Tamiya Sumo Power TRF419X Project

I've always been interested in owning one of the TRF (Tamiya Racing Factory) touring car chassis but they were prohibitively expensive (~$1000), especially since I couldn't really see what made them so much better than their much cheaper cousins and, without any intent of racing, I couldn't claim the difference would really matter to me.  However, when the 42345 TRF420 was about to be released the 42301 TRF419X went on sale for about 65% off and there was just no excuse not to buy it.

So what's all the fuss about?  Well, this chassis is magnificent.  The deck, stiffener, and shock towers are all carbon fiber and pretty much everything else is aluminum.  Even the hardware and bearings are better than the usual kits.  After every step I found myself thinking "Wow, those parts were really nice".  The TRF aluminum shocks are legendary.  About the only plastic parts are the lower suspension arms and the uprights, but even those are glass filled with exceptional tolerances.  If you are not racing, there is a good chance none of that really matters, but if you love quality just for the sake of its existence, then you will undoubtedly enjoy this build.

Apart from the price, the drawback to TRF kits is that they don't come with anything.  It is not surprising that this chassis doesn't come with a pathetic silver can motor, but there is no ESC either.  You are completely on your own for electronics.  The same goes for wheels, tires, and a body.  You have to fully equip this model to your own specifications.  I chose a 10.5T Hobbywing sensored brushless system which is more than powerful enough for any driving I will ever do with this car.  I got a nice fast Protek digital steering servo with a blue anodized case to match the chassis components.

I'd been interested in the Nissan GT-R Sumo Power body for a long time but wasn't too keen on getting it on a TT-01E chassis so it seemed like the perfect fit.  If you don't live in Japan, there's a good chance you've never even heard of this car.  Sumo Power is a British touring car modification company specializing in Japanese cars.  This particular model raced in the short lived GT1 World Championship which was only held from 2010-2012.  Regardless of its pedigree, it is just a really good looking body with an excellent livery.  I'm very happy with it.

The chassis drives exactly as well as you'd expect, though my qualifications for making that claim are admittedly limited.  It is fast, tight, and accurate.  A real joy to drive.

Update:  This model was destroyed in the 2022 fire.  It has not been replaced.