The Nikko Super Dictator was a large 1/8 scale dual motor four-wheel-drive radio controlled car produced by Nikko R/C Systems, and released in Japan, United States, and other countries worldwide in 1990.
Also sold as the Radio Shack Road Phantom in the USA. I currently do not own a Super Dictator, and so this article is based on my research, questions with owners, and videos of its performance. And not to spoil anything, but it's on my 'must buy' list for the near future.
Super Dictator vs Dictator / Dictator II
While the Super Dictator is quoted as 1/8 scale (compared with 1/10 of the original), it does appear to use the same chassis as the original 1/10 model, with the main differences being larger wheels and tires, and a larger body shell.
But that's not the only difference. Looking closely, the original Dictator I and II had 2 x Mabuchi RS-380SH Motors, and the Super Dictator had 2 x Mabuchi FS-390SH Motors. This minor change in numbers may not seen like much, but these are completely different motors!
In short, the FS-390SH motors in the Super Dictator had 3 x speed (13,000RPM vs 4,800RPM) and 5 x Torque (945nm vs 176nm) of the originals RS-380SH motors, was designed for a maximum of 12V, much closer to the actual 7.2V used on these cars, compared with the 24V motors used in the originals, and it had much higher efficiency (67% vs 56%).
Obviously gearing was likely different between the cars, but I'd love to know if anyone owned or tested both, what the real world difference was between these cars. Was it as noticeable as the on-paper specifications suggest?
If anyone knows, please leave a comment, or contact me so I can record the reason here.
Features and Performance
The Dictator series of R/C cars was essentially the best R/C car you could ever hope to buy at your local Toys 'R Us, with the originals having performance up to 33km/h or 20mph, and the Super Dictator appearing to have plenty of performance when looking at the specifications, speaking with owners, and watching videos of the car on YouTube, however Nikko do not quote a specific top speed figure, likely as this model was more about torque/power.
The 1/8 Nikko Super Dictator featured:
- 1/8 Scale (same chassis, larger body/tires)
- Digital Proportional Radio System
- Four Wheel Drive (4WD)
- Upgraded Dual FS-390SH Mabuchi motors with 5 x Torque and 2x RPM of original
- Front and Rear Differentials
- Front and Rear Shock Absorbers
- Electronic Torque Splitting System
- 7.2V Tamiya style battery for drive
- Battery Eliminator System
(no additional AAs required on the car) - Semi-Pneumatic Spiked Tires
- Race up to 6 bands via swappable crystals
Overall this car interests me greatly, and I've seen a few of these undergo a restomod where the chassis is used to build a new brushless lithium powered car... tempting!
Check out this video of the Super Dictator in action indoors, and a quick look at the chassis.
Availability and Collectability
There seems to be sufficient Super Dictator models around to make buying one fairly easy, though as usual getting one at the right price and condition may take some time.
As for collectability, they may not be the 'original desireable Nikko' (unless you owned one when you were young), but they have some excellent specifications and characteristics that make them an interesting buy for those looking to get into the restomod scene, or to simply have a decent 80s Nikko that still runs great, and is plenty tough to hand over to the kids.
