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Pre-orders are now open for HackFab’s newest 1/12 scale body: a Victory clear shell designed for the Losi NASCAR platform. The body is molded from .030-inch clear Lexan polycarbonate, carries part number HFB20911, and is priced at $32.

Built for the Builder

HackFab is positioning the Victory shell as a classic American-style body for the next build. It ships with marked mounting dimples for easier drilling, and the wheel-well contours are clearly defined so owners can trim them cleanly. Fitment is aimed directly at the Losi NASCAR platform, and the body is designed to work with the stock front bumper and rear diffuser.

Owners also get window masks and a headlight/taillight sticker sheet in the package. What isn’t included? A police light bar.

The Losi NASCAR Platform Behind It

Losi’s 1/12 NASCAR lineup is a ready-to-run, hobby-grade series. The cars arrive fully assembled and finished, according to Losi’s product description for the #22 Ford Mustang version. That version is tied to Joey Logano, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (2018, 2022, 2024) who drives the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang.

The platform itself is an AWD touring car with a durable composite chassis, independent suspension, oil-filled coil-over shocks, and an enclosed drivetrain with metal ring and pinion gears. Power comes from a MEGA 380 28-turn brushed motor paired with a Spektrum waterproof SLT 2-in-1 25A ESC and receiver. A Spektrum SX110 waterproof metal-geared servo handles steering, and a Spektrum SLT2 2.4GHz transmitter controls the car. A Spektrum Smart 7.4V 1400mAh 2S 30C hard-case LiPo battery and an S10 Smart G2 Mini 2S USB-C charger are included in the box. Full box contents include the car, the ESC/receiver combo, the motor, the transmitter, the servo, four AA transmitter batteries, and a printed instruction manual. A separate needed-to-complete note lists a USB or USB-C power adapter with QC 2.0/3.0 18W+.

Losi rates the car at 20+ mph and says the battery recharges in about an hour for roughly 20 minutes of run time. Officially licensed Goodyear Eagle racing slicks are part of the package, along with a 25mm electric fan to keep the motor cool.

That’s the platform the new HackFab shell is designed to fit.

More Clear-Body Choices

The new shell isn’t the only clear-body route into the Losi NASCAR line. Losi’s own Chevy clear body for the NASCAR platform comes with a spoiler, decal sheet, paint protection stickers, and hardware. That kit also includes customizable decals, so an owner can add a name to a custom paint scheme, and playoff decals are included too. HackFab’s Victory body is an aftermarket alternative to that OEM kit.

HackFab’s Losi Aftermarket Focus

The Victory body isn’t HackFab’s first Losi-specific part. The company also sells a Waterfall 30mm Cooling Fan Mount for Losi Mini-B and Mini-T conversions, which mounts a 30mm fan on the chassis and directs airflow onto the motor to help prevent overheating during runs. The new NASCAR shell is another HackFab item aimed at a Losi chassis, this time for the 1/12 stock-car crowd.

Pre-Order Details

For now, the key detail is the pre-order. HackFab is accepting orders at $32 with part number HFB20911 listed. The shell is meant to be trimmed, painted, and detailed by the owner, with the included masks and sticker sheet handling window and lighting details. It fits the Losi NASCAR platform with the stock front bumper and rear diffuser in place. Pre-orders are open now.

HPI Racing’s micro-scale lineup has a new headline act: a 1:64 scale, ready-to-run Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5. The latest nano-TTR is factory-assembled and wrapped in an officially licensed hard body, giving American-muscle fans a tiny touring car aimed at tabletops, kitchen floors, and living-room circuits.

HPI calls the car the latest addition to the nano-TTR range and says the detailed shell is hand-finished and ready to go straight out of the box. The company also says the tiny car looks just as good parked on a desk as it does tearing around a desktop circuit.

A Miniature Mustang With Real Details

The new shell is hand-finished and offered in Iconic Silver, Grabber Blue, or Soul Red. It sits on Aero 5 wheels inspired by the full-size RTR Aero 5 design, wrapped in pre-mounted SPEC-GRIP treaded tires. HPI describes the rubber as a semi-slick, high-traction compound tuned for acceleration, braking, and cornering, and says no touring car in its lineup is complete without a set. The package is compact: 73mm long, 32mm wide, 23mm tall, with a 42mm wheelbase and a running weight of 22g.

