Lack of Tamiya BMW and Audi kits

Does anyone know or have a guess as to why Tamiya has made so few of the BMW and Audi racers over the years? They have made a lot of Mercedes kits during this same time. I know that Mercedes has had more success at least until the R10 came along but there were other successful or at least popular BMW and Audis that could have been kitted.

Rob

It's because those subjects are not expected to reach the break-even within a reasonable period of time compared to other subjects.
In fact it's safe to assume that any subjects aren't released as a model kit are going to be a poor seller.

That said, things are changing. F1 kits were deemed unpopular until Fujimi proved it wrong, but only with a higher price tag to match the smaller market size. So classic BMW and Audi racers could be released in the future.

That said, I think that the companies should release road versions of the race cars they produce, such as the BMW M3 (to go with Revell's new DTM offerings). I would think that would be a safe bet.

i wish tamiya would make audi lmp and dtm kits. aside from sellability, what else is keeping them from doing it? license fees?

I'd suspect that older Japanese cars with different wheel sets or body kits are most popular among the mainstream Japanese modellers now, and the manufacturers (who already have molds of those cars already) are concentrating most of their effort on those. Aoshima and Fujimi in particular are able to release multiple variations of the same basic tooling over several years.

As for Tamiya, their effort seems to have shifted from static car models a long time ago. Even they are playing the re-release game heavily these days, which was unthinkable 5 years ago.

I don't know whether Revell's deal is exclusive, but the fact that there are already kits of two DTM cars and Audi R10 would probably put Tamiya off launching another one (at least of subjects that are little-known in their home market). I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Revell do the R18 e-Tron (and maybe then Tamiya will do the Toyota...)

bestest,
M.

Dont forget revell of germany is coming out with the new bmw m3 dtms this year!!!! I think two liveries will come out, if they sell good who knows.

http://www.revell.de/index.php?id=210&KGKANR=0&KGKOGP=10&KGSCHL=5&L=0&page=1&sort=0&nc=&searchactive=&q=&SWO=&ARMAS4=&PHPSESSID=e29418965c2fbd0807143584e36a2b95&KZSLPG=&offset=7&cmd=show&ARARTN=07082&sp=1

That said, I think that the companies should release road versions of the race cars they produce, such as the BMW M3 (to go with Revell's new DTM offerings). I would think that would be a safe bet.


I vote for the BMW M3 too.... I wish any company would make the 1:24 road version of it

Not for a single bit do I believe that E92 BMW M3 will be a poor seller. Even in road guise. The car is a beast and a beauty at the same time.