1/12 scale Off-Road racing opinions

[TokyoProf]

Would 1/12 scale offroad racing ever attract interest?

We have 1/12 scale on-road class using 1/10 scale electric motors and batteries and electronics. Why not in offroad?
Once we get to 1/16th scale it gets to be a little too small, perhaps a bit toyish for some--not in a bad way. Reissuing vintage buggies at 1/12 size (also) would be really cool. In terms of racing 1/12 size could be refreshing, serious and yet large enough to see on the track. Maybe it would usher in the growth of a novice class, and younger kids would come into the hobby at a more attractive price point. Your thoughts...

[juicedcoupe]

The WL Toys vehicles are in 1/12 and 1/14 scales. They actually have quite a large following.

[BattleTrak]

With so many traditional 1/10 off road vehicles..I don’t think 1/12 would make that big of a difference. My local tracks have no 1:16 racing. I think going back to old school, loose, real dirt tracks would be a great thing though regardless of scale.

[TokyoProf]

I like the WLtoys price, but the design not so much. It's a step in the right direction if it is popular.
I like 12th scale size and its' potential to bring affordability to RC racing unlike their 10th scale older sibling.

What if we had a 12th scale Junior IFMAR Off-Road Competition with stock, modified, and vintage classic classes?

1) Stock class would be under 18, non-sponsored drivers, to expand the hobby with young people.
2) Open Modified (2wd or 4wd) class for drivers without age limit.
3) Vintage classic class (assuming manufacturers are willing to reissue classics at 1/12 scale)--battling it out.

[juicedcoupe]

If you want to get modern kids into it, there better be something other than nostalgia to it. Because unless they grew up around RC, they don't care (even if they did, they probably still don't care about nostalgia).

To me, I can't see anything affordable really coming out of a 1/12 offroad car. At least, nothing that currently available 1/10 scales doesn't already offer.

There won't be any budget batteries and replacement parts will likely cost more than current offerings.

And whatever you build will have to be sturdy enough to survive current tracks. Those big jumps are going to be rough on a little car.

[Frankentruck]

To me, the comical stuff seems like 1/12 scale off-road.

[morrisey0]

Just my opinion, but I think 1/12 only became popular because it was run on local indoor tracks, and square footage costs money. It is cheaper and easier to own and operate a 1/12 indoor track than a 1/10 indoor track. Heck, the only indoor track around here is a Mini-Z course. Once you got outside, it didn't matter as much, which is why 1/10 and 1/8 took off on the outdoor tracks.

[Dadio]

I hate to say it but RC "Racing" is not as popular as it was and splitting it further into another class is going to be hard to sustain , with bashers even 1/10 is not great but 1/8 is better , I have nothing against 1/12 or wltoys smaller scale cars but making another racing class may not be worth it .

[TokyoProf]

To me, the comical stuff seems like 1/12 scale off-road.

Actually, the comical series was/is a really great idea (but maybe something only Tamiya could pull off naturally). It seems different than the bashing crowd in a good way. Big tires, funny handling characteristics. I agree that the 12th scale would be too fragile on tracks of today which is a good point.

This is at least ONE thing Tamiya has always done well. They draw in young and old generations to their RC line of products and their races/races and didn't take themselves seriously. Can race-focused RC companies pivot into the comical series? It would be interesting and invite a lighter side to racing. Maybe that is where the "missing" class is.

Fun because the buggy dimensions are comical and slow in speed (won't hurt anyone on the track), a class with young and old, won't break easily (maybe 360 bumper buggy concept), easy to see on the track, nostalgia, etc. I don't race, I barely practice lol. But from an outsider looking could be an interesting idea/class to develop...a class which never intended to be competitive and serious in the first place.

[RogueIV]

We run 1/12 scale 4wd on our carpet mini nights at RCM in Enfield CT. They use 380 sized brushless motors, sedan sized wheels with the Schumacher Mini Pins or Rally. They rip but consume tires like crazy. Most are the LC Racing LC12B1 and to be honest they aren't much slower than their 1/10 scale counterparts.

We also run a 1/14 scale class which is LC BHC-1 buggies, which are pretty capable little things. A more stable than the Losi mini Bs and handle quite well. I'll likely be picking one of those up for the upcoming season.

Also, the Losi Mini JRXT works pretty damn well on just about any surface. I feel like it's a good sweet spot for size, way better than the Mini-Ts and Bs and can handle fairly rough dirt pretty well.

[Dangeruss]

Fascinating topic... I concur with morriseyO:

1/12 only became popular because it was run on local indoor tracks, and square footage costs money.

And like juicedcoupe said:

If you want to get modern kids into it, there better be something other than nostalgia to it. Because unless they grew up around RC, they don't care

This is true about kids today, yesterday, and every other day. None of us got into RC racing for the nostalgia of it. We got into it because it was awesome!

Considering Tamiya, Kyosho, Integy, WL and others already make 1/12th scale off-road racing vehicles... I'd say the lack of interest is because it just wasn't awesome enough.

[TokyoProf]

[/quote]

This is true about kids today, yesterday, and every other day. None of us got into RC racing for the nostalgia of it. We got into it because it was awesome!

Considering Tamiya, Kyosho, Integy, WL and others already make 1/12th scale off-road racing vehicles... I'd say the lack of interest is because it just wasn't awesome enough.
[/quote]

I agree with the points above. It has to grow beyond nostalgia, maybe even class size. We grew into a hobby that was creative, innovative, ground-breaking, awesome like you said. How to introduce awesomeness in a mature hobby would be hard or difficult. If mechanical nostalgia is not the answer, then maybe the metaverse Avatar gaming digital platform component added to physical RC is promising ...?. .

[Dangeruss]

If mechanical nostalgia is not the answer, then maybe the metaverse Avatar gaming digital platform component added to physical RC is promising ...?. .

Don't know that metaverse/avatar/gaming gimmicks are what's needed. Though, the first person/simulator style RC driving videos on youtube do scream awesomeness. For 12th scale off-road racing to be successful you need magazines to advertise it, sanctioning bodies to adopt it, and tracks to offer it as a class. Curious that despite the vehicles existing, tracks don't offer 12th scale off-road racing, isn't it?

[Chewbacca]

Unfortunately the digital world delivers an instant gratification experience even similar to RC car DRIVING, not building.

I was never was a regular at any kind of track, but I did get my kids some RC cars and rebuilt them with them, BUT when my daughter found out that I tore them down prior to rebuilding them with my childern she said:

"you mean they were already built ?!? ....."

Anyway it has definitely become more difficult to compete with the all of distractions of today's life

[Elkcycles]

Our local track saw an uptick in novice racers with the Losi Mini B/T2.0. These were kept as a controlled spec class, but many kids, including my own, soon moved up to 1/10 scale.