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In 1987 Kyosho released the Optima mid, a 1/10 4wd electric off-road racing buggy and the third design to wear the Optima badge. Not just a rebody like the Salute and Javelin, the new Optima was redesigned from the ground up, as its name suggests, to be a mid-motor racing machine. New from stem to stern the Optima mid sported a slender "Duralumin" flat plate main chassis with a fiberglass upper deck and heavier duty molded nylon components for the remainder of its construction. Longer and beefier lower a-arms with adjustable camber links front and rear were supported by a set of Kyosho's Option House gold anodized, oil-fill, aluminum bodied coil-over shocks with adjustable collars held in place by aluminum plate shock towers at both ends. A double bellcrank steering system with built-in servo saver and adjustable tie rods sat just behind the front tower while the electronics and transverse mounted battery took their places in the center of the chassis. Living up to their positions at the extreme ends of the chassis were the bevel gear equipped differentials housed within their respective gearcases that made up Kyosho's new belt driven 4wd system. A slipper clutch employing wave spring washers spun a cog equipped three-gear transmission around which a steel reinforced rubber belt was driven as it passed the mid-mounted motor in a sealed cover forward to the front diff. Steel dogbones took the power from there past the metal front knuckles and plastic rear carriers, through a full set of bearings, and out to a set of eight spoke white nylon wheels shod in Bridgestone 340-30/20M Sand Super spiked tires. A new clear lexan body and wing, solid wing mount, small front bumper, Lemans 240ST motor, and vertically mounted mechanical speed controller completed the unassembled kit which was sold less radio:

Its a brilliantly designed car. Never had an original, but I have the re-re and its seen a fair amount of track time on carpet with a brushless 13.5t motor and it is still running strong, and goes great around the track.