Review: Tamiya M06 Pro Mini

Here in SoCal, the mini class has always been a hit-or-miss at most parking lot races. Some days you’ll have one or two heats of Minis, other times you might be the only one to show up. One thing is for sure, those that do show up have their FWD Minis hooked up. So how does this newcomer among Minis compare? Will the rear motor/rear wheel drive layout be the big Mini thing? We take the M-06 Pro to the track and throw down some laps against one of Tamiya’s M-05 Pro Minis to find out.

AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Tamiya
WHO IT’S FOR: Beginner to Intermediate
HOW MUCH: $165
BUILD TYPE: Kit

FACTS
-The first thing you’ll notice the rear-mounted motor. While a bit unorthodox for anything on-road, it makes sense that it should work looking at the current crop of 2wd off-road cars. It’s basically the same layout – battery down the middle, electronics on either side, gearbox and motor behind/over the rear axles.

-While this car is very modular, there is an abnormal amount of screw bags and parts trees. I found myself digging through the box quite often to find the parts for the next step. While not a bad thing by any means, it is a bit out of the ordinary for Tamiya.

-RWD vehicles typically need lots of RWD grip, so Tamiya included a set of their S-Grip kicks. They do say S-Grip on them, so be sure to mount those on the rear of the car. Mixing them up (or putting both on the front) will certainly cause the M-06 to have some wacky handling issues.

-I know there are some that find a setup before the build or try to do their own thing, but my suggestion is to build the car the way it is out of the box. Having worked for a major RC racing manufacturer in the past, I know we spent quite a bit of time trying to find a good, overall setup to include in the build so you can get the most from your car. This is a rear wheel drive vehicle and much different than you think. The kit setup works. Use it.

-I’ve never been a big fan of Tamiya’s rear-body-mount-antenna holder. The manual instructs to you to mount the receiver toward the front of the car, but that’s a long way from the rear tower. I had to run the antenna up and over the motor wires to make it fit, and even then it looks as if it’s an afterthought. It appears it might be time for an antenna mount makeover.

ITEMS NEEDED
– Steering Servo
– Electronic Speed Control
– Motor
– Radio System
– Battery
– Body Set

ITEMS USED
+ Futaba S3010 Servo- S3010
+ Futaba MC330CR Speed Control- MC330CR
+ ABC Hobbies MJGTC Spec 27-turn Motor- 24803
+ Futaba 3PL Radio System- FUTK1300
+ Duratrax Onyx 5000 7.2V NiMh Battery- DTXC2063
+ Tamiya Alpine A110 Body Set- 51420
+ Tamiya M-06 Aluminum Motor Mount- 54268
+ Tamiya M-06 Aluminum Gearbox Plate- 54269

PROS
• Low profile chassis layout
• Battery runs down the center of the chassis for the best weight balance
• Clear, plastic shocks are extremely smooth for stock units
• Excellent quality parts, typical for Tamiya
• Hard front tires, S-Grip rears for the ultimate traction
• Three wheelbase options allows the M-06 to work with whatever body you choose
• Predictable handling

CONS
• Not many tuning options
• Cannot bully your way around the track

ON THE TRACK
For the test session, I felt it was only appropriate to take the M-06 to SoCal’s Mini hot-spot, the Tamiya track in Aliso Viejo, California. I’m pretty certain when I say that more laps have been run on this track with Minis than anywhere else in Cali. Since I’ve driven my M-05 Pro quite a few times, I have a good idea what to expect from a FWD Mini. I really had no idea what the M-06 Pro was going to do, so I took the first lap a bit conservatively.

After the first lap I realized how stable the car actually was. The S-Grip rear tires had quite a bit of grip and kept the back of the M-06 in check around the track. Setting up for the corners was a bit different than with the M-05, but once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze. While it’s definitely no speed demon, the power combo worked well. Any more power than this would be overkill anyway.

The fun factor is certainly there, and it will please most of the purists that want an actual rear-drive vehicle under their scale, rear-drive body, but can the M-06 keep pace with its FWD cousin? After a short pause in the action, I loaded up both cars with a Duratrax 5000mAh pack (to keep it fair). While it was easy to drive, the lap times showed the M-06 was a bit off the pace. With some time and a little tuning I’m certain I could get the lap times closer together. The biggest issue I forsee is the actual door-to-door racing. The M-05 is planted, and correcting the car during any contact is as simple as mashing the throttle (the FWD helps ‘pull’ the car in the right direction). The M-06, however, doesn’t benefit from this. Any contact and you are sent spinning in every direction.

THE LAST WORD
The M-06 is a fun little car. It’s simple, the layout makes sense and it’s easy to work on. Some of Tamiya’s M-scale option parts will bolt right up, and there is a myriad of bodies to choose from. Any Mini size wheel and tire will work, as will any standard electronics. Side-by-side racing may not be the M-06’s forte…yet…it’s only a matter of time until the Mini-gurus get their mitts on this little gem and kick it up a notch.

LINKS
Tamiya, www.tamiyausa.com, (800) 826-4922
Futaba, distributed by Great Plantes, www.futaba-rc.com, (800) 637-7660
Duratrax, distributed by Great Planes, www.duratrax.com, (800) 637-7660
ABC Hobbies, www.abchobbyusa.com