This car was purchased new for me back in 1987! I was a kid and remember thinking that something this expensive should be able not only run on dirt track but also preform on the street. Therefore the formula 1 on big wheels was really appealing! Fast forward 20 years and the "Striker" has survived numerous crashes into curbs/stairs/dirt mounds without much problem. Yes the ground clearance would become an issue here and there but never anything fun stopping. Jumps galore, this kit made me very happy throughout my teenage years. My Father started me on a life long trek into electronics with valuable lessons of reading technical specifications, soldering, and basic electronic work during the assembly of this kit. It was worth the time and effort. After reading the comments on this page, I pulled the car out to dust off and put back into action for my children.
By Christophe
14/07/2008 11:00:48
I remember first seeing this car and laughing alot, it was without doubt the most awful thing i had ever seen, however, having never been a fan of the holiday buggy (a car which i now adore) i have to say this has grown on me alot. It is so querky and having seen the great pics of it on this site i for one am glad it is an important part of Tamiya history (well done little striker)!.
By PeterPan64
04/03/2008 21:56:16
I understand completely all the comments regarding this buggy and the Sonic Fighter. They are not the fastest, best handling or the prettiest by a millenium but nowadays who is going to run one, in public, in daylight, insane! BUT let us all remember one thing-they are part of TAMIYA history, the one thing we all love and there is a place on my shelf for both of them anyday. I own both, good examples just for fun and too look at. They are on display-that's where they belong! Peterpan64
By Yalson.
07/07/2007 10:36:40
Being an innovative company with a reputation for rapidly bringing out new products, it was inevitable that eventually Tamiya would bring out a car that was a dog in every respect.
This was it.
Although the idea of a monocoque RC car was a new one, the Striker had very little else going for it. It had poor suspension, with too little travel and not enough ground clearance, the corners of the monocoque used to catch on things, as did the rear shock towers, it couldn't handle anything hotter than the standard 540 motor and the monocoque chassis meant that it handled like a breeze block. For some reason, having that chunky, solid body mainly full of air made it feel very insubstantial. You could even hear the sound echoing around the hollow internals when it drove past you.
Our local model shop were not keen on them and although they sold them, they would try and direct customers towards other models if they were interested in racing. The Falcon was a popular alternative, which was why there were hundreds of them at every local meeting.
I only knew one kid who tried racing one. He proudly turned up one week with a brand new one. We all looked on aghast. It performed predictably badly. The next week he turned up with a Falcon. It really was that bad.
And don't even get me started on the Sonic Fighter. Pretending it's an aeroplane isn't going to make it any less of a waste of space.
By Brat Attacks
12/04/2007 13:13:42
I remember selling these when I worked at Tamiya Mecca "Beatties" and we used to laugh at anyone who bought them.
Never a successful combination of F1 styles with buggy wheels and never any good out of the box even if it was quite fast which is why we used to recommend the Grasshopper 2. And with good reason for doing this too. It was a dog to run. The rear would spin out, it would bounce off the track and wasn't one of the strongest cars to come from Tamiya. Considering it was bought by many a stupid child, it would end in tears and new body sets for most of its running life.
But now that I have grown up I bought one. Mainly because it was cheap but I had a space on the shelf to fill and now that I have spent the time doing it properly (read paint the chassis and body) I really have started to like it and it now shares shelf space with my Super Sabre.
But I draw the line at this one slight indulgence. The Strikers sister car, the Chronic Fighter WILL never find a space on my shelf. Under the wheels of my car perhaps, but never on the shelf.
By Stevo309
02/09/2006 00:42:48
Oh dear, an off-roader based on an F1 car! Well the Striker is certainly different! It shares many components with it's bigger brother the Sonic Fighter but has the cruder friction shockers on the rear and springs on the front. They both share the same lower chassis with different chassis lids to create a different styling effect. Not a very good performer, not very desireable to collectors but again a model with some charm when painted properly. I do like the colour scheme.
