When worlds collide: Tomica Premium Tamiya Grasshopper

(Find the Tomica/Tamiya Grasshopper on eBay)

Since its introduction in 2015, Tomica’s Premium line has grown into a varied and eclectic mix of vehicles; from the Nissan Skyline R30 Super Silhouette to a Kawasaki T-4 jet via a Japanese Ground Self Defence Force Type 90 tank, it has pretty much every vehicle type covered. But in between the fire trucks, satellites and moon exploration vehicles, they’ve managed to find something else to craft in diecast: Tamiya RC cars.

If you ask a random cross section of car folk what first got them interested in all things automotive, I can almost guarantee Tamiya will get a mention. The Japanese model giant has been a fixture of the remote control car world since 1976, and have been producing scale models and kits since the late 1940s. They’ve even had a short stint in the 1/64 diecast world. They’re almost omnipresent, and their fabulous range of RC cars has given many a budding hobbyist their start.

One of their more famous products is the legendary Grasshopper buggy, released in 1984.

The Grasshopper took inspiration from the wild Baja race buggies of the era, and whilst it was not Tamiya’s first RC buggy (for that see the Rough Rider of 1979), it remains one of their most famous and well loved products.

*An advert for Tamiya parts distributed by US brand MRC featuring the Grasshopper. Image from eBay advert.*

The Grasshopper was intended to be an entry level buggy to hook in buyers taking their first steps in the hobby. It was easy to build and fitted with a battery and motor combination that prioritised endurance over outright speed, giving owners more control and ensuring longer stints between charges.

*Action shots of the Grasshopper from the Tamiya catalogue. Images shared with kind permission of Rob at rctoymemories.com*

The body and chassis were designed to be strong enough to withstand inevitable knocks and bumps, but also to allow enough access for maintenance. It was priced well, and upgrades were easily available. No surprises then that it became one of the most legendary Tamiya products, and after a refresh in 2005 it remains in the range to this day.

Tomica’s replica is a brilliant tribute, and one of the coolest diecast I have seen so far in 2025.

It is rather challenging to do a review of however; there’s nothing really like it out there in the diecast world (as far as I know), so what can I compare it to? The real Tamiya? Another Tomica Premium? Either would be pointless, and slightly unfair. So it’s best to look at it as purely a rolling curio.

When it arrived I geeked out for a few moments just looking at the packaging. A shrunken Tamiya box mimicking the real thing, resplendent with the Grasshopper artwork of Yoshiyuki Takani, responsible for some of the famous box art of the 1980s and 90s. It even opens the same way as a Tamiya box.

Once inside I also noticed Tomica have even replicated a miniature Tamiya controller, complete with a turning direction wheel.

The model itself feels solid and chunky, with a diecast body and chassis fitted with plastic wheels and tyres. Probably in the interests of costs and “playability” for younger audiences, Tomica have chose not to replicate the Grasshopper’s race-suited driver in his open cab, instead affixing a black plastic canopy in his place.

The striking Tamiya livery is perfectly replicated with sharp pad applied decals, and there’s no doubting it’s a fabulous looking thing.

My only criticisms are the aforementioned plastic wheels and a lack of suspension; a set of rubber “Padlatrak” and “Off Road” tyres and a soft suspension spring would have been a great touch, but also probably would have doubled the price….

I wasn’t lucky enough to have a Tamiya of any sort growing up, but lord knows did I dream of one. I recall a local hobby store having a Grasshopper, Tamiya’s famous “Lunchbox” monster truck, and a Repsol liveried Ford Escort WRC in a window display. And I wanted all of them more than I wanted my next breath. And after picking this up, it’s reignited something that might just lead me to owning an RC car for the first time in over two decades…. We’ll see. But for now I can roll this around quite happily. And so can you. And if the Grasshopper isn’t your thing then Tomica have taken another Tamiya legend to recreate in diecast, the Hornet from 1984.

And more proof of Tamiya’s long lasting influence comes from Jun Imai’s Kaido House, who have made a neat line of adorning their most legendary liveries on their wild diecasts. And quite fittingly, they’re dropping this imminently: