The Taiyo Mini Cyclone 6x6 is a six wheel radio control car released in Japan in 1993.
A 1/18th scale version of the larger Taiyo Cyclone 6x6, which was also known as the Tyco Scorcher in the USA. It retains the "pop up" functionality of the larger version, and like all Cyclone/Scorcher RCs, only the first 4 wheels are driven, with the front two wheels free wheeling.
Looking for a clean Scorcher?
It's easy to see just how popular the western version of the Cyclone was, with the Scorcher 6x6 (full size and mini) widely available on eBay, but 99% of them show heavy signs of wear, scratched and battered, with pieces broken off, they were well loved and played with, which is great to see. Unless you're a collector looking for a good clean example!
So if you're looking for a decent Scorcher, drop the name and consider a Cyclone instead. Almost all of the Japanese ones are in far better condition than any Scorcher, and if you know where to look, they are relatively easy to find.
Power
Despite a meager 4xAA power, they remain highly lively and fun to play with, driving similarly to a tank or a Rebound 4x4.
6x6 or 4x6?
It is easy to get confused, with various Taiyo and Tyco Cyclone/Scorcher models named either 6x6 or 4x6 (or both) despite being functionally identical.
The 6x6 and 4x6 designation seems completely meaningless to us, these models are identical. This leads us to believe it's a result of legal issues with naming the car 6x6 when only 4 wheels are actively driven. So consider this your opportunity to snap up a Scorcher or Cyclone cheap, knowing that the 4x6 version is just the same - and likely a little rarer.
One way you can get caught out however, is the 6.0V Jet Turbo versions of the Scorcher, whether named 4x6 or 6x6, are in fact Mini Scorcher / Mini Cyclone sized vehicles, as per our example below.
