it makes his company go bankrupt. So we end up with a situation where there is no distributor selling that car.

Just a somewhat simplified example to show it's a more complex situation than most think. Of course some chose to sell the cars with very little or no profit just because they're Tamiya fanatics

It's not simple I know. But comparing prices on the internet is.
I bought my Durga for €200 from a dutch webshop that isn't even specialised in RC. My LHS was offering one for €260.

Even within the EU the prices vary to much. People have to make a living. But apparently some people are just not good at it and lose clients cause they ask to much.

If you want people to buy the car in european shops. Tell your retailers to maintain a uniform price (where possible) and to stock parts.
That way they'll get and keep customers.
Don't think releasing a car two weeks earlier in europe will solve much.

[B44&501xRacerEX]

Originally Posted by DCM

Just got an email, Tamiya have set a Release date of 17th June!!

They might all be released in the same month. Europe, Asia, then Japan, then USA. Unless Im wrong again.
I realize us Americans will have to wait longer than others. As I'm in
no big hurry as the car probably wont be used until winter. I will
however go ahead and build it paint the body, glue the tires, and
install the electrics. and put it back in the box for winter.

[DCM]

Tamiya attempt to now do a 'global release' but it never really works, and the belief that Hobby Co will get them in.... fat chance

[mikeyscott]

How much are these going to cost then? (not that I want one).

[makinwaves]

Yeah you do Mike, otherwise you'd be drooling over the Schumacher forum

Come to the blue side Good meeting on Sunday, looking forward to a few more in drier conditions.

[mikeyscott]

Originally Posted by makinwaves

Yeah you do Mike, otherwise you'd be drooling over the Schumacher forum

Come to the blue side Good meeting on Sunday, looking forward to a few more in drier conditions.

No need as your saw how good the SVs were at the weekend!! What was it SX and SV on FTD??

Sorry but I'm staying with Schumacher..

Lee Martin would make anything look fast. I believe if you gave him a TRF, B4, RB5, SV etc he'd still win / TQ etc.

Anyway see you on the 30th May ?

I'm just interested where they are going to price this car as the 2WD is a very busy market at the moment, which is a good thing!