When is Tamyia going to build....

[hobbes874]

Tamiya needs to build the 2004 WRC/Street STi

[Mainomega]

I was going to comment on this thread but it would have bashed nascar. So i'll just say this... F1

[Spitfire7]

Tamiya need to produce some new DTM kits. They make new JGTC ones every year but the last time they made a DTM kit would be the 2001 CLK and Astra, before this it was 1994 with the C-Class, Calibra and 155.

[cogitator56]

Interesting thread. I agree that it's unlikely Tamiya will go NASCAR anytime in the forseeable future. Despite its popularity in the U.S., NASCAR hasn't yet built a strong following overseas. Tamiya has a global business and needs to appeal to as many markets as possible so that they can cover their costs. While it's true they have a bias towards Japanese cars, which is perfectly understandable for a Japanese company, I think a scan of their catalog shows that they also have a pretty good representation of European street, racing and "classic" subjects. I'm not sure I fully understand why, but I think it's informative that the only American vehicles they've produced are their Jeep Wrangler and Cherokee versions.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by cogitator56

I'm not sure I fully understand why, but I think it's informative that the only American vehicles they've produced are their Jeep Wrangler and Cherokee versions.

And the Ford Mustang. All vehicles with significant following and status in the Japanese automotive market.

[willimo]

Just to throw this out there - has anyone else noticed how Tamiya seems to move from cars to aircraft to armour and back with their tooling efforts? For a while, they'll pump out tons of cars but not many others, then they'll shift and make tons of planes and not really much else, then armour and finally back to cars. Am I crazy?

[Jay!]

Originally Posted by willimo

Just to throw this out there - has anyone else noticed how Tamiya seems to move from cars to aircraft to armour and back with their tooling efforts? For a while, they'll pump out tons of cars but not many others, then they'll shift and make tons of planes and not really much else, then armour and finally back to cars. Am I crazy?

maybe two automotive Master Modelers in a row let them know their car kits are too good. time to focus on something else...

[hirofkd]

MPWR, well said and I agree with you in most part, except one correction.
>> Tamiya makes kits for the Japanese market, period.

This statement isn't quite right. I personally hear from a Tamiya rep that the DTM and WRC subjects sell more in Europe than in Japan. As such, Tamiya isn't necessarily domestically minded. NASCAR isn't international, but it's also true that it's a popular motor sports in the U.S., and the franchise is making a lot of money. Just like Toyota doesn't actively market pickup in Japan, but they still do in the U.S., Tamiya could make a kit, which only appeals to the NASCAR fans.

My impression of the model kit industry is that they aren't quite international, making different kits for different part of the world. The Toyota NASCAR truck would be a great subject, and they might sell okay like the indy cars in 1/20, a couple of Jeeps and Mustang. It's probably because of the priority, and I bet the Carrera GT would make more money worldwide than the Toyota NASCAR truck only in the U.S.

>>And the Ford Mustang. All vehicles with significant following and status in the Japanese automotive market.

Nah, not really. The Lexus, Acura and Infiniti are the today's Japanese made Japanese cars, and that's what Japanese are familiar with, and they expet Lexus-like fit, reliability and customer service in 10,000 dollar Toyota. The Jeep and Mustang are bult too cheaply for the high-priced imports in Japan, and the Japanese would rather choose the made in Europe (i.e. not made in Mexico) VW instead.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by hirofkd

Nah, not really. The Lexus, Acura and Infiniti are the today's Japanese made Japanese cars, and that's what Japanese are familiar with, and they expet Lexus-like fit, reliability and customer service in 10,000 dollar Toyota. The Jeep and Mustang are bult too cheaply for the high-priced imports in Japan, and the Japanese would rather choose the made in Europe (i.e. not made in Mexico) VW instead.