Underneath the Mustang shell is HPI’s in-house nano-TTR chassis: factory-assembled, 2WD rear-wheel drive, with fully proportional Real Steer steering. A two-screw body mounting system makes shell swaps quick, and HPI notes that more officially licensed replicas are on the way.

Lights, Radio, and Battery

The nano-TTR has a full LED lighting package: headlights, tail lights, reverse lights, and turn signals, all controllable from the included MTX-400 2.4GHz transmitter. There are three lighting modes: Day Mode, Day Mode without signals, and Night Mode. Signal lights can be shut off at the transmitter, brake and reverse lights activate automatically, and the car flashes its hazards when the battery needs charging. HPI says the lights can be toggled on and off with a button press, as with its Venture18 model.

The MTX-400 is a four-channel radio with servo reverse, EPA, trims, and dual-rate switches, plus a foam-covered wheel, digital on/off switch, and audible warnings for low power and idle time. HPI describes the control system as full-size and says it delivers smooth handling and responsiveness. For owners who want more features, the nano-TTR is cross-compatible with HPI’s TF-51 controller.

Power comes from a replaceable 58mAh LiPo battery rated for up to 45 minutes of runtime between charges. Charging is done with the included USB to USB-C cable plugged into any 2A USB power supply. The transmitter needs four AA batteries. In the box are the car, the MTX-400 transmitter, the USB-C cable, the LiPo battery, and the manual.

Price, Colors, and Another Mustang

HPI lists the new Spec 5 cars at $79.99 each. The three SKUs are #161428 in Iconic Silver, #161429 in Grabber Blue, and #161430 in Soul Red. All are fully assembled and ready to run out of the box.

The Spec 5 follows another Ford-bodied nano-TTR. Retailer listings detail the 1969 Ford Mustang RTR-X version, listed as model HPI160980 and billed as a mini replica of Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s RTR-X car. It uses a similar recipe: factory-assembled 2WD chassis, licensed hard body, MTX-400 radio, and a 58mAh LiPo battery with 45-minute runtime.

Owners can add the new car to HPI’s MYhpi garage after purchase, which gives direct access to manuals, videos, tips, and help for each car in a collection. HPI says to stay tuned for more officially licensed replicas.

Carisma has thrown a genuine curveball into the 1/10 touring car aisle. The M40F is a front-wheel-drive touring kit with a mid-mounted motor, and it is aimed at builders who want something genuinely different to assemble. Carisma describes the project as an engineering exercise; the company says there is no planned ready-to-run version and no future RTR in the works.

The kit part matters. The M40F arrives as an assembly project, not a model that runs out of the box. The buyer supplies the electronics, wheels, tires, and body. In practice, that means the motor, speed controller, radio, wheels, tires, and shell are all on your side of the parts list.

Front-drive, but not the usual front-drive

Carisma knows the usual knock against front-drive touring cars in the paddock. The M40F, though, was designed from the opposite starting point. The motor sits in the middle of the chassis rather than over the front axle, so the nose is not burdened with a big lump of weight. The weight distribution still favors the front at roughly 60/40, because a front-drive car wants a loaded nose. The speed controller also lives up front, inside the bumper, and Carisma stresses that placement is a design decision, not a workaround.

The rear end is the part most people will stare at. Instead of a conventional independent rear suspension, the M40F uses a one-piece torsion plate tying the left and right sides together. Carisma compares the layout to the way a real front-drive race car connects its rear so the chassis can rotate. The claimed behavior is rotation in slow hairpins, with the tail allowed to do its job in fast corners. Carisma says the look is deliberate, not a sign of a broken car. If you want a normal rear later, the plate can be split and replaced with a wire stabilizer arrangement.

Carbon chassis and a Civic shell

The spec sheet includes a carbon chassis rather than G10, a CNC motor mount, and a metal gear differential at the front. The car is set up around a shorty battery and a shorty servo, with a 190mm body shell. Carisma flags a Honda Civic Type R shell as the obvious body choice.

Carisma is equally upfront about what the M40F is not. It is not a car to take to a touring final when lap times are measured in tenths, and it was not drawn to beat a four-wheel-drive chassis. The intended buyer, in Carisma’s telling, is the enthusiast who has grown tired of the same car on the same line.

