Tamiya brings back another R/C classic with this Subaru BRAT. Long-time fans will once again experience the nostalgia of their childhood and beginners can enjoy the easy operation of this colourful off-road truck.

About the Subaru BRAT

The Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter was created by Subaru in the late 1970s from their earlier 4WD station wagon model for the US market. Powered by a flat-four engine ranging from 1.6 to 1.8 litres in displacement, this pickup had the unique feature of having jump seats welded to the truck bed, which allowed it to be imported as a car instead of a truck. One of the cars more famous owners was former US President Ronald Reagan, whose red BRAT is restored and displayed at his former residence in California.

Please note: For legislative reasons, the chrome plated chassis shown on some Tamiya promotional images (which date back to 2006) has never been included in UK kits which have a plain plastic chassis the same as the Frog model.

About the Model

High-quality 1/10 R/C assembly kit of the Subaru BRAT, one of Tamiya's early R/C creations.

Same 2WD chassis as used for the reissue Frog, with 4-wheel independent suspension and full ball bearings to handle tough off-road driving.

Comes with two body shells, one made of plastic material similar to the original BRAT for a nostalgic feel and one made from durable polycarbonate material.

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) radio. Both radios operate on 2.4Ghz and use the new Crystal-Free technology, so you can run multiple cars at the same time without any interference. The steering wheel radio is included in the price, a traditional twin stick radio just a few pounds more.

ESC: This is the connection between the radio system and the motor. You have two choices - the Tamiya Hobbywing unit which will take much more powerful motors, or the Mstyle (from Tamiya Denmark distributor HPI Europe) which will take many upgrades still, is waterproof and a very reliable unit. The Hobbywing unit has a very good reputation with modellers and has a higher capacity allowing faster motors to be used at a later date. Both units feature electronic brakes. Which ESC to choose is purely personal preference as both are equally suitable for this kit.

Battery: The higher the number, the longer the run time. The 1800 battery is included in the price.

Charger: You can choose to upgrade the charger - USB charger takes around 4 hours depending on the battery, 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). The basic USB charger is included in the price.

If you would like more options, would like to choose a package without one of the above components, or wish to purchase the car kit on it's own, please search our site for the CUSTOM option of this kit - easily found by searching for the kit name or number followed by CUSTOM.