The Taiyo Mini Blaster MK2 is a 1:20 scale radio control car released in 1992. It is a miniature version of the much larger 1991 Taiyo Max Turbo Blaster which was released a few years later.
Note: Sadly I do not have any good photos of this car, but have documented what I have, until I come across better ones.
Unlike the original Mini Blaster which was pretty darn awesome, this 'updated' Mini Blaster unfortunately faced the wrath of Taiyo / Tyco cutbacks, swapping real shock absorbers for plastic mockups and generally reducing the overall quality and finish, in line with other Mini cars that Taiyo had produced.
This may have been a result of Tyco's purchasing and reorganising of the company, or simply a reaction to the poor market and global economic conditions of the time (recession) where customers simply did'nt have the same cash to splurge on toys as they may have in the past.
Features and Performance
Like all Mini versions, this was powered by 4 x AA batteries which is fine for a model of this size. However with this 2nd version of the Mini Blaster, Taiyo / Tyco has cut deep into the features, removing both front and rear suspension system, and in a car already without air-filled tires this really devalues the offering and shows they were targetting a very price conscious market at the beginning of 1992.
Replacing the real (decorative) shock absorber from the front of the original Mini Blaster with a solid yellow plastic version (that isn't even trying to be convinving in any way) is the final insult of this model.
If you had a Tyco or Metro Mini Blaster as a child, checkout the Tyco Mini Blaster article for the most popular version that you may remember.
Availability and Collectability
Generally I don't recommend these 1990s era Minis due to the changes in design, however I do recommend the original Taiyo Mini Blaster and Tyco Mini Blaster which are still excellent R/C toys today.