“An engineering exercise is a car we give ourselves permission to cancel. The M40F is the one we didn’t.”

Retail listings and M40 options

Retailers are already listing the kit. Voltage Models lists the Carisma M40F Mid-Motor FWD 1/10 Assembly Kit, SKU CA91668, at £234.99, with a £23.50 saving bringing the price to £211.49. Wheelspin Models also lists part number CA91668, with barcode 4892793916684. That retailer offers free standard UK shipping on orders over £100, next-day delivery from £3, and worldwide shipping at checkout.

Carisma’s online shop also lists a wide M40 options and accessories range. That range includes a metal main drive shaft, an alloy propshaft, a metal spur gear adaptor, a metal differential set for the M40S and M48S, optional spring sets, alloy racing shocks, a front-only CVD set, and aluminum wheel hexes with locking screws in blue, grey, red, and black. There is also a front foam bumper designed for the Honda Civic Type R shell.

Carisma’s closing line for the M40F sums up the idea: “Drive something different.”

LEGO has given Batman collectors an early 2027 shopping list: three new DC sets are arriving on January 1. The lineup was revealed on Oct. 5 ahead of New York Comic-Con, and it spans everything from a $29.99 Arkham-inspired Batmobile to a 1,849-piece Joker wall-art build based on one of the character’s most iconic comic covers. The two new Batmobiles also add to the three Batmobile sets LEGO introduced earlier this year.

Arkham Batman Batmobile: video-game styling for $29.99

The smallest of the trio is set 67009 Arkham Batman Batmobile. It has 317 pieces, costs £26.99 / $29.99 / €29.99, and is recommended for builders ages 9 and up. The design pulls from Batman: Arkham Knight, the 2015 video game, and includes an Arkham Batman minifigure. The armored car has functional suspension, a new windscreen mold, and curved bodywork styled after the video game car’s shape.

The set ties into LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. A QR code in the building instructions unlocks the Golden Red Brick, described as a secret 24th brick collectible that adds a gold theme to characters and vehicles in the game.

Batman Returns Batmobile & Duck: two rides from a Tim Burton film

Set 67008 Batman Returns Batmobile & Duck recreates high-speed chases from the fan-favorite movie with 672 pieces. It is priced at £54.99 / $59.99 / €59.99 and is a 9+ build. The set includes Batman and a Penguin minifigure based on his appearance in Batman Returns. Penguin’s duck-shaped vehicle has posable wings and head, and he stands beside it with umbrella in hand.

The digital unlock here goes further. Buyers get the Golden Red Brick for Legacy of the Dark Knight plus a gold Batman Returns Batmobile Batcave Prop in-game.

The Joker Wall Art: Detective Comics #880 as an 18+ display piece

The headline model is set 67012 The Joker Wall Art Comic Cover. It is an 18+ set with 1,849 pieces and a price of £149.99 / $169.99 / €169.99. The build recreates the cover of Detective Comics #880, published in 2011 with art by Jock. The issue was written by Scott Snyder during the run later collected as Batman: The Black Mirror, when Dick Grayson was operating as Batman. Jock’s original cover art sold for $288,000 at Heritage Auctions in June 2025.

LEGO’s version uses a strong 3D effect: bats fly out of the frame, and the Joker’s eyes and features pop off the surface. Hidden details are layered into the deeper parts of the build, including Batarangs, swords, flowers, and the phrase ‘Ha, ha, ha, ha.’ Jock’s original composition built much of the Joker’s face from hundreds of small bats, including the eyes and nose. The finished model measures roughly 20 inches tall and 15 inches wide and is designed to hang on a wall.

See the sets at New York Comic-Con

All three sets will be on display at New York Comic-Con from Oct. 8 to 11 at the DC booth, #4365, alongside a nine-foot-tall brick-built version of the Joker cover. Fans who pre-order the Joker Wall Art on-site will receive a reprint of the comic with a LEGO-brick-inspired cover, and Jock will be signing at the booth on Thursday, Oct. 8, starting at 11 a.m. ET.

LEGO’s official website is already taking pre-orders. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, released by Warner Bros. Games on May 22, is an open-world adventure inspired by Rocksteady’s Arkham titles. Both Batmobile sets unlock digital extras inside it. The full wave is scheduled to arrive on January 1, 2027, with North American prices ranging from $29.99 to $169.99.

