This is the Tamiya Citroën 2CV Rally, a 1:10th scale reproduction of the legendary French people’s car. Although the 2CV may not seem particularly well-suited to rally, they were entered into a number of long-distance endurance events, including the Dakar and a slew of other rallies.
The Citroën 2CV was chosen for long-distance rallies and rally-cross not due to its speed, but for its extreme simplicity, ease of repair, and surprising off-road ability made possible by the car’s unusual suspension.
Over 9 million 2CVs (and variants) were built over the decades between 1948 and the 1990s, today they remain one of France’s most famous cars, and possibly the single most beloved car in the country.
The Tamiya Citroën 2CV Rally was developed by the Japanese model and R/C car maker to celebrate the unusual motorsport versions of the famous French car. Just like the original it’s front wheel drive with independent suspension on all four wheels.
The chassis is based around a lightweight, narrow and durable semi-monocoque frame, and is at home both on gravel and asphalt. The suspension has specially designed hub carriers and front/rear uprights to increase ground clearance by 5 mm, there’s also a front skid guard and side guards.
The chassis is the rally-tuned M-05RA version of the highly regarded front-wheel drive M-05 chassis using the 540 motor and the Tamiya TBLE-02S ESC (electronic speed control).
The car is slightly on the larger side for an R/C with dimensions of 394 mm (15.5″) long, 181 mm (7.12″) wide, and 165 mm (6.49″) high with a 239 mm (9.40945″) wheelbase.
The fantastic livery and stickers package not to mention the sand ladder mounted to the roof are going to mean this car is equally popular with those who want to actually drive it and those who want to build it have have it on display on their desk.
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