The Black Special version of the Avante has an interesting history. The original
58072
Tamiya Avante buggy was released in March of 1988 with a metallic blue
livery. The same year a 1/32 scale Mini 4WD version was available,
and then a black special version in 1990. For 22 years this black
edition only existed as a Mini 4WD, but then after the original was
re-released as
58489 in 2011 a 1/10 scale Black edition followed as
84270
in 2012. This limited edition version sold out quickly and then
was gone. Luckily for me, Tamiya did another production run this
time numbered
47390 and I picked one up before it was too late.
This is a
1/10th scale, 4WD electric buggy with carbon chassis, many aluminum
parts including all rod ends, and steel links. It has aluminum oil
filled dampers and a lovely scale
body with driver and under tray. Mechanically it is nearly
identical to the 2011 Avante version, but there are a couple of
differences. The Black Edition comes with the "torque splitter"
upgrade which includes a pair of ball differentials and a center one-way
which results in the front end driving but not braking. It also
includes the "racing steering" upgrade which swaps the somewhat
convoluted original steering for a more conventional system with a
carbon cross bar. The final difference is the wheels and
tires. The unique cam-loc wheels are gone and replaced with
traditional wheels molded in pink with a teardrop pattern. The
conical spike tires are gone and are replaced with smaller cylindrical
spikes, and the front wheels and tires have been narrowed so they are no
longer common with the rear. All of the other chassis,
suspension, and drivetrain parts are the same as the 2011 version with
the same differences from the original 1988 version. The body and
wing are identical apart from the paint scheme and livery. Not
surprisingly, it drives pretty much just like the 2011 edition although
the narrower front tires have a small impact.
Update: This model was destroyed in the 2022 fire. It has not been replaced.