Tamiya Avante Black Special Project

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.

Description	Manufacturer	Model #
Avante Black Special 1/10 Scale R/C 4WD High Performance Off Road Racer Kit	Tamiya	47390
GT-Tuned 25T Rebuildable 540 Brushed Motor	Tamiya	53779
22 Tooth 0.6 Mod Steel Pinion	Robinson Racing	1122
Quicrun 60A Brushed Electronic Speed Control	Hobbywing	1060
2 Channel 2.4 GHz DSMR Receiver	Spektrum	SR215
High Torque Coreless Titanium Gear Digital Steering Servo (Black Edition)	Savox	SC-1257TG
PS-5 Black Paint	Tamiya	86005
PS-31 Smoke Paint	Tamiya	86031

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