Redefining the standards of 1/28 scale micro RC racing, Kyosho Mini-Z cars have become extremely popular, and it’s easy to see why. The Mini-Z platform is on the more affordable end of the Kyosho USA spectrum, but there is no compromise of enjoyment here. Dozens of durable, beautiful body shells are available to choose from, so you can be sure your Z stands out from the rest of the crowd and represents your true taste, as each shell is modeled after a real automobile. There’s even a pretty good chance you’ll find your car out there somewhere! Customization options are also available in this series, ranging from cosmetic to performance enhancing. Springs can be swapped out for stiffer ones, the engine can be upgraded to a more powerful one, and you can even swap your standard tires for ones with extra grip. There are also various decals you can apply as you wish. Customization and adjustment of existing parts and systems such as steering and suspension is possible with the Mini-Z, and due to their immense popularity there exist a number of forums with extensive information regarding how to go about making these adjustments.

These RC cars are generally meant to be used on relatively smooth indoor surfaces as they are so low to the ground. While they are very small, they are built as close to the exact proportions of the original vehicle as possible which keeps them looking classy and realistic, and never cartoon like or exaggerated. This also serves to make control more fun and similar to real life. The throttle is variable allowing for strategic passing in races, and the brakes are very responsive as you would expect for such a small and light car. One set of fully charged batteries and you can zip around for about an hour before needing more juice.

Unlike some of the more advanced, customizable, and expensive Kyosho product lines, this series requires no real assembly out of the box, and significantly less maintenance which can be a big positive note for some people. Once you toss some batteries into your transmitter/remote control and your new vehicle, you’re ready to tear up the road! For maximum performance and more a steady power supply use rechargeable AAs. Unlike alkaline batteries which as they become depleted make your RC car slowly lose power, lithium ion batteries will provide a much more steady power flow, and sharply drop off once the power supply is exhausted. Even ignoring these benefits, who could argue with the benefits of money on all of those replacement batteries?

Out of all the lines Kyosho produces, this is probably the one best suited for beginners, youngsters, or people who don’t plan on making significant upgrades to their car as time goes on; the potential for modification of this series is noticeably less than that of something like the Inferno GT, for example. If what you’re looking for is an RC car with some class, sophistication in its controls, and limited expandability to use for racing around the office during lunch break or through the halls of your house all night, this is probably going to be your best bet for the money. Superb build quality assures that a properly cared for Mini-Z will last as long as you do, and will keep you smiling in circles well into the future.