LEGO is giving Gotham a very busy January. The company has unveiled three new Batman sets for 2027 — two Batmobiles and a wall-hanging Joker portrait based on one of the character’s most famous comic covers. The wall-art piece also marks new territory for the LEGO Batman line.

The Oct. 5 reveal covers 67012 The Joker Wall Art Comic Cover, 67008 Batman Returns Batmobile & Duck, and 67009 Arkham Batman Batmobile. Prices run from $29.99 to $169.99 USD.

The Joker becomes wall art

The centerpiece is the 1,849-piece LEGO DC Batman The Joker Wall Art Comic Cover, a buildable tribute to Jock’s cover for Detective Comics #880. That 2011 image is a nightmare close-up: Joker’s giant red-ringed smile, red Batman-symbol eyes, and the top of his head splitting open into a storm of bats. The cover captures the Joker’s obsession with Batman, and the LEGO version translates that into a three-dimensional portrait intended to hang on a wall.

In LEGO form, the bats fly out of the frame itself. The build is engineered with hidden details layered beneath the surface, and the bats are re-created from an assortment of LEGO elements — no actual LEGO bat pieces were used. François Zapf is credited with bringing Jock’s art into brick form. The set is aimed at DC decor collectors, according to coverage of the reveal.

The reveal coverage describes the set as one of the scariest and creepiest models LEGO has ever released, and notes it is not for everyone — the Joker’s leering face could easily frighten small children. At $169.99, the Joker set is the most expensive of the three and is available for pre-order on LEGO.com.

Two Batmobiles, two moods

The other two sets put the Batmobile in the spotlight, but in very different ways. 67009 Arkham Batman Batmobile is inspired by the Batman Arkham Trilogy games, with a blocky, sharp-edged body, thick tires, and a Batman minifigure. It carries the lowest price of the wave at $29.99. Screen Rant’s report notes the Arkham model sits in a similar size and price range to the Batmobile set from Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

67008 Batman Returns Batmobile & Duck pulls from Batman Returns, pairing the movie Batmobile with Penguin’s giant duck vehicle. This minifigure-scale set includes a pair of minifigures, with The Penguin among them, and features the Batmissile splitting function. It is priced at $59.99. For builders who hesitated over last month’s massive 2,269-piece, $229.99 Batman Returns collector Batmobile, this new version is a far smaller, more accessible alternative — and it can drop its sides to reveal the Batmissile, just like the premium set.

Game codes included

Both Batmobile sets also have a hook for players of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Each includes a code that unlocks the Golden Red Brick, adding a gold theme for characters and vehicles. The Batman Returns model additionally unlocks a gold Batman Returns Batmobile Batcave Prop in-game. The game is available on PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S. Screen Rant has rated the game 10/10 and called it a must-play.

See them at New York Comic Con

LEGO will show all three sets at DC’s Booth #4365 during New York Comic Con, which runs Oct. 8-11. The booth will also include a nine-foot brick replica of the Detective Comics #880 cover. Fans who pre-order the Joker Wall Art at the booth receive a reprint of the issue with a LEGO-brick-inspired cover, and original cover artist Jock will be signing on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 11:00 a.m. ET.

All three sets go on sale Jan. 1, 2027 at LEGO.com, LEGO Stores, and other major retailers.

Team Cayote has released a video showing Patrick Beck walking through a software/firmware upgrade on the company’s 2-Force X5 Charger. The clip, shared by Team Cayote and highlighted by RC Car Action, is meant to show that keeping the charger updated is straightforward. Beck handles the demonstration even while dealing with a bad voice.

A Charger Built for Race Pits

The 2-Force X5 is a dual-channel smart charger aimed at professional RC model racing users. Team Cayote positions it as a unit that blends high-performance power management, responsive user interaction, and multiple operational modes. The company says it is designed to handle battery activation before high-intensity races or multi-task power support at the track, delivering reliable support for RC racers.

The charger is compact and easy to move between a workstation and pit area. It weighs 1.5 kg and measures 172 mm long, 130 mm wide, and 101 mm high. The high-gloss polymer shell carries a scratch-resistant surface treatment, which gives the X5 a glossy, sleek appearance.

