Pocket-Sized RC Cars Hit U.S. Soil

airrage writes "RC cars are nothing new. But apparently, ZipZaps, now being sold at RadioShack, are pocket-sized, modifiable, and can be tricked out with body kits and other accessories. Even more impressive, "A 16,000-RPM performance motor is included with all starter kits". The story at extremetech here is." Kinda like the Thinkgeek cars. Yes, TG is part of OSDN - obligatory disclosure.

Comments

Buy it..

[Frank of Earth]

here

Re:Buy it..

[fjordboy]

The little cars are pretty cool, but for a few more bucks (ok, 50 more bucks) you can buy the mini desktop rover which is pretty cool, can be computer controlled, has tracks instead of wheels, can crawl over your keyboard and can even play lazer tag if you get a couple of them together.

Re:Buy it..

[XorNand]

I got one from www.rcmicroracers.com a couple of weeks ago. They're actually pretty cool to play with -- and a lot cheaper than the full size RC stuff I used to tinker with as a teen. But, sigh, I do miss those gasoline powered racers.

First requested option

[fobbman]

I hope that they offer really small Type-R stickers...

Re:First requested option

[joshuac]

from the article

The high octane NOS® Nitrous motor zooms along at 23,500 RPM and is only available in The Fast And The Furious Street Tuner Upgrade Kit

I've always wondered where those civic lx "racers" have been getting their parts from...

My apologies in advance for those few people out there who enjoy imports AND actually go to the work to make them go fast.

Don't step on them!

[Doppler00]

I saw someone playing with one of these type of RC cars in our cafeteria. They were driving it around annoying people. Unfortunately, it was so small that someone accidently stepped on it. Didn't work after that.

These have been out in Japan...

[DragonMagic]

These have been in Japan for a while, namely the brand "DigiQ" pocket RC cars.

Some links:
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~muro/
http:// www.takaratoys.co.jp/digiq/
http://digiq.s12.xrea .com/

They're about 600-900 yen each, or about $5-$8 US for the basic cars.

Almost the same . . .

[JustAnotherReader]

Kinda like the Thinkgeek cars.

Only Much Much cheaper.

Re:Almost the same . . .

[nobodyman]

Yeah, and it's funny that the this post was ostensibly to report on ZipZaps, yet the editor posted no link to the zipzaps site and instead posted a link to the page where you could by the ThinkGeek cars.

Lots of 'em

[Mu*puppy]

I've been seeing things like this for many months now. However, it's the options on this one that sets it a bit apart, customizations of motors, etc. Wish it could be without all the damn 'entertainment branding' tho.

Still, in my mind, a car just isn't cool as a pocket tank. Oh yeah, time to mod one of these puppies for Warhammer 40K...

"I'm not really a sysadmin, I just play one at work..."

Hobbiest solves penis size insecurity problem.

[raehl]

While on a recent trip to Radio Shack, longtime automotive hobbiest Grant Holman found a solution to a longtime problem.

"I just never felt it was big enough," explained Grant. "I've tried everything possible to compensate - tried extreme hobbies, got on steroids and worked out, and drove only the biggest, fastest cars. But it seemed that the bigger the compensation I tried, the smaller my pecker felt."

But after seeing the new ZipZap pocket sized RC cars, Grant's problems were solved. "I realized that I'd been looking at this all wrong. Bigger wasn't the answer. These cars are so small and so fun, I feel a lot better about my pecker's potential."

Eunice Abrahms, Grant's girlfriend, concured. "Ever since he bought his first ZipZap my sexual satisfaction has increased immensely," she added while trying out various models at the store. "Grant even lets me help pick which one we get next," she said. "You can hold the really powerful ones in your hand and run the motor and they really shake! Those are my favorite."

They sound pretty customizable...

[x136]

...but where's the option to install a bunch of subwoofers that rattle the trunk lid, making the stereo sound like crap? And how about coffee can sized exhaust tips that make the engine sound like a bicycle with playing cards in the spokes?

Stickers are essential, too. How else can you show off your Ford Escort Evolution IV or your Chevy Beretta Type R?

That age old dilemma

[Nathdot]

In a press conference Wednesday, Radio Shack introduced the ZipZap line of miniature RC cars. Each is based upon real-life roadster, and can be tricked out with body kits and other accessories. Customers also have the option of upgrading and tweaking the gear ratios to give their car an extra boost.

So you can fit out your Porsche 911 RC with a spoiler, super charger, nitros, chrome alloy mag wheels, cool purple fog downlights, tinted windows, a "SPEEED DEEEMON" windscreen decal, and tiny little "extra large" beverage holders and it will still be defeated by a carpet with only a moderate shag-pile rating.

Pffft! :)

Advertising in Media ?

[Monkelectric]

How is it radioshack is able to manipulate media outlets into carrying this "story" ?

I saw a story on CNN about it as well! This is not news, this is advertising.

Data Center 500!

[Nijika]

Can't wait. Windows 2000 Pro CDs as obstacles.

