VehiclesYokomo

Yokomo

Yokomo is a Japanese maker of competition and drift RC cars, founded in 1965, that moved into RC car production in 1977.1,2

VehiclesHistory and background

Founded
19651
Headquarters
Tsukuba, Ibaraki1
Company
Yokomo Inc.1

Yokomo vehicles

About Yokomo

What it stands for

Yokomo presents itself as a top brand in making and selling competition and drift RC cars.5 Of the YD-4, engineering chief Hayato Matsuzaki said "Cool and Stylish" drifting needs a chassis "always under the control," calling that "the key point for leading the driver to the next stage."4

Known for

Yokomo first made its name in off-road with its Dog Fighter series of 1/10 buggies.3 As of 2019 it held more IFMAR 1/10 4WD off-road world titles than any other brand.3 It was early into RC drifting, with a series of cars built especially for drifting in 2003.2

Product portfolio

Yokomo's range here is all 1/10 drift chassis kits. The Master Drift MD3.0, Super Drift SD3.0 and Rookie Drift RD2.0 sit alongside the YD-2E and YD-2S. The YD-4 is a four-wheel-drive chassis sold under the Drift Package name, and the YD-4 MR builds on it.4

Racing record

Yokomo won the IFMAR 1/10 electric off-road 4WD world title seven times through 2017, more than any other brand as of 2019.3 Gil Losi Jr. took the first in 1985, and Masami Hirosaka won in 1989, 1993 and 1997 during an unbeaten run from 1989 to 1997.3,6 In 2017 Ryan Maifield won both the 2WD and 4WD classes.3

Timeline

  1. 1965The company is founded in May 1965.1
  2. 1977Branches out into RC car production.2
  3. 1983The Dog Fighter series of 1/10 buggies begins.3
  4. 1985Gil Losi Jr. wins the IFMAR 4WD buggy world title with the YZ-834B, a first for Yokomo.3
  5. 1989Masami Hirosaka wins the IFMAR 4WD title with the YZ-870C, starting an unbeaten 4WD run through 1997.3
  6. 2003Introduces a series of cars built especially for RC drifting.2
  7. 2015Announces the YD-4 four-wheel-drive drift kit, designed by Hayato Matsuzaki.4
  8. 2017Ryan Maifield wins both the 2WD and 4WD world titles in China, Yokomo's first 1/10 2WD off-road world title.3

Sources

  1. Yokomo, Company.
  2. Wikipedia, Yokomo.
  3. LiveRC, FLASHBACK FRIDAY: The Success of Yokomo, 28 March 2019.
  4. LiveRC, Yokomo YD-4 1/10 scale 4WD drift kit, 29 December 2015.
  5. Yokomo, Team Yokomo.
  6. LiveRC, FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Former IFMAR Electric Off-Road Worlds winners, 16 October 2015.