Yokomo have a full range of 1/10th drift kits based on their moulded tub chassis, the race-bred MR-4TC SD, a 4WD shaft driven platform, and these new 1/16th additions are a chip off the old block. Little drifters are perfect for when you want to get sideways but haven’t a full car park or race track to play on. A basement, office floor or living room can be transformed into a full drift section where you can dice with friends and get your kicks sideways.

Upon original release there were only 2 models available, a Blitz Dunlop ER34 Skyline 2007 and a slick looking Apex D1 Project FD3S RX-7. These proved such a hit Yokomo has now expanded the range to include 4 new different fully licensed D1 drift cars that are YUKE’S YSMS GDB Impreza, ORC’s Top Secret Z33 and Team TOYO’s GP SPORTS S15 and GP SPORTS 180SX.

All these kits feature full time 4WD, with a metal propshaft distributing the power from the motor via the spur gear which it carries. The full drive line is ball raced for speed and accuracy, and while the front gearbox contains a gear differential the rear has a locked spool to prevent one wheel spinning up and interrupting the drift process mid corner as the weight distribution shifts around or the grip varies through the curve.

Fully assembled and fitted with a completely decaled, highly detailed, moulded hard ABS bodyshell, each kit arrives in a great presentation box which keeps the wings and mirrors from damage in transit. The
bodyshells locate on a front lip and clip to the rear chassis bumper with a tag for easy shell access, and no body slips to protrude through the truly beautiful bodywork.

The chassis features extended under guards, which mimic the aerodynamic package but also serve as front and rear bumpers for enhanced bodyshell protection. When it looks this good you want to take all the precautions you can! The electronics are not supplied but you do get a motor which is already fitted and wired for an easy and quick transition from rolling chassis to total control with a full loaded R/C car.

The moulded chassis tub has the front and rear gearbox house’s lower halves included in the design, ensuring a constant propshaft location and perfectly meshed primary drive alignment. All rotating driveline components are fully ball raced to transfer all the power from the 380 size motor to the wheels with minimum loses for extended run times and maximum revs. The propshaft is a steel rod running the length of the car which will resist ‘thrupping’ at high revs and keep itself perfectly centred at all times.

Either end of the moulded tub chassis, the front and rear suspension features double wishbone suspension, supported on spring units, and the pivot balls are pinched by clamp bolts so you can dial out the slop and maintain a free action on the steering system and outer pivots. The lack of dampening isn’t a problem as drifting is done on completely smooth surfaces, so the cars are sprung very lightly and any dampening would cause unwanted stiction in the suspension.

Front driveshafts have springs within the diff output cups to keep the driveshafts firmly planted in their outer cups regardless of throttle or steering positions. The last thing you’d want mid transition is to lose a drive shaft!

Just like the 1/10th Yokomo Drifters, hard drift rings sit within hard compound rubber tyres so the looks are complete but the grip level is low enough to drift on virtually any surface, indoors or out. Unlike their
larger cousins, the 1/16th drifter’s suspension geometry is fixed by the length of each upper and lower arm, but the wheels sit perfectly flat to the floor for maximum traction and minimum offset tyre wear, sharing it across the entire width of the tread face.

The smooth underside of the chassis tub includes a cooling slot for the hard working motor, which will spend most of its working life near the ceiling of the rev limit. The stick pack location is on the left while the motor, ESC, servo and receiver (not supplied) on the right which helps maintain a perfect corner weight distribution.

Each hub carrier also wears a simulated disc brake with gold plated brake calliper for extra realism, you can see through the rotating spokes to the static calliper behind and it looks super cool for sure! The steering system uses a cross link and parallel arm to mimic the steering servo saver on the other side, keeping the upper arm parallel at all times for symmetrical steering angles. All you need is a radio system, drive battery and charger, plus a steering servo and speed controller, though nothing extreme is required, racing gear would be way too extreme for drifting. The steering puts no load on the servo so the speed and torque never gets taken to the limit, though if anything the speed is more important than the torque, allowing you to correct a slide or catch a spin before it happens.

The speed controller needs little more than a 10 A rating, because the tyres offer so little grip the motor is never held to the stall condition like you might when racing a micro car on a high grip surface, brakes are not essential and reverse is just a luxury if you want to be able to perform crazy stunts between serious drift runs.

Installing the electronics is a breeze, as the chassis has plenty of room for 1/18th micro spec speed controller and servos, with the receiver mounted on top of it. As drifting is usually performed at close range there is no need to have the aerial protruding from the bodyshell and ruining the looks, so just leave it laying down on the chassis and you’ll still have a good 20 metres of range which is more than enough with such a small model.

The best thing about these little drifters is the level of detail and attention to realism, no corners have been cut when producing these amazing bodyshells, and the fact that they arrive pre built and painted, decalled and fitted is just a bonus. The fun aspect of such small drifters is that you and a friend can drift in the space of a driveway, and with a couple of cars you can have full on drift battles, in the safety of your own home without fear of leaving rubber marks on floors or carpets!

Yokomo 1/16th ‘ICHIROKU M’ Micro RC Drift Features:

• 4WD Shaft Drive
• Drift Tyres
• Presentation Box
• Moulded Tub Chassis
• Motor included and installed
• Double Wishbone Sprung Suspension
• Highly Detailed Moulded Hard ABS Bodyshell
• Front and Rear Bumpers for Complete Bodyshell Protection