► Tamiya’s entry-level 2WD racing buggy built and driven
► Standard oil shocks and adjustable suspension arms
► The brand’s best buggy yet?
You’d hope the Tamiya DT-04 Fighter Nxgen would be a decent two-wheel drive RC buggy. After all, the brand’s first, the iconic Rough Rider, was introduced all the way back in 1979. Inspired by the VW-based off-road racing buggies of the time, it even had swing axle rear and trailing arm front suspension.
Over 40 years of development in both the full size and RC car world means the Nxgen does things slightly differently. As the name suggests, this is the next generation of entry-level Tamiya racing buggy that has its own exceptionally popular racing series in Germany. With that in mind, the Nxgen has a much better standard specification than you might expect from one of Tamiya’s cheaper buggies.
You’ll find some carry over parts from the earlier DT-02 and DT-03 buggies which is actually no bad thing. For a start they’re tried and tested components, and for seconds it means there are already upgrades out there. If you’ve already got one of the older chassis, you might even have those bits already.
The Nxgen’s layout is fairly normal, with a rear mounted motor driving the rear wheels, a battery running down the centre of the chassis, and four-wheel double wishbone suspension. However, rather than a boring flexible bodyshell, the Nxgen has a few chassis tubes that you screw hard plastic body panels and side pods off. There’s even a driver figure.
With oil filled shock absorbers, a spicier than normal Torque Tuned motor, adjustable steering arms and adjustable suspension upper arms all in the box, the Nxgen could be the perfect blend of scale looks and high performance.
Tamiya DT-04 Fighter Nxgen
Pros
- Tuning options in the box
- Fun to build
- Direct, precise steering
- Plenty of upgrades if you want to go faster
Cons
- Accessing the radio gear is a pain
- You’ll still want to buy bearings for it
- The aerial tube mounts come off too easily
- Limited gearing options
Features
- Electronic speed controller and motor included
- Battery, charger, radio gear, paint for the driver and tools needed
- Adjustable suspension upper arms not part of stock build
The build – DT-04 chassis
Once you’ve finished admiring the typically Tamiya artist’s rendition of the Nxgen on the box front, it’s time to delve in and start building. First, there are a couple of correction sheets that you’ll want to slip into the appropriate bit of the manual to make sure you use the right screw hole.
It might look daunting, but all of the plastic parts are clearly marked, hardware comes in lettered bags and stickers are numbered, too. For the smoothest build, I’d always recommend a bit of prep. Read the manual fully before you start, get a few ramekins to empty the bags of screws into and charge the battery.
The kit comes with a four-way wrench for nuts and bolts and a 1.5mm allen key, but you’ll need a couple of screwdrivers, pliers, a craft knife and superglue from your own toolbox. I’d recommend a Tamiya screwdriver set for the best purchase on the screw, something you’ll be thankful for during the build.
Plastic parts come on a sprue where a number of components are on one mould. I like to use side cutters to snip them off as cleanly as I can, then use the knife to trim away any excess plastic for a clean look. Remove only the parts you need so you can still see what number the other parts are.
All the steps in the manual have detailed diagrams that show exactly how parts fit together and with what hardware. Screws and nuts are drawn lifesize on the left margin, so it’s easy to double check you’ve grabbed the right length and diameter, too. There’s also a handy reminder to centre your steering servo before you fit it to the car, ensuring it tracks straight.
As with most of my other Tamiya builds, I haven’t built it entirely stock. I was pleased to see a couple of bearings for the steering, but I ended up buying a full ball bearing kit to replace the plastic bushes on the rest of the buggy. Expect to pay around a tenner to reduce the friction on the rest of the steering, the gearbox, driveline and wheel hubs, improving performance and battery life.
I also had a spare can of Tamiya blue paint, so that got used on the helmet instead of buying a tin of titanium-coloured spray. To match, I’ve gone for blue instead of red stripes on the body panels. You also have the option of a short wheelbase for agility, or a longer one for stability. I’ve gone for the former and left the adjustable suspension upper arms in the box for the moment to keep things simple and speed up the build.
I start by building the rear differential, taking care to use enough grease to lubricate everything whilst keeping some for the gears. Next it’s time to fill the gearbox with cogs and bearings before sealing it shut with a few screws. The colour coded and life size screw pictures in the margins are most useful, ensuring you don’t mix up your 3x10mm and 3x12mm screws. Fitting the motor comes next, although it’s disappointing to note there’s only a couple of pinion gear options. I’d want more for racing.
Next up is the suspension arms and shock absorbers. The oil filled coilover shocks are a bit trickier to put together than the undamped friction ones Tamiya usually provide. It’s easy to make a right mess with the shock oil as you’re building, so make sure you’ve got some paper towel handy and don’t fill the shocks to the very top. Do that and you’ll have a major spillage when you put the diaphragm in.
With the rear section complete apart from wheels and tyres, it’s time to move on to the front assembly. Lower suspension arms and the steering mechanism go together easily, with the end result pleasingly slop-free. After the imprecise steering of the BT-01 911 RSR, this is a welcome relief. I went with the recommended steering rod length, with toe adjustment possible with the supplied spanner.
I’m noticing a lot of harder, less glossy plastics as I continue with the front suspension arms and hubs. The usual Tamiya plastic is durable as it flexes, but this harder stuff is more like I’d expect to see on proper racing RC car. It’s another sign that the Nxgen should handle rather well out of the box.
After completing the front assembly I move onto the main chassis which houses the radio gear in side pods and the battery in the middle. Careful wiring following the instructions is necessary here to help squeeze the battery and connector underneath the driver figure which needs to be painted. I use a spray to get a shiny, consistent finish on the helmet and brush paint everything else.
We’re mostly on to cosmetics now, save for the roof which combined with the driver figure, holds the 2100mAh NiMh pack I’m using for testing securely. There’s not many stickers by Tamiya standards and you don’t have to paint any of the body panels, helping speed up the build. Even so, you’ll want at least two, possibly three evenings of construction.
The drive
You know that terrible automotive journalist cliche of a car feeling ‘right’ after just a few hundred yards? Well, the RC equivalent is the Fighter Nxgen impressing whilst slowly driving around my living room to make sure everything works. Even barely moving on carpet, the steering is far more direct and precise than most Tamiyas I’ve built, and the drivetrain is smooth and quiet.
Somehow, I resist the temptation to give it a good thrash before photo time, not wanting to damage my pristine Nxgen before its time in front of the lens. With all the static shots done, I can finally see if it lives up to that early promise. Happily, it exceeds them.
The torque tuned motor is only slightly faster than the stock Tamiya silver can on paper, yet it feels quick even with an old 7.2 volt NiMh battery fitted. I haven’t yet tried it with a punchier 7.4 volt LiPo pack because unlike most Tamiyas, it feels plenty fast enough for me out of the box. No doubt a LiPo pack will properly wake this little buggy up, whilst further motor upgrades will turn it into a small white missile.
Thankfully, the included Hobbywing electronic speed controller has great throttle control so you can easily modulate the power, and the brakes feel plenty strong enough. My initial impressions on the steering are bob on with the Nxgen tracking straight without constant trim adjustments, and holding its line well in turns. A beefier servo saver or a solid servo horn would probably improve things further and remove what little slop remains, but it’s not something I’ll be doing any time soon.
Changing the tyres might be necessary, though. The spiky rears deliver good traction, but are likely to wear out quickly on tarmac, whilst the ribbed fronts promote plenty of on-power understeer. It does make the Nxgen easy to drive for beginners, with more experienced hands able to use the rearward weight bias to flick the buggy into bends, nail the apex and then power out.
I suspect the short wheelbase configuration of my build helps here, but it’s great fun blasting around the relatively tight confines of my drive. More power and a stiffer grease in the rear diff to give a limited-slip effect might force you to consider the additional stability of the longer wheelbase, though.
I’ve no real complaints about the performance of the shocks. Despite being built completely standard the damping force matches the spring rates well, allowing the suspension to do all the work while the chassis stays pretty flat and level over bumpy ground. Flat and level also describes how it flies should you get some air, although I would avoid taking this to a skatepark for some extreme bashing. The stock setup is good for little jumps, but big ramps will likely have the chassis slapping against the floor unless you upgrade the springs.
