The
TamTech Gear series of 1/12 scale vehicles came out in 2006. The
GB series were smaller versions of classic 2WD
buggies. On the GB-01 platform we got the Frog, Hornet, Fox, and
Desert Gator. They were well advertised but short lived and went
out of production quickly, becoming very difficult to find. Fast
forward to 2021, 15 years later, and this chassis made a surprising
comeback. The first to be announced on the GB-01S chassis was the
Grasshopper, a model that had not previously been available in the
Tamtech line. For whatever reason, this new line of Tamtech
buggies was only available in Japan, so I had to import mine.So what's the difference between the original GB-01 and the new GB-01S? Not much or a lot depending on how you look at it. The main change is to the electronics. The original AM transmitter has been replaced with a modern 2.4 GHz unit. This means the receiver also needs to be replaced. Tamiya made the decision to do away with the separate receiver entirely and instead integrate it with the new TRE-01 ESC. One feature of the new ESC is a "high power" mode. In high power mode it is really slow, and in normal mode it is pathetically slow. Why so slow? Mostly because the original 5-cell Ni-Cd battery pack has been replaced with a 4AA battery box which takes up a lot more space and has a lot less voltage. The original uniquely shaped steering servo has also been replaced with a standard full sized servo. Mechanically, the model is very much the same as before. The front and rear suspension are identical to the old version with a rear ball differential and full bearings right out of the box. I've always thought this was a really well designed chassis, but sadly the Achilles heel of the old model has not been changed, the pogo stick shocks. This model is screaming for CVA oil shocks, and rumor has it that they may become available again. Fingers crossed.
The performance of this model out of the box is so bad that I can hardly imagine anyone enjoying it apart from small children. The good news is that a 2s LiPo seems to work just fine with the electronics and massively improves the driveability to the point that I can almost recommend it.
Update: This model was destroyed in the 2022 fire. It has not been replaced.
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