The Optima Mid is remembered for its brilliant debut at the 2nd World Electric Off-Road Car Championships in England 1987, where the prototype occupied 5 out of the 10 qualifiers in the A-Main final and finished in second place. Optima’s chassis layout with mid-ship motor position and undercarriage grew in popularity and became the foundation for modern racing buggies. It is this Optima Mid that will be reproduced as the 10th model in the Kyosho vintage series. The main chassis is made from 6016T6 aluminum alloy that guarantees high rigidity. Each component of the car has been updated to match a modern power system, such as the 48-pitch gear for improved efficiency and precision gear ratio setting. The recreated Optima Mid also features adjustable belt tension using a tensioner not available at the time, ultimately achieving a smooth drive with minimal loss. Furthermore, equipment from the Turbo Optima Mid such as the FRP front and rear shock stays, and countersunk main chassis have also been incorporated into this model. The racy form of the original Optima Mid body design is faithfully reproduced in line with the popular vintage series. Experience the driving spirit of the Optima Mid incorporating the state-of-the-art mechanics from the past that cannot be matched by anything today.

My particular vehicle is the first in my collection to utilize belt-driven 4WD, powered by a powerful QuicRun brushless motor and Xerun XR10 ESC, both by Hobbywing. I have selected the Spektrum DX5C as the controller for my Optima Mid, linked to a 6-channel Spektrum SPMSR6110AT receiver. The antenna piping is not original; I have taken a spare long antenna pipe from one of my Tamiya kits, replacing the short pipe supplied by Kyosho.