Back in the ’80s and early ’90s, Tamiya helped define the modern RC world with kits like the Grasshopper, Frog, Lunch Box, and of course the Hornet. First released in 1984, the Hornet remains a fan favorite and a top seller for Tamiya USA. Decades later, it’s still inspiring hobbyists to explore what these vintage buggies can do—even when it means going way off-script.
This particular Hornet build started out as a re-released The Hornet assembly kit, which is one of the easier to build kits Tamiya offers. After basic assembly, I went all-in on creating my own slammed, street-style Hornet—a look inspired by custom “slambug” (slammedbuggy) builds I first saw during a trip to Japan.
THE BUILD
To get the right look, I focused solely on JDM slambugstyle mods.…