Tamiya Egress (2013 re-release)

Once again Tamiya has re-released a model that many will remember as something they wished they had but could never afford back in 1989 when it first came out.  The Egress (58583), a revision of the Avante chassis that was designed to be more durable and lighter in weight, was released near the end of 2013 with much excitement from Tamiya fans world wide.

Tamiya Egress (2013) (Picture from TamiyaUSA. © Tamiya, Inc.)

The box art is the same as the original even though the kit parts have changed a bit in this re-release.  For example, the blue rod ends of the original are now black, and the front uprights are gold like the 2011 Avante re-release instead of grey.  There are many other changes and enhancements designed to improve the performance and durability of the chassis as compared to the original.

Once the cover is removed, the two blister packs and center body section are right there begging to be opened and built. 

Tamiya used blister packaging for the re-release just like the original did, however some of the contents have changed for unexplainable reasons which drew some criticism from some fans (yours truly included).  The biggest complaint is about the green blister.  The large center blister in the original kit held the ball bearings in foam to make for a nice presentation but the re-release blister contains the gearbox plate instead.  But the blister wasn't changed to fit the smaller part, so it slides around.  What makes it especially odd is that the re-release kit contains full ball bearings just like the original, however Tamiya decided to not put them on display in the blister.  Perhaps the purpose of this was to ensure that vintage kits were easily distinguishable from the re-release.  Or the ball bearings were already part of other parts bags and would have been a pain to put them into foam for the blister.  Keeping costs down was likely a priority for this release although this is still quite an expensive model.  The pinion gears were also removed from the re-release.  You'll note the space where they used to be just below the gearbox plate blister.

I'm sure many people are thinking "who cares?" as they read this, and they are right, of course.  In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter.  It is incredible that Tamiya has re-released the Egress and I am extremely happy to own one.  It was another one of those models that was simply out of reach back when it first came out and became highly sought after as a vintage model and kit (if you could find one).

The carbon fiber plates are gorgeous

The presentation of the body and wheels was unique compared to other kits of the day.  Tamiya had designed the extra plastic flashing on the four corners of the body to be able to hold the tires as if there were wheels.  Definitely a cool look.

No motor is included, just like the original kit, however a 22T 0.6mod pinion gear is included.  It is recommended to replace the pinion with an aftermarket steel one, such as Robinson Racing #1122.  Also, no speed control is provided, unlike most US Tamiya kits. 

Watching the discussions on TamiyaClub, it is quite apparent that this kit is extremely popular among Tamiya fans.  The first run of kits sold out rather quickly leaving many to wait for the second batch to arrive at hobby shops and online stores well into late December 2013.  Stock does not seem to be a problem now.

The Egress was certainly a nice surprise considering the Avante and Avante Black Special were released on a very similar chassis.  I look forward to seeing what Tamiya re-releases next.