Charging Performance and Modes

The X5 is tuned for high-C-rate competition batteries, with a maximum charging current of 55A. Its integrated 2A balancing system is designed to provide faster, more accurate voltage regulation, which according to product materials can improve battery output and consistency and extend battery life.

The dual-channel layout uses independent circuits for synchronized battery management, improving charging efficiency when working with two packs at once. Multi-mode functions add external discharge, two-in-one charging, and digital power supply modes, covering maintenance and race-tuning tasks while reducing racer workload.

Power and Compatibility Specs

According to specs shared by ETS Racing, the charger accepts AC 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz input at up to 6.5 A, or DC 12-30 V at up to 65 A. Output voltage is DC 5-30 V. Charging power is listed at AC 500 W / DC 700 W × 2, with AC power limited to 400 W when the active 12V DC output is in use.

The internal discharge rating is 70 W × 2, while external discharge goes up to 500 W, and maximum discharge current is 8 A. Balance current runs up to 2 A per cell. Supported battery chemistries include LiPo, LiFe, LiIon, and LiHV from 1 to 6 cells, plus NiMH from 1 to 18 cells. The display is a 3.5-inch IPS screen described as sunlight readable, and the unit is rated to operate between -10°C and +45°C, with storage from -20°C to +60°C.

Safety, Cooling, and Extra Ports

Protection features cover over-voltage, over-current, short-circuit, reverse polarity, and over-temperature shutdown. An intelligent cooling fan system and large ventilation holes are designed to keep the charger stable during high-power or extreme thermal conditions. ETS Racing also notes an environmentally friendly sleep function.

For track-side work, the X5 provides a stable 12V DC output for accessories like tire warmers, soldering irons, and other RC tools. A dedicated servo test port allows quick checks of servo movement and response, useful for on-site calibration. There is also a practical balancer note: because of the housing design, the balancer cable plug can be inserted in either direction, and if the charger shows a balancer error at start-up, the plug should be turned around.

Firmware Updates and Availability

The 2-Force X5 has a USB-C port for firmware upgrades, allowing the charging experience to be optimized over time. Team Cayote’s new video walks through the process of performing a software/firmware upgrade on the charger.

Cayote is distributed in the United States by AMain Hobbies. More details, along with the update video and additional Team Cayote posts, are available at Cayote.com.

Pimoroni spotlights a tiny Land Rover with big electronics

Scale-model builder Brendan McGrath — known online as Pater Practicus — is the subject of a new Pimoroni blog post celebrating his Tiny FX projects. The featured build: a 1:43 scale Land Rover Series 1 with a flashing emergency-service light sequence and static front and rear lights, all driven by MicroPython.

Pimoroni was drawn to how McGrath merged traditional model making with 3D printing and electronics. His broader builds include automated level crossings, fire vehicles, and an ultrasonic “mind your head” sign, many powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico. For the Land Rover, he swapped in a Tiny FX instead and had to get creative hiding the electronics, routing wires around the model so the finished look stayed clean.

3D-printed parts hide the hardware

The Land Rover also gained extra 3D-printed parts. A pump and ladder mounted on a rear section hide the Tiny FX board, the speaker, and a custom button-cell battery pack. McGrath wrote the control code in Thonny, using it to create a flashing sequence that emulates an emergency-service vehicle of the era, along with static headlights and rear lights that sell the scale-vehicle effect.

Pimoroni says the finished effect is hard to spot and credits McGrath’s model-making skill.

Infrared remote for a vintage fire truck

A later project adds remote control. McGrath connected an infrared receiver stick and remote kit to control a vintage fire truck model through Tiny FX W, the Wi-Fi-enabled version of the board. The IR setup follows the same approach as Pimoroni’s own tutorial showing how to add remote-controlled light and sound to models with a Tiny FX W, an IR receiver stick, and a remote.

Underpinning these projects is a MicroPython module — a pre-written library — used to trigger effects at the push of a button. In a Pimoroni guide, the same module was used with a LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon to produce light and sound effects reminiscent of hyperspace travel.

