The Tyco 4 Wheel Drive Super Turbo Hopper is a radio controlled car, manufactured by Taiyo of Japan, and released onto the US/UK and other markets worldwide in 1987. Not to be confused with the 1989 Tyco 4WD 9.6V Super Turbo Hopper.
Released right in the middle of the Golden Age of Toy RC, the 4 Wheel Drive Super Turbo Hopper is a masterpiece of ready-to-run RC manufacturing in the late 80s. It had features that nobody else in the market could compete with at the time, yet was still sold at a price suitable for any local toy store or department store.
Performance
Released in the same year as the Tyco Turbo Hopper MK1, and Turbo Hopper MK2 variants, the Super Turbo Hopper is bigger, more aggressive, and with a more sophisticated design with easier access to batteries.
With it’s ‘Dual Drive’ (Taiyo ‘Twin Turbo’) system, there are two Mabuchi 280 motors driving the car, providing plenty of power for an R/C of its size and weight.
Features include:
- Larger 1/14 scale body
- 9.6v ‘Turbo’ 8xAA power and Charge LED
- Dual Drive 2x Mabuchi 280 Motors
- 4WD
- Top speed of 25km/h (16mph)
- Easy access to batteries along bottom of vehicle
- Extra large rear shocks and sophisticated front suspension
- Large air filled tires
- Included batteries, charge case, and charger
Heritage
As with all Tyco radio control models of this era, the 4 Wheel Drive Super Turbo Hopper is based on an original Taiyo Japan model, in this case the legendary Taiyo Jet Racer 4WD, which was released into limited western markets a year earlier.
It is a simple, well made, highly capable design that mimics many of the popular Tamiya buggies of the era, such as Tamiya’s The Fox, but in a smaller, budget friendly, ready-to-run product that was more accessible to the average consumer.
Like most Taiyo manufactured products destined for international markets, it is Made in Singapore, as are all the best Tyco RC vehicles, with a quality equal to that of their Made in Japan originals.
Recommendation
Overall, the 4 Wheel Drive Super Turbo Hopper is a near perfect model, deserving of the name, and should be part of any Tyco Turbo Hopper collection – if you can manage to find one, or indeed even afford one given the meteoric rise in prices for all things Taiyo / Tyco.
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