Analysis of individual cars
The Egress (58079)
The Egress was kit number 79 from Tamiya. A 1/10 scale 4WD off-road car, it was designed as a competition off-road car for the experienced hobbyist.
Specifications
- 1/10 scale off-road vehicle
- 4 wheel drive (shaft driven)
- 2 piece Carbon Fiber “sandwich” type chassis
- Fully independent suspension all around with dogbone style axle drive
- Four high-capacity coil spring over oil filled dampers
- RS 540 Sport Tuned motor (optional in some kits)
- wide pin spike rear tires with foam inserts all around
- Lexan body
Description
The Egress was designed as an advanced version of the original Avante. Collectors will remember that - although innovative - the original Avante was mostly an unproven collection of designs that didn’t come together as a competitive car. The aluminum parts were too soft and broke often, the front suspension bottomed out with alarming regularity and the handling was not up to spec when compared to cars of the time.
The Egress would build upon the experiences learned with the original and roll out as an improved (and more practical) vehicle. Gone were the aluminum suspension bits that - although elegant - bent was alarming regularity. They were now replaced with reinforced plastic parts which were stronger and lightweight. The FRP chassis was now made of carbon fiber. Much stiffer and more expensive to construct.
In an effort to control costs, the Technigold motor was replaced with a Sport Tuned one (27 turn stock with advanced timing). Other changes included an updated decal set, low weight one-piece wheels. Interestingly, Tamiya went back to a traditional narrow front wheel and tire for the Egress. The original Avante came with wide tires on all four corners. Judging from the pronounced understeer present in the original Avante, it is likely that the narrow fronts were chosen to offset that particular handling quirk.
The changes improved the car's ability to absorb off-road abuse but unfortunately did not change the handling characteristics. The front suspension still did not have enough travel to really handle off-road dirt tracks of the time. Ironically, had the car been introduced today, it would have fared okay because of the smoothness of today's clay packed racing tracks.
Even with all the changes, the Egress was still fairly expensive and had a street price of about $200. For all but the most fanatical Tamiya collector, this was a very expensive 4WD car. At that price range, the customer could choose from the Kyosho Turbo Optima Mid, Shumacher Cat, or Yokomo DogFighter. All of which were actually competitive on the race track.
Historical Significance
The Egress is somewhat of a forgotten model. Having been burnt by the lack of interest in the Avante, many hobby stores chose not to stock the Egress. But having said that, it's quite a rare kit, so much so that no kit has come up for sale in the past two years! Given the rarity of these kits, prices are difficult to estimate but estimates would put a new in box example at $350 at the very least.
Additional Notes
If you are considering the purchase of a used example, ensure that it is complete. Parts are extremely rare and some are impossible to find. Further, because of some changes in the chassis, not even parts for the original Avante will fit on this chassis. If you are considering the purchase of a restoration project, you are strongly advised to reconsider unless you already have access to replacement parts. Otherwise, you may be "restoring" your vehicle for a very long time.
Rating
- Collectibility – 7 out of 10
- Fun to drive – 7 out of 10
- Parts availability – 1 out of 10