Tiny FX and Tiny FX W, explained

Tiny FX and Tiny FX W are programmable effects controllers for the LED dots and strips found in third-party LEGO-compatible lighting kits. Pimoroni describes them as suited to construction kit models, dioramas, papercrafts, dolls houses, book nooks, and shadowboxes. Both boards are powered by an RP2040 (dual Arm Cortex M0+ running at up to 133MHz with 264kB of SRAM) and include 4MB of QSPI flash. They’re fully assembled, with no soldering required.

Both versions can drive six channels of two-pin mono LEDs and one channel of four-pin RGB LEDs. They include an onboard 3.2W I2S mono amplifier with a speaker connector, a Qw/ST connector for Qwiic or STEMMA QT breakouts, and a sensor connector for buttons, potentiometers, or PIR sensors. Tiny FX measures 31.2 x 23.2 x 6.2mm, while the Tiny FX W is 6.7mm tall; both fit within the footprint of a 4 x 3 brick in popular ABS brick-based construction kits. The Tiny FX W adds a Raspberry Pi RM2 module for 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity.

Kits, software, and sharing builds

Each board is sold alone or in starter-kit form. The Tiny FX starter kit includes six cool-white LED dots, five RGB LEDs plus an expansion board and cable, an adhesive-backed 8Ω 1W mini speaker, a 3xAAA battery holder, and a USB-A to USB-C cable, packed in a reusable Pirate-brand loot box. The Tiny FX W kit adds the same accessories plus a PIR sensor stick and a 3-pin JST-SH cable for connecting it, with the PIR able to trigger effects when movement is detected. LED components are also sold separately, and builders supply their own AAA batteries.

The boards come pre-loaded with MicroPython and the PicoFX library, which makes it easy to run multiple simultaneous light and sound effects. The original Tiny FX can also be programmed with CircuitPython, with a board-specific download available. In a separate project covered by Kevs Robots, a Tiny FX board was used to add lights, sound, and motion-triggered effects to the LEGO Ideas Jaws 21350 set.

Pimoroni is inviting builders with cool Tiny FX projects to email Les to show them off.

Rapper Wordburglar is now part of Wandering Planet Toys’ retro sci-fi action-figure universe in two ways: he has dropped an original track for the Planetoid Raiders Kickstarter line, and he’s getting a limited-edition figure named Recordor based on himself. The song, “Planetoid Raiders: Recordor’s Warning,” arrived October 1 on Bandcamp and YouTube alongside a music video, giving the crowdfunded toy campaign another soundtrack moment. Geek Vibes Nation, which hosted the world premiere, reported at the time that the campaign was in full swing and its initial funding goal was nearly reached.

A rapper joins the Wave 1 roster

Wordburglar worked with Wandering Planet Toys co-founders Chris “Doc” Wyatt and Gavin Hignight to design Recordor, who joins an already busy Wave 1 lineup. That roster includes Captain Oton, Helmsman Ryot, WarLor the Mysterious Space Traveler, Yogun, and others. Every figure in the line is limited edition, built at 1:18 scale with five points of articulation, and presented in retro-inspired packaging.

The new song is the third original track tied to the campaign. It follows the Planetoid Raiders theme from Nashville singer-songwriter Johnathan Pushkar and elle AVA’s “Love Theme From Planetoid Raiders.” Music has been part of the rollout since before launch: Comics Beat earlier revealed the Pushkar theme alongside a first look at Buzzz, described as First Mate of the Planetoid Raiders. Wandering Planet says Buzzz is “on all the apps.” Earlier, the company had already shown Captain Oton, Ryot, and Sloog figures. With three songs, a music video, and an exclusive comic, the line has effectively become a small multimedia project.

“Wordburglar is the perfect artist to provide a track for the Planetoid Raiders,” Wyatt said. “His playful and fast-paced music captures the imaginative spirit of these toys.”

Wordburglar, the nerdcore rapper who has described himself as a fandom specialist, has deep nerd-culture history. His catalog includes the G.I. Joe-inspired concept album Welcome to Cobra Island, plus tracks such as “SpaceVerse” and “Burgonomic.” He also created the theme for the Mystic Cosmic Patrol web series and voiced Starscope in Transformers: BotBots.

Retro toys with a full soundtrack

Planetoid Raiders pulls from the late-1970s 3.75-inch action-figure boom, with Wandering Planet pointing to Kenner’s 1978 Star Wars figures and Hong Kong-based Tomland Toys’ offbeat Starroid Raiders as its reference points. The line frames each figure as a tribute to classic sci-fi toys and a piece of contemporary art.

