The Cars

Background
Micro R/C cars have been around for a couple of years now. Originally developed by Nikko and Tomy (Nikko being Infrared controlled and Tomy being Radio Controlled). They are incredibly small and nimble, full function (Forward, Reverse, Left and Right), radio controlled cars. Based on the technology in mobile phones (the motors were originally
 designed to make your cell phone vibrate!) and existing Radio Control technology, the manufacturers have managed to cram all of this into a car that is under 6 cm long and 3 cm wide

. The cars have rechargeable batteries, with good quality batteries (NiMH) giving over 30 minutes of racing from 3 minutes of charging. The batteries are recharged by “plugging” the car onto the controller. The controller usually runs off 2 AA batteries.

As you can see from the photos there are a large range of cars and controllers available (these are just a few of the types available) but the quality does vary significantly

  .

Here are some pictures of the new Tomy Bit Char Range. Only available as imports from Japan

What are they called?
These 1/64th scale cars come in many packages. Some manufacturers have used different brand names in different countries to confuse the issue further. Original names are Tomy BitChar-G, and Nikko iRacer. Since these were launched about 2 years ago many copies have emerged. Some are better than the originals but most are cheap “clones”. In the USA BitChar-G’s are sold as MicroSizers. Radio Shack sell Zip Zaps and Wal-Mart sell Motor Works. There are too many names and brands to mention, but check out our links page for car reviews and discussion boards.

How much do they cost?
They are relatively inexpensive to buy (£6-25.00 or $9-30.00 USD) and great fun. They are even more fun on a track!

Upgrading your car
The great thing about these cars is that you can upgrade and customize them quickly and simply. The standard quick-change upgrades are:

1. Change tires. By changing from hard to soft, treaded to slick and mixing you can create different driving responses, from doughnuts to drifting turns
   
   
2. Change your suspension. As with a real car the type of suspension you use can affect you car. You can either change the suspension arm, or remove it completely and replace it with springs!!!!
   .
   
3. Change the motor. In less than 10 seconds and without tools you can change your cars motor. Motor speeds range from 10,000 rpm to 48,000 rpm, dramatically changing your cars performance. It is not always about speed – choose your motor to match the complexity of the track
   .
   
4. Change your gear ratios. Typically three different ratios are offered. High speed/slow acceleration, medium all round, Fast acceleration/low top end
   
   
5. Add lights. Yes you can add working lights to your cars. These can even be set up to differentiate between forwards and reverse. Great for atmospheric nighttime racing.
                      Essex Boys Dream!!
   
6. Change car bodies. The weight and style of body can affect the cars performance, weight in terms of speed and style in terms of how the car “interacts” with the barrier (fitting front stabilizer outriggers can help steer the car around the track using the barriers as guide rails – useful for beginners). Bodies are available in a vast range of colours and styles and some come plain so that you can create your own custom paint job or create a low rider.
   
   
7. Upgrade the car batteries. Little trickier this mod because you will need a small screwdriver. Upgrading the car battery will have a dramatic and instant effect. Typically cars come with cheaper NiCad batteries. Upgrading to NiMH will increase your run time and cars speed. The more dedicated operator can squeeze an extra 2 batteries into a standard car, giving extra power and run times.
   
   

 There are also non-standard upgrades. These can involve soldering and minor body modifications. There are a large number of web sites dedicated to building the ultimate 1/64^th scale car. See our useful links section. Look out for the micro hovercraft and micro planes that people are making from Micro R/C Cars.

Here is a link to one of the most talked about technical mods the Mosfet - strange that they don’t make them like this in the first place (you can buy pre-modded cars from RCmod.com). Here is another link with instructions. This mod boosts the power to the motor, turning a tame lil’ol runarround into screaming beast of wheelies and spins. These things can climb 45 degree slopes!
 

Does Bonzer Sell Cars?
 Bonzer are dedicated to ensuring that you can enjoy the Bonzer Racing experience and we are currently planning our own range of  Bonzer Racers. These will be specially commissioned cars with a high specification for maximum reliability, speed and control. We will also provide a full range of accessories and upgrade parts (copyright/patents permitting!).

Watch this web site for launch dates.