The Backyard – A Truck Guy’s Take on Nuremberg 2026
Greetings all, and Happy Friday! Welcome to The Backyard.
The Nuremberg International Toy Fair is officially in the books, and as always, it brought a flood of new R/C announcements with it. There were plenty of on-road cars, off-road racers, and competition-focused machines unveiled over the past week — and while all of that is cool, longtime readers know I’m a truck guy at heart. So naturally, the releases that grabbed my attention the most leaned heavily towards that.
Let’s dig into a few of the standouts that really caught my eye.
Tamiya 58755 Lunch Box EVO
Alright… this one made me smile. The Lunch Box getting the EVO treatment feels long overdue. Updated front and rear suspension, oil shocks, a slightly longer and wider wheelbase, and yes — bearings included in the kit. That alone feels like progress.
It’s been well over a decade since I built my original “Mr. Yuk” Lunch Box, and I’m more than ready to revisit the platform in EVO form. This time around, I’m already picturing something much closer to traditional box-art styling, maybe even a light blue variation. It’s still gloriously silly, but now it looks like it’ll actually drive pretty well too.
Tamiya 58759 Ford F-150 Ranger XLT
This one is an instant buy for me. I’ve seen photos of the original Ranger XLT floating around for years in vintage catalogs and collector’s stashes, and the re-release hits me square in the nostalgia. This is exactly the kind of truck that begs to be built as a pseudo shelf queen — pristine, detailed, and admired — while still sneaking in the occasional hot lap when no one’s looking.
The fact that it’s officially licensed by Ford makes it even better, and it really has me hoping this opens the door for something else: a properly licensed Blackfoot once again. A limited-edition, officially licensed Blackfoot would be great, and this Ranger XLT feels like a step in that direction.
Tamiya 58756 Quirkhopper (GF-02)
Monster buggies will always have a soft spot in my heart, and the GF-02 platform is a solid foundation for one. I’ve built this chassis before, and its unique all-gear drivetrain makes for a quick, straightforward build — which is something I always appreciate.
The Quirkhopper feels like classic Tamiya fun: a little weird, a little aggressive, and very much its own thing. It’s not trying to chase lap times or compete with race kits — it’s here to be fun, and I’m totally on board with that.
Kyosho KC10 Toyota Land Cruiser
I talked about this one briefly a couple weeks ago when we first got a sneak peek, and seeing the full reveal at Nuremberg did nothing but reinforce my excitement. No, it’s not revolutionary — but it doesn’t need to be.
What it is appears to be a very well thought-out modern scale crawler, complete with factory lights, inner fenders, and all the details hobbyists expect these days. For Kyosho’s first proper entry into the 1/10 scale crawler space, this feels deliberate and well researched. It may have taken them a while to jump in, but it certainly looks like they did their homework.
Rlaarlo HY6 Military Truck
Rlaarlo continues to quietly (and not so quietly) make waves, and their newly announced HY6 Military Truck is squarely in my wheelhouse. Inspired by the CQ261 Chinese military truck, this 6×6 beast looks like an absolute unit.
Details are still limited at this point, but if it delivers even half of what it promises visually, it could be a seriously fun heavy hauler. I’d love to get one out into the woods and put it to work — slow crawling, hauling, and just doing big truck things.
Overall, Nürnberg delivered a really nice mix this year — especially if you lean toward trucks, oddballs, and nostalgia-soaked builds like I do. Between updated classics, thoughtful re-releases, and a few genuinely interesting new platforms, there’s a lot here to look forward to in 2026.
Until next time, keep it on all 4’s.
