Tamiya Rover Mini Cooper (M-01)

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Visit the full Tamiya Rover Mini Cooper M-01 gallery >

Videos

JANG's Impressions

I first had one of these cars around 2002, and to have an opportunity to run one again 8 years later was a real treat. The Mini Cooper was the very first Tamiya 'M' chassis car, launching a series that's been continually produced & improved upon ever since. Tamiya specifically created this all-new chassis to carry the Mini Cooper shell in proper scale, with accurate driving characteristics. Unlike the FF-01, the M-01 puts the motor behind the front axle to allow the body to cut off abruptly like the real thing. Even a new smaller wheel & tire size was developed for this car. The end result is truly remarkable-looking vehicle, with ABS details supplied to attach to the polycarbonate body.

On the road or at a track, the M-01 is one of the most fun box-stock onroad cars you'll ever drive. Steering is phenomenally responsive at low to medium speeds, and the car experiences a significant amount of body roll ue to the monoshock suspension (the levelling springs just can't keep up with cornering forces). This roll actually makes for a very realistic appearance, though the car drives at scale speeds that are somewhat comically high. The stock tires are a bit square in cross-section and the foam inserts are too soft, which somewhat limits traction. Softer-compound tires are available, though (and included on the rear of the M-02), which give enough grip to easily cause traction rolling with some setups. Hard braking from high speeds or on dusty surfaces gives an unusual feeling, too, with front wheel lockup negating any & all steering input, in contrast to the panic spin-outs you can create with a rear- or all-wheel-drive vehicle.

The Build

See the assembly photos & writeup in the Tamiya Rover Mini Cooper M-01 build thread on the forum.

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