What is Brexit? What is the Electoral College? How to play Pokemon Go? How to move to Canada? How many remote control cars does it take to pull a full-sized Hilux? All burning questions, all desperate for answers. These were the the most commonly asked questions entered into Google of 2016. Okay, the last one wasn’t but it’s the one Toyota decided to answer in a new series of short films in which the off-roader is pitted against the “Hog Heaven” hero, Tamiya Hilux Bruiser 4X4…a remote controlled car.
The Tamiya Hilux Bruiser 4X4 is a remote controlled car that was released in 1985. It has a 3 speed transmission and solid axle leaf spring suspension. It has a metal ladder frame chassis and a sleeper cab made of injection-molded ABS plastic. It even has clutch mechanisms and you can buy LEDs to make realistic lights. In a David and Goliath-esque face off, the iconic machines put their true strength to the test in a series of short films, Hilux: Little & Large which were released on Toyota’s UK YouTube Channel.
Inspired by a famous 1980s stunt in which a fleet of radio-controlled Brusiers hauled a Hilux at Tamiya’s headquarters in Japan, the video shows the Pull challenge that took place. A Pull challenge is straight-forward, it’s essentially where a vehicle pulls another vehicle. In this case, the Bruisers will be pulling, or attempting to pull, a Toyota Hilux. So, let’s look at the maths. A Hilux Invincible Double Cab has a gross weight of 3.21 tonnes. Each radio controlled Bruiser has 2kg of pulling force. This means that 15 cars will have 30kg of pulling power when on a flat surface. To help them gain traction, two 500g diving weights were placed behind the cab section of each vehicle. A towing arm was created specially for this scenario, made of steel and featuring 15 separate eyelets, one for each towing cable.
And it gets better, each Bruiser was operated by a radio-control model expert, each with the skills to ensure the models moved off in perfect synchrony with the optimum power delivery. Taking place in a hangar at Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire, the Hilux started rolling and was pulled out the doors of the hangar.
Toyota Great Britain’s head of press and social media, Scott Brownlee, told the Mirror “These films put a new, fun perspective on the toughness and reliability that have made the Toyota Hilux a motoring legend and Tamiya’s Bruiser one of the world’s best loved radio-controlled cars. They show how skilful engineering and lasting, robust build quality are key to making ever-better cars, whether you are manufacturing a full-size pick-up or a model that’s just one tenth the size.” Tamiya UK spokesman Anthony Shaw said “We are delighted to have been part of these four unique films with Toyota GB. There is a proud connection between the two Japanese companies and I think these features really show each in a superb way. We especially like the tow which recreates the original promotional video Tamiya did. We never really knew if it was possible to pull a full size Hilux, but the 2017 version is so impressive and salutes the original from nearly forty years ago in the best possible way.”Tamiya are a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits and radio controlled cars. They also make battery and solar powered educational models, sailboat models, and various modelling tools and supplies. Tamiya has gained the reputation for producing models of outstanding quality and detail and are renowned around the world by hobbyists. Tamiya have received Model of the Year by German magazine ModellFan on a regular basis each year. They have produced RC model types such as a Porsche 934 Turbo RSR, a Mercedes C-11 and a Jaguar XJR-12. They also hold two Guinness World Records. These are the ‘Greatest distance by a radio-controlled model car on one set of batteries’ and ‘Greatest distance by a radio-controlled model car in 24 hours’.
The other videos, Tow, Wade, and Mud, show further adventures of the Hilux and the Tamiya including travelling through mud and water. While it’s inspired by a previous stunt, we can’t deny that it’s put a smile on our faces. As far as we can tell, there have been no other stunts like this. Humans pulling cars, yes, but no remote controlled cars. So we started thinking, what cars would we like to see doing the pull challenge? Maybe another type of 4X4 remote controlled car pulling a Land Rover Discovery? Or maybe a Porsche 934 Turbo RSR remote controlled car pulling another Porsche?
What would you like to see? Let us know in the comments!
You can watch the videos of the Hilux and the Bruisers adventures below.
