Tamiya Mini Cooper Racing Electric 1/10 FWD/RWD On-Road Kit (MB-01)
About this part
Rally Style M-Chassis Touring Car Kit
The Mini Cooper, produced from 1959 to 2000, redefined small car engineering with its revolutionary front-wheel-drive layout and space-efficient design. Built for four decades without major changes, this compact yet spirited machine became a cultural icon, blending practicality with thrilling handling. Loved by racers and everyday drivers alike, its timeless charm and go-kart-like agility cemented its place as one of the most beloved cars in automotive history.
About the Mini Cooper Racing
Chassis
The MB-01 chassis is nothing short of versatile and gives the user different options to choose from. The compact 2WD chassis can be assembled with your choice of wheelbase lengths; Short (210mm), Middle (225mm), or keep it Long (239mm) as depicted in the photos and on the box. Without removing the battery pack, motor, and other equipment setups from the center frame, you can change the attachment directions of the final gears and steering linkage to switch between front or rear wheel drive, where low or high motor mounting positions are available for rear wheel drive cars.
Suspension
The four-wheel double wishbone suspension features a symmetrical structure and friction dampers. Double wishbone suspension allows each wheel to act and react independently from the others, offering precision handling when tackling those hard-to-maneuver courses. Sections such as the motor mount, final gears, and suspension are unitized and facilitate ease of assembly and maintenance.
Body
The body included in this kit is clear, unpainted, and uncut, which allows for some personalized touches during the painting process. This assembly kit comes with multiple decal sheets that decals used on the Mini Cooper Racing. The polycarbonate body also incorporates beautifully captured body lines to recreate the stunning style of the original car.
Features:
- Choose between a short, medium, or long wheelbase
- Rear wheel drive or front wheel drive
- Change attachment directions of the final gears and steering linkage to switch between front or rear wheel drive
- Independent double wishbone suspension
- Low or high motor mounting positions available for rear wheel drive setups
- 60mm front and rear tires for superior traction
- Brushed ESC and 540-Type motor are included
- The body is recreated in lightweight polycarbonate with molded lines to mimic the real car
- Compact and versatile MB-01 chassis
- Detailed assembly guide that is easy to reference and follow along
Includes:
- (1) Tamiya Mini Cooper Racing 1/10 MB-01 On-Road Touring Car Kit
- (1) 540-Type Brushed Motor
- (1) Hobbywing THW 1060 Brushed ESC
- Product Manuals
Needed To Complete:
- (1) 2-Channel Transmitter/Receiver System
- (1) Steering Servo
- (1) 7.2V Battery
- (1) Compatible Battery Charger
- (4) AA Batteries for Transmitter
- Body and Polycarbonate Paint
- Tools for Assembly
Specifications:
| Scale | 1:10 |
|---|---|
| Drive | FWD/RWD |
| Power Source | (7.2-7.4V) Battery |
| Length | 12.4in (315mm) |
| Wheelbase (Long) | 8.26in (210mm) |
| Width | 6.57in (167mm) |
| Height | 5.51in (140mm) |
| Weight | - |
| Assembly Level | Kit |
*NOTE: RC Kits are an unassembled Remote Control Model that require assembly, racer selected electronics, and other racer provided items. Photos of assembled kit are for illustrative purposes only. For a complete list of needed items to drive this kit please see the list above.
CA Residents Prop 65 Warning
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov Details...Reviews4.5 · 4 reviews
Great kit for sure! I have 5 MB-01 and have done all the set ups between front and rear wheel drive. They all handle good but there is a few things that do make this chassis great. I strongly recommend the low friction balls for control arms. Bearings and hydraulic shocks are always a big plus. Shims take care of slop for sure and if you have any other tamiya cars you could definitely use them on those as well. Now I'm going to let the cat out of the bag here there is one major mistake on this chassis. Due to the fact that the front and rear suspension is the mirror image of itself, there is a real problem with the way the kit handles in its out of box build. Toe adjustments can be made, camber is preset. The real issue is caster. It's wrong for rear axle. Doesn't matter if you use front or rear wheel drive, you need more caster in the rear. I've increased caster angle by getting the control arm positioning moved to gain caster angles. No more unexpected movement off throttle, increased straight line performance and increased caster in front improve turning at high speeds. I recommend a set tool and get a base line reading on settings and go from there. Might be why they but so much slop in this. Same thing applies to the BT01 chassis. Good luck and enjoy, this is really a great chassis with a little effort!
Handles just like a mini, so fun to drive. I initially built it as a man cave toy, then just wanted to see how it runs. But then, several battery packs later, it is now my daily basher/stress reliever—a neat little thing to have fun on a weekday break. The only hop-up I got was bearings, but otherwise I went the cheapo route, since my goal was shelf queen. Wish I had done it differently. This is a good build
This kit is very reasonably priced and easy to build. I added CVA shocks and low friction balls from a TT02 and put in a GT Tuned 540. I have read stories of the chassis having a lot of slop in the suspension-but mine did not seem to have an excessive amount. Of course, it was built as a front motor front drive-just like a real Mini. I did, however, notice some wheelspin and wheel hop under acceleration-now, that could be due to the more powerful motor. I don't know. But for just general parking lot bashing this kit will do just fine. It tracks straight in F/F mode and is very much a fun car-definitely not a racer by any means.
Very nice kit. The chassis were very sturdy and can be configured front wheel or rear wheel drive. The only complaint were the shocks it is just friction style the car just bounces bad handling. The lexan body were too thin. To assembly were easy just following the instructions.
Reviewers generally rate the Tamiya Mini Cooper Racing Electric 1/10 FWD/RWD On-Road Kit (MB-01) well, citing an easy build, sturdy chassis and fun handling, and noting that it can be configured as front- or rear-wheel drive. Several owners upgraded it with bearings, low-friction ball studs, aftermarket or hydraulic shocks and shims. One reviewer reports a significant out-of-box handling problem linked to the mirrored front and rear suspension, which can be partly addressed with toe adjustments. Other reviewers found suspension slop minimal, and one reported wheelspin and wheel hop under acceleration with a more powerful motor. The stock friction shocks drew criticism for bouncy handling, and the Lexan body was described as thin. Reviewers consider it a casual bashing or parking-lot car rather than a racer.
- + Easy to build
- + Sturdy chassis
- + Fun, Mini-like handling
- + Front- or rear-wheel drive configurable
- − Stock friction shocks bounce
- − Out-of-box handling issue from mirrored suspension
- − Thin Lexan body
- − Wheelspin and wheel hop with stronger motor