Bah, Humbug - Mini Z are more impressive :)

[UnknownSoldier]

Sure the Tommy Bit Char-G chars are cuter, but I prefer a car that is faster and looks nicer, say, like my Dodge Viper ...
http://www.kyosho.com/cars/kyod01x3.html

"Under the hood":
http://www.kyosho.com/cars/kyod01x1.html

--

"The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite."
- Thomas Jefferson

microrccars.com

[coffeedreg]

If you want to find out more about ZipZaps, DigiQ, iRacers, Bit Char-Gs, MiniZs, and a billion other micro rc cars, drop by microrccars.com and check out the forums.

Radio Shack is just jumping on a bandwagon

[Dracos]

Micro R/C cars have been out in japan for at least 2 years. Ebay has facilitated their entry into the U.S. as early as last winter (as far as I can tell). More proof that Japan gets cool toys way before we do.

If you want a wider range of customization, go for a Bit Char-G from Tomy, which have very recently been launched as R/C MicroSizers in the States (and also under different names in Australia and the U.K.). There are also numerous knockoffs of "bits" coming from China which are generally of lower quality. Hell, even Wal*Mart has a line on these things.

I admit, I first saw micro r/c cars on ThinkGeek (which are called Digi-Q from Takara). After I finally decided to get a micro r/c car, I did some research:

• Bits have the widest range of accessories (bodies, gears, motors, etc)
• Bits have real steering, which uses a small magnet to move the front wheels.
• Digi-Q's have 2 motors, where speed differetial between them steers the car
• Bits look less cartoony than Digi-Q's (but still a little bit cartoony)
• Digi-Q's are controlled by IR, not RF

Therefore, I went with a bit. ZipZaps have a 16k rpm motor? So what: You can get 38k rpm motors for bits.

One of the things going against all these toys in the U.S. is the body styles they produce, which are all Japanese. How many people outside of Japan know what a Nissan Skyline is? Tomy may be prepared, as you can see a Mach 5 and Mini Cooper scheduled for release soon. I want a Chevy SSR and a '69 GTO Judge (gotta be orange) personally.

BUT, these things are temendous fun. There's a huge online community around the micro r/c hobby. Check out www.tinyrc.com, www.bitchar-g.co.uk and QFM Racing (click the right side of the page).

Re:YAPSRCC

[Dracos]

You friend don't know much, then. ZipZaps and BitChar-G's are not identical. ZipZaps have a longer wheelbase and use a slightly different form factor motor, among other things.

People have swapped the gears and axles from a Zip onto a Bit, though.

So THAT'S what a "slashdotting" is

[Derek-ausmicro.com]

Hi everyone. I'm COMPLETELY wet behind the ears with regards slashdot - hell, it took me almost 15mins to work out how to post this first ever reply - DOH! The only times I've really taken any notice of it was when my old *nix-lovin' flatmate used to try to highlight the errors in my Microsoft-lovin' ways.

I was having a pretty quiet Friday here in Sydney. I was at work, idling browsing the 'Net (I am pretty safe saying that in here as my boss even struggles to use MS Word spellcheck without online help) and I saw a post on our ausmicro.com forums mentioning micro RC cars on slashdot.

Next thing I know, our poor little web server is straining under the load and we're getting emails from all over the place. Certainly NOT how I expected another quiet Friday at work to pan out :-o We moved about half of our average monthly traffic in ONE DAY. I phoned my old flatmate tonig

Yes, Aaron and I (aka ausmicro.com) do import micro and mini radio control equipment into Oz. It all started when we both wanted a Bit Char-G and throught that the US-based vendors were a little on the exxy side (with the dodgy USD-AUD exchange rate et al). Aaron (who is in Canberra) and I (in Sydney) are good friends and both of us had a lot of business/market experience business in Japan and SE Asia. So the phone calls and emails started.

We got our first cars in and we were hooked. Colleagues at our workplaces wanted them and so the demand grew. We started ausmicro to see if anyone else wanted to join us for a group buy (save on freight). Suddenly it became much bigger than we'd ever hoped for.

Everyone's gotta have a vice/hobby and RC is one of ours. Running the website (which gives us great mod ideas!) is the most expensive part of the hobby. I know it sounds like tired rhetoric, but ausmicro.com is about a sense of community - not profit. We load up the landed/dutied cost of the items we import by 5%, which goes towards subsidising the site running costs (transferring ~3GB of traffic per month doesn't come cheaply) Put it this way, after 6mths we're still well and truly in the red. And we expect to stay that way for another 12-18mths. But we're still loving it! ;-)

In the last couple of months we've jumped aboard the Mini-Z craze (1:24 scale vs 1:70 scale). These are GREAT fun, too. I can highly recommend http://www.minizworld.com as a good place to start if you're interested in learning about them.

Apologies if this post sounds cheesy/spammy. I assure you - it wasn't intended to be. I'll go as far to say as we're NOT the cheapest place to buy micro RC gear from. We DO NOT have a big range. Even our customer service SUCKS ;-) After all, Aaron and I both have "day jobs" to bay the bills. This is just a hobby! But if want to get into the craze and need help in sourcing a car or two (particularly for Aussies), we can help. We'd just like to see more folks taking up the hobby and growing the racing scene.

Thanks again to those who contacted us (and all of the other suppliers/fansites mentioned in this story) for your interest in the hobby. If you have any questions feel free to email us (please be patient - the mail server is currently undergoing intensive care after its heart attack), or ask the community at http://www.ausmicro.com/forum

Cheers - and have a top weekend

Derek (aka DJ!)
derek@ausmicro.com