SteveP

Bife, you are making factual statements that are 100-percent incorrect. That's about as respectful as I can say it. 100-percent of Kyosho's racing vehicles are made in Japan. The MP9, which you claim to know so much about, is absolutely 100-percent made in Japan to the point that they're even using Japanese bearings and hardware. You can debate the point all you want about whether you think one country can make better products that another, and whether you think it's worth it, but you need to check yourself before making factual statements about how, what or where any company does anything.

Having worked at Kyosho, I happen to know what I'm telling you is 100-percent fact. Kyosho has never been shy about where their product is produced, and some of their RTRs ARE made in China by quality manufacturers - a couple RTRs are also made in Taiwan, also by quality manufacturers. Many of the critical parts, such as the molded parts, some machined parts and other misc items are still made in Japan and shipped elsewhere for assembly, because they're more confident in the finished product, but there's never been an aversion to disclosing where anything is made - it's printed in plain English right on the box.

Kyosho would probably rather not get involved in discussions like this on internet forums because it serves no good purpose. But I've been a fan of their products for decades, and they're quietly proud of the standards they hold themselves to, especially regarding the competition kits, and they're ALL made in Japan. They pride themselves with the high standards they set, and they've produced some of the best cars on the market for longer than any other manufacturer in the World. When I see someone like you completely misrepresent these facts, and by innuendo suggest that "it's not really what they say it is," well, I'm here to defend the truth and tell you that you're completely wrong. This is probably just ignorant flame baiting and perhaps a waste of time replying, but for the benefit of anyone else that gives your fallacy any credibility, I guess this is somewhat of a justified response.

There are many quality products that come from factories all over Asia, so this isn't a condemnation of those products. There are plenty of them that are well worth the money, but there are also plenty that are not. Nobody from within Kyosho has EVER claimed superiority based on the simple fact of where its racing products are made. But the standards they set for themselves and for their customers, and the pride they take in delivering the best quality product is commendable and shouldn't be fodder for this type of nonsense.