Durability
Apart from a few scuffs on the front skidplate and rear of the chassis nothing has broken so far, although the mounts for the aerial tube do come off very easily, hence plenty of pictures with the tubes removed and aerial tucked into the roll bar.
Tamiya’s usual glossy ‘engineering plastic’ has plenty of flex so the Nxgen should usually bounce off most things. The harder plastics are more likely to snap than bend, but still took a fair bit of abuse during testing. If something does go ping, spares are easy to find and there are plenty of Hop Up options if you fancy upgrading instead of replacing.
Other things to look out for are the aluminium pinion which wears over time (look for teeth resembling saw blades). A steel replacement is cheap and will prevent this happening. Build without bearings and you’ll also find the axles and shafts will get wobbly over time as the bushes wear.
Any downsides?
The big one for me is access to the radio gear. A faulty servo meant I’ve already had to spend a good hour taking off a good few body panels and one of the side pods to replace it, whereas most RC cars will be far more accessible. Tamiya does bundle in some normal body mounts, so you could always ditch the lids of the side pods and just cover everything up with a light Lexan shell.
It was at this point that I discovered that the space for the servo was slightly too small for the metal geared unit I had, although the standard-sized Carson servo went in fine. It’s also a bit of a faff getting at the battery, with two body clips and a twist clip to deal with before you can flip the roof up, remove the driver and then get to the pack. Once you are in, there’s not a huge amount of space for battery cables.
Price and competition
The DT-04 Fighter Nxgen isn’t the cheapest Tamiya buggy available, but it’s certainly worth the asking price given the oil filled shocks, adjustable suspension and Torque Tuned motor included. It does mean the Nxgen is pricier than some ready to run competitors, although I get as much if not more enjoyment from building and upgrading than I do driving RC cars.
Besides, you’re paying extra for the best manuals and easiest, most fun builds in the industry, not to mention easy to find parts and upgrades. That’s rarely the case with some cheapo RC off AliExpress or Temu, although I’d certainly consider an FTX Vantage if you’d rather not build and just want a fun little buggy on the cheap.
Verdict
I’m not going to beat around the bush here, the Fighter Nxgen is the best 2WD Tamiya buggy I’ve owned by some margin. OK, the last one was over 20 years old, but the Nxgen really does give you the joy of building a Tamiya kit but with far tighter handling than I’d expect from the brand.
While I’m usually already plotting my first hop ups whilst typing out the verdict, it really is just some more suitable tyres that I might consider buying at the moment. Considering that I’ve already upgraded my Squash Van and have plenty planned for my Lunch Box despite both being firm favourites, I’m shocked by how good the Nxgen is out of the box.
That said, I will be breaking out my soldering iron to get it LiPo ready for better acceleration, and I’m sure the adjustable upper arms won’t stay in the box forever. That’s especially true if the Nxgen persuades me to take up RC car racing after a break of over 20 years. With it being such a joy to drive, I wouldn’t bet against it.
5/5
Ratings:
Driving: 5.0
Building/maintaining: 3.5
Value for money: 4.0
Overall: 4.5
Specifications:
Size: 1/10th, length 395mm, width 248mm, height 120mm
Chassis material: ABS plastic
Power: 7.2v NiMh or 7.4v LiPo
Motor type: 540 brushed, 25T
Driven wheels: Two, gear drive
Top speed: 15-20mph
Who tested the Tamiya DT-04 Fighter Nxgen?
Alan Taylor-Jones is the head of testing for CAR magazine, and also Parkers. He’s been writing about cars professionally since 2015 but has been obsessed with them since not long after birth. When he’s not sampling the latest and sometimes greatest cars, he’s got his hands full with a young family and menagerie of pets. Even so, he still finds the time to have a play with RC cars and Hot Wheels.
How was the Tamiya DT-04 Fighter Nxgen tested
I built the kit from scratch using Carson radio equipment and a 2100mah battery supplied by Tamiya UK. Once constructed, I drove it on a variety of surfaces including dirt, grass and tarmac.
Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections – read why you should trust us