Wordburglar framed the track as an in-universe dispatch:

“If you’re on a planetoid you can’t avoid The Planetoid Raiders,” he said. “Wordburglar has traveled across the cosmos to rhyme the alarm bells with this intergalactically catchy cautionary tale full of strange star-beings, antisocial androids, and klepto-terrestrials!”

Gavin Hignight was just as enthusiastic about the collaboration. He recalled the impact of Wordburglar’s earlier “Rap Viper” and said there is “no one better to put the Planetoid Raiders on the interstellar map.”

Backers can order Wave 1 figures individually on retro-style card backs or pre-packed in a metal lunchbox-style collector case featuring art by Los Angeles horror artist Bill Rude. The Kickstarter campaign also includes an exclusive eight-page mini-comic, “Sloog Interlude,” written by Wyatt and illustrated by Chris Anderson, whose credits include American Caper.

Wordburglar’s “Planetoid Raiders: Recordor’s Warning” is streaming on Bandcamp and YouTube. Wave 1 of the Planetoid Raiders action figures is funding now on Kickstarter. Wandering Planet is also pointing backers to its new YouTube channel and its accounts on X, Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook for further updates.

TamiyaBlog turned 20 in September 2026, and the anniversary lines up with a milestone on the manufacturer’s side: Tamiya is marking 50 years of radio-controlled cars in the same year.

The fan-run site launched in September 2006 around Tamiya’s 30th anniversary of R/C. One of its first subjects was the special Tamiya Porsche Turbo RSR Type 934, kit #49400, an updated version of the company’s first R/C car presented as a commemorative release. It began as a personal fan project; two decades later it is a long-running archive of Tamiya news, product announcements, events, vintage material, custom builds and model-making culture.

From news feed to searchable archive

In its early years, TamiyaBlog collected information that risked disappearing from the internet quickly: new-product announcements, event reports, photos, vintage details and updates on Tamiya’s expanding R/C and scale-model ranges. It gradually became a searchable reference rather than just a news feed.

The wider Tamiya world was busy in that period too. Tamiya America moved to Irvine in 2007. In 2008, Tamiya saw management changes, opened the Tamiya Plastic Model Factory in Shimbashi, Tokyo, and continued developing the Kakegawa Circuit.

During the early 2010s, the blog’s coverage broadened across R/C cars, static scale models, Mini 4WD, vintage Tamiya and customized builds. That mix became one of the site’s defining traits, helped by the international nature of the Tamiya community, with Japanese information reaching enthusiasts worldwide almost immediately.

Preserving the past while covering the new

In 2015, Tamiya announced the 1/1 Mini 4WD Real Car Project, which culminated in the life-size Mini 4WD Aero Avante. TamiyaBlog covered that combination of heritage and new product development, matching its existing editorial approach: document what is new, preserve what is old.

At its tenth anniversary in 2016, the site reported it had published 941 articles, received more than four million visits, collected around 2,000 reader comments and built a Facebook following of more than 6,000 people. The team had reported live from the Nuremberg Toy Fair nine times, shown customized builds and organized an award competition for readers.

The anniversary post also made the site’s operating philosophy clear: TamiyaBlog was kept as a fan project rather than turned into an advertising-driven business, and its long-term ambition was to become a complete, easily searchable database of Tamiya news and articles.

In 2017, the blog published an expanded history of Tamiya, from the company’s post-war origins through its international expansion. By the early 2020s, its categories had grown into a substantial archive spanning Future Releases, Event Reports, Media, Vintage, Corporation, Customized Builds, Reviews and Opinions.

Anniversary years line up

2023 coverage included the Shizuoka Hobby Show, plus new subjects such as the 1/35 Jagdpanzer IV/70(A) and the 1/24 GMA T.50 and Porsche 935. Tamiya itself kept expanding, including opening a new factory in the Philippines that year.

2024 was especially fitting: Tamiya’s R/C history reached its 50th anniversary. TamiyaBlog covered the milestone through new products, historical material and events. The anniversary also produced publications documenting Tamiya’s complete R/C history, from the M4 Sherman through the Porsche 934 and the hundreds of models that followed. Later that year, the TAMIYA PLAMODEL FACTORY TOKYO opened in Shimbashi, and Nobuo Tamiya became President and Representative Director.

