This Taiyo Ferrari F40 was a 4xAA radio control car released in to the Japanese market in 1994.
Note: The White Box version is the target of this review.
Features and Performance
Designed to be an affordable alternative to the earlier Taiyo 9.6V Ferrari F-40 (one of my favorite RC cars ever made), it features a slightly updated F40 model, though the reduced cost is evident and serves a purpose we'll discus later.
The hard body, while visually pleasing, is made with a lower cost (shiny) plastic, and internally the chassis is a simple 4xAA model without suspension.
Still, it retains the rubber slicks and 2-speed gearbox, so it's not a bad model at all, just not to be compared with its 9.6V Turbo cousin.
Early 90s Multiplayer
Released as a pair together with the Nissan Fairlady 300ZX, these were clearly aimed at friends and siblings who wanted to race each other, so keeping the cost down per car was important since two would need to be purchased.
Tyco had enjoyed success with this method since the release of their original Turbo Hopper, offering one Red (27Mhz) and one Black (49Mhz) mode, encouraging multiple purchases.
Recommendation
Acknowledging these are 4xAA versions, they're primed for indoor racing around the kitchen or lounge room, perfect for young kids, or those young at heart. What model you pick depends on personal taste, though as I already have a 9.6V Ferrari F-40, I'd probably grab the Taiyo Nissan 300ZX for its excellent Fuji Pace Car livery.
Help Wanted: Unknown 'Italian' Black Box Model.
If you view the gallery, you'll see we have the white box version (target of this review) and also the black box version of this car. The black box 'Italian flag' model is Made in China, and so may be a re-release at a later date, or a local variant. With so many F-40 models, it's been an effort to specifically identify each against a model number, and while we've identified most, this one 'Italian' model we're unable to identify so far. We'll leave it in the gallery so perhaps someone will come along and recognize it. Leave a comment below if you know something!