Strangely enough, Acura and Infiniti don't even exist in Japan. Or anywhere else in the world, other than in the US. These 'brands' exist only as a marketing tool for the US market- kind of like Mercury is only a Ford, sold to a more upscale market. (I'm not sure, but I believe the Lexus brand is also only in the US as well.) In Japan, these cars are just Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans. You can buy an entry level Honda, a sporty Honda, or a high end luxury Honda (would be Acura in the US), but they're all still Hondas. You're very correct that Japanese tend to be quality obsessed- but they are also extremely image obsessed. American 'Western culture' is immensely popular in Japan. If you wear cowboy boots and a cowboy hat everywhere you go in Japan, and want to stand out from the Hondas/Toyotas/Nissans, than a big American car with a big American V8 is the car to be seen in. Despite their comparitively lower quality, the Jeep and Mustang are some of the very few American made cars that sell well in Japan- because of their image. They've been symbols of America in Japan for nearly two generations. The fact that Tamiya produced them as kits had nothing at all to do with the American hobby market- it was because these are vehicles that many Japanese fantisize about owning.

WRC kit may sell more in Europe than Japan, but not because they're not popular in Japan- with two Japanese teams, and Subaru's successes, WRC is wildly popular in Japan. The STi and Evo were availible only in Japan before they were sold in the US and Europe, because of the interest in WRC in Japan. If more WRC kits are sold in Europe, it's only because it's wildly popular there as well.

Ok, DTM is a good exception- I can only guess that Tamiya makes DTM kits because the cars look fantastic no matter where you live (that's why I buy them- but then, I'd follow DTM if it were covered in my part of the world).

But, NASCAR is still a very specific market. Tamiya won't produce kits for such a small, exclusive group- they wouldn't sell anywhere else on Earth. Besides, if you're into NASCAR, one of the great appeals is that it is ENTIRELY American. American cars, American teams, American drivers. What 'red blooded' NASCAR fan wants a Japanese model kit of something so American? For much of this market, a model will sell more because it's American than because of its quality. And with Tamiya's low rate of new kit production, the worldwide hobby market would throw a fit if Tamiya didn't produce a BAR Honda to make a Jeff Gordon Chevy for a relatively small US market.

Simply put, there isn't really room for Tamiya in the American NASCAR model kit market, and there is no NASCAR model kit market anywhere else.

[hobbes874]

Originally Posted by MPWR

Strangely enough, Acura and Infiniti don't even exist in Japan. Or anywhere else in the world, other than in the US.

I've seen Acura and Infiniti vehicles in Taiwan. I actually saw both the Japanese and U.S market cars like the Q45 and the Cefiero (Strange eh? ).

[supratuner]

Tamiya wont, and shouldnt make Nascar Models because of this:

Tamiya models are expensive, one look at my local hobby shop that has tamiya, and US models, including aobut every nascar model probably ever made, his nascar models around any where from $10-$20

Tamiya ranges from $15-$55

No REDNECK will buy a nascar kit for $40, why? cuz they can get 3 or 4 from revell or AMT for the same price
Tho on teh other hand, tamiya knows that people that love import models will pay that much for a JGTC (which i think are really ugly and will never buy one) or a Jap street vehicle,, i have my fair share of supras, RX7s, and other ones that tamiya has made

sorry if any one is offended by the word redneck, but thats simply how it is

[blueboost]

they aren't making enough of the models they've become famous for, let alone making stuff they can't guarantee sales with.

and NASCAR? oh God please no. they've already taken over speedchannel, which I can no longer watch while I model, due to NASCRAP coverage 24/7.

Sorry, had to say it.

[malsheem]

Actually, I believe the Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura brands now do exist in the Japanese market. My guess would be to try and leverage the high quality and status associated with these brands worldwide in the local market.

As for the questioned posed in the thread, I'm with supratuner. I can't see the current NASCAR fan buying AMT/Revell models start dropping $30-ish for a Tamiya NASCAR model when they are so used to getting them for $10+, even if it is more detailed or a better made kit. Plus AMT/Revell would still have more variety of kits for the fans to chose. So the answer to when Tamiya will build NASCAR ... never.