In 2025, the blog kept mixing new releases with history, including anniversary products such as the Trail Mini 4WD Kumamon Version, which commemorated 15 years of Kumamon.

Now in 2026, Tamiya’s 50th anniversary of R/C has given TamiyaBlog a steady stream of material. The blog has followed anniversary releases, including the return of classic names such as the Cheetah and Falcon. Its September 2026 release lists cover R/C, static models and Mini 4WD, and reports from the All Japan Model & Hobby Show document new products across the same range.

The site’s anniversary account traces an arc from the Porsche 934 of September 2006 to the Porsche 934 50th-anniversary generation of 2026: TamiyaBlog’s history has followed Tamiya’s history while creating a history of its own. Twenty years on, the archive is still growing.

LEGO’s mini Botanicals planters are growing again. Set 10371 Cosy Plants — scheduled for 1 November 2026 — introduces Momi the chamomile and Remi the peppermint, two smiling potted characters that join the lineup started by 10349 Happy Plants and continued by 11506 Rocking Plants.

The 248-piece set has already made the rounds with reviewers, and both early write-ups highlight the same thing: the new poses make these the most expressive mini-planters yet.

Meet Momi and Remi

Momi lives in a lavender pot and comes with a hot drink accessory. Remi, in a brown pot, gets a brick-built book and a much more relaxed posture. Their names are revealed inside the two instruction booklets — a detail that wasn’t in the pre-release marketing.

The spelling of the set name is also a little inconsistent between regions: the box reviewed by The Brothers Brick reads ‘cosy,’ while LEGO.com lists the set as ‘cozy.’

The plant choices are distinct. Momi’s chamomile uses green claw elements to create a full, leafy silhouette, topped with white flowers and yellow yarn-ball centers. According to the review, this is the first time the yarn-ball element has appeared in that color. Remi’s peppermint uses more familiar Botanicals techniques: a ring of upright leaf pieces and stacked purple flower elements that form tall peppermint blooms.

The pots are designed to be interchangeable, so builders can swap the plants between the lavender and brown containers. No stickers are used; the cheerful faces are printed pieces.

Fresh Pose Tricks

The biggest changes are in how the characters sit and stand. Momi’s arms are front-mounted, which reviewers describe as a first for this series of mini planters. The pose makes the character look comfortably seated while holding the warm cup.

Remi’s pose is even more unusual. The legs are attached through hinges at the back and use angled 2×2 plates to create a splayed, lounging position — as if the peppermint lover is stretched out on the floor reading. The arms are front-mounted too, and they can be angled so the character’s folded arms rest perfectly on the book.

The Brothers Brick notes that the arms now connect to studs at the front, replacing the Technic bricks and pins used in earlier versions. The internal design has also changed: bar-handle tiles have been swapped for 2x2x2 containers, which reviewers say hold the plants in place a little better and still allow for swapping. The same review adds that Momi’s cup uses a macaroni piece, and it recommends testing both sides of that piece because the clutch power can differ.

There are two minor size differences between the pots. One is six studs tall and the other five studs tall, while the curved bottom is reserved for the upright pot. The builds are split across three numbered bags and two manuals, making it easy for two people to build Momi and Remi at the same time — though it’s a short build either way.

Price, Release, and Early Verdicts

Set 10371 Cosy Plants is priced at US$22.99, £17.99, €19.99, AU$29.99, or CAN$29.99 depending on the market. It is rated 9+ and will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO Stores on 1 November 2026. Stonewars lists a retirement date of 31 December 2028, and LEGO’s product description says the peppermint plant measures over 4 in. (11 cm) high.

Reviewers are enthusiastic. Jay’s Brick Blog says the set continues the Botanicals subtheme strongly, praising the fun poses, the added accessories, and the plant designs as among the better ones in the series so far. The same review ranks the pair ahead of earlier mini planters in visual appeal.

The Brothers Brick’s guest reviewer agrees, describing the third installment as a clear winner and an affordable set that brightens the mood. If you’re only going to pick up one of the three sets, that review recommends Cosy Plants.

LEGO’s official product description adds that the finished plants are compatible with other building kits in the Botanicals collection (sold separately).