This is the new Tamiya Comical Hornet, it’s a fun-sized version of the Hornet, one of the company’s most famous and best-loved R/C buggies that debuted all the way back in the 1980s – the golden age of the original buggy boom.
The Comical Hornet is a wheelie-specialist R/C machine that’s just 1:10th the size of the original Hornet. It’s a quick kit to assemble and get running, and thanks to its size and design, it’s fun for the whole family.
Above Video: This is the official Tamiya video about the Comical Hornet, it includes footage of it being built and driven, and as you can see they’re also showcasing the Comical Grasshopper.
History Speedrun: Tamiya’s “Comical” R/C Series
Tamiya has a long fascinating history of turning out fun-first, wheelie-capable R/C cars that always prioritized entertainment and the fun factor over bleeding edge competitive lap times. R/C models like the Lunch Box (a boxy van on oversized wheels, first released in 1987), the Midnight Pumpkin (a pickup truck with the same wheelie-friendly layout), and the Wild Willy 2 (a Jeep-style model that launched in 1998) all helped to establish a fun-only corner of Tamiya’s extensive R/C catalog.
These models were designed from the outset to pop wheelies, absorb abuse, and put grins on faces rather than chase race wins. Tamiya eventually grouped these kinds of kits together under the “Comical R/C Cars” banner in their catalogue and on their online store, alongside larger-format fun machines like the six-wheeled Konghead and Dynahead on their G6-01 chassis.
The Comical series as most people know it today, however, actually started out back in late 2018 when Tamiya introduced the Comical Grasshopper. This was something new, essentially it was a caricature-style reimagining of one of the company’s most iconic 1980s buggies, built on a purpose-developed chassis called the WR-02CB.
The concept took the classic Grasshopper’s recognizable silhouette and smooshed it into a squat, cartoonish polycarbonate body shell, complete with a helmeted driver figure, oversized bubble tires, and a rear wheelie bar. The WR-02CB chassis underneath was a rear-wheel-drive, monocoque-framed platform with four-wheel double wishbone suspension, CVA oil dampers, and a pre-assembled gearbox. It was simple enough for beginners, but nicely capable on and off road.
The Comical Grasshopper proved so popular that Tamiya quickly expanded the model series. The Comical Hornet followed in 2019, applying the same smooshing treatment to the Hornet’s iconic black-and-gold livery. The Comical Frog came next, a reimagining of another beloved 1980s buggy on the same WR-02CB platform.
In 2020, Tamiya extended the concept to four-wheel drive with the Comical Avante, which debuted on a new chassis variant called the GF-01CB. This gear-driven 4×4 platform used a centrally-mounted motor, sealed gearboxes with built-in differentials, and CVA oil dampers, offering more grip and even more dramatic wheelie potential.
This is the new Tamiya Comical Hornet, it’s a fun-sized version of the Hornet, one of the company’s most famous and best-loved R/C buggies that debuted all the way back in the 1980s – the golden age of the original buggy boom.
All of the Comical buggy models share the same basic philosophy, they take a legendary Tamiya name from the golden age of R/C and reinterpret it as a lighthearted, wheelie-popping machine that’s as much fun to look at as it is to drive. Part of the reason for their runaway popularity is that they make great display pieces when not in use, and they’re ideal for parents to build and drive with even quite young kids.
The Original Tamiya Hornet
The original (full sized) Tamiya Hornet was released on October the 9th, 1984, during the golden age of electric off-road R/C buggies. It shared its chassis platform with the Grasshopper, which had debuted a few months earlier, and as a result the chassis tubs were actually stamped “RCC Grasshopper”.
The Hornet was the faster, sportier sibling. It swapped the Grasshopper’s smaller RS-380 motor for a more powerful RS-540S, and its polycarbonate body was lighter than the Grasshopper’s hard ABS shell.
The chassis was a simple ABS bathtub design with rear-wheel drive, independent swing-axle front suspension, a rolling rigid rear axle, and oil-filled dampers. At 400mm long, 230mm wide, and 1.43 kgs without battery, it was a lightweight, straightforward machine whose greatest strength was straight-line speed.
Its distinctive black-and-gold livery, spiked rear tires, and aggressive look made it one of the most recognizable R/C cars of the era, and it quickly became one of Tamiya’s best-selling kits, in fact it’s widely credited with helping to launch the RWD R/C buggy boom that swept backyards and dirt tracks worldwide through the mid-1980s.
The original kit was so popular it remained in production until 1992, and Tamiya brought it back as a re-release in 2004 with modern electronics but the same fundamental design. It has remained in the catalog as a perennial seller ever since.
This is the full-sized Tamiya Hornet, one of the most popular R/C buggies from the midst of the 1980s “Buggy Boom.”
In 2024, Tamiya celebrated the Hornet’s 40th anniversary with the Hornet EVO, a modernized version featuring independent double-wishbone suspension, CVA oil dampers, a sealed rear gearbox with a built-in 3-bevel differential, and full ball bearings.
The Tamiya Comical Hornet
The Tamiya Comical Hornet is a popular reimagining of one of the most iconic R/C cars ever made. As noted above, the original Hornet has been a Tamiya legend since the 1980s – for countless hobbyists it was the very first radio-controlled kit they ever built, and it remains one of the company’s best-selling models to this day.
The Comical version takes that famous silhouette and reinterprets it as a squished, cartoonish 1:10th scale buggy, complete with a polycarbonate body wearing a sticker design inspired by the original, a newly designed helmeted driver figure gripping a steering wheel, and headlight cases that accept (separately sold) 5mm LEDs for added detail.
Underneath sits the WR-02CB chassis, this is a dedicated platform designed for fun on virtually any surface. It’s built around a monocoque centerpiece with four-wheel double wishbone suspension, oil-filled CVA Mini shock units, and long suspension arms with multiple damper mounting holes for adjustability.
The pre-assembled gearbox comes with the 540-type brushed motor already attached to simplify the build, and the included Tamiya TBLE-02S ESC is compatible with both brushed and sensor-equipped brushless motors.
Under-guards and side guards protect the chassis from knocks, and a rear wheelie bar lets the buggy hold a wheels-in-the-air stance when you get on the throttle. Orange and white two-piece wheels are fitted with bubble tires (ribbed up front and round block at the rear) for a look and driving feel that matches the model’s lighthearted character.
Underneath the polycarbonate body sits the WR-02CB chassis, this is a dedicated platform designed for fun on virtually any surface. It’s built around a monocoque centerpiece with four-wheel double wishbone suspension, oil-filled CVA Mini shock units, and long suspension arms with multiple damper mounting holes for adjustability.
To get rolling, you’ll need a 2-channel radio system, a steering servo, a 7.2 volt round-type stick battery pack with charger, and Tamiya PS/TS paint for the body. Square-shaped battery packs won’t fit the compartment, so stick packs are a must!
It’s now being offered for sale on the official Tamiya Amazon store here and at the time of writing they only have 15 left in stock.
Images courtesy of Tamiya
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
