Desert Gator and Sand Viper are identical except for colour of wheels and the body shell.

Get Your 2WD Buggy Fix!

This latest releases on the new DT-02 chassis features a number of upgrades that fans will go buggy for! The lightweight polycarbonate body and wing feature a sleek design making them two of Tamiya's coolest looking buggies. Oil dampers, adjustable upper arm and full ball bearings mean that the Desert Gator and Sand Viper can handle almost anything the track can throw at them, while the grooved front and spiked rear tyres give you the grip and handling to make the competition eat your dust!

Unlock the Potential of the DT-02 Chassis!

The lightweight bathtub frame features centre-mounted R/C unit and battery for lowered centre of gravity and optimum balance. 4-wheel independent double wishbone suspension comes with oil filled dampers, while the upper arm uses double-ended shaft to allow camber angle adjustment. Flat underside allows great skidding performance, while highly responsive suspension ensures excellent road holding on even the toughest surfaces. Differential gearbox is fully sealed from dirt and stones, ensuring a long life of smooth handling. Full ball bearing configuration employs a total of 14 bearings in gear case and wheel axles, ensuring that motor power is efficiently transmitted to wheels. Features wide grooved front tires and high performance off-road rear tires for enhanced cornering and grip.

Notes from the Spannerman: This is a great leap forward from Tamiya on rear-drive buggies - nothing since the Mad Cap series (long discontinued) has actually been raceable - the existing buggies such as Mad Fighter etc are great cars, but they're really park and play rather than race machines. The Desert Gator and Sand Viper have a lot of potential for serious driving and the small amount extra over the Super Fighter G is well worthwhile for the added bearings, better drive shafts and improved suspension included in the kit.

Options Explained

Bearing Upgrade: These make the car run more smoothly and are easily installed during assembly. If there is no option for these shown, then the kit already includes the bearing upgrade as standard. These are entirely optional.

Radio System: There is a choice of a TWIN STICK (Traditional) radio or a Steering Wheel (Modern) radios. All operate on 2.4Ghz and use the new Crystal-Free technology, so you can run multiple cars at the same time without any interference. All radios chosen from this page will include a steering servo as these are not included in the kit itself.

ESC: This is the connection between the radio system and the motor. You have several choices. Tamiya no longer make their own ESC, instead they supply from their facilities Hobbywing or Mstyle units. Where a model number is shown (e.g. 20 or 15) that is the motor capacity of the unit - the lower the number, the more powerful a motor you can install later. All work with the motor in the kit.

Battery: The higher the number, the longer the run time.

Charger: Charge time is proportional to the battery you choose. Some examples - for the 1800 battery (others will take longer) - USB charger takes around 4 hours, Mid Speed around 2 to 3 hours, Etronix Fast Charger can be as quick as 60 minutes in the house or 30 minutes in the car and Ansmann Delta also around 30 minutes (and also works in the car).