Turbo Racing at Hobby Expo China: 1/76 and 1/43 micro RC as a gateway to racing

Photo: Red RC (source)

Beijing’s Hobby Expo China, which drew 72,000 visitors to the Beijing Exhibition Centre for its latest edition, has put the spotlight back on a discreet player in radio control: Turbo Racing and its 1/76 micro RC. A segment the Chinese brand wants to turn into a genuine gateway to racing.

From OEM to brand: the Turbo Racing story

Founded in 2004, Turbo Racing first built OEM electronics — transmitters, receivers, speed controllers and motors — before launching its own complete 1/76 cars in 2019. Its models are now sold in Japan, the United States and Europe. The brand had already been spotted at the GDC indoor track in Foshan during the 2023 Foshan Invitation RC Championship, then at the newer Hongyu GDC circuit, alongside the big names in racing.

Bruno Coelho as ambassador, without targeting 1/10 touring

The real turning point in terms of exposure came when Bruno Coelho, three-time back-to-back electric touring car world champion, was signed as brand ambassador. The stated aim is not to attack the 1/10 touring car segment, but to use the driver’s profile to bring more youngsters into radio control.

A 1/43 range to win over diecast collectors

On its stand, positioned at the hinge between the show’s diecast and RC sections, Turbo Racing drew most attention with a 1/76 rally car licensed from the Chinese film Pegasus 3. Noting the sheer weight of static diecast on its home market, the brand promptly launched a 1/43 range opened by that same car. The principle is unchanged: no assembly, immediate running on a tabletop, and a model that goes back to being a display piece once the battery is flat.

The dNano precedent, and why the context has changed

Industry veterans remember that Kyosho‘s 1/43 dNano nearly took the legendary Japanese manufacturer down in 2008. The landscape is now unrecognisable: several racing-oriented brands offer small scale ready-to-run options, and HPI Racing has also moved into the segment with its licensed 1/64 BMW Nano Table Top Racers.

An entry ticket parents can afford

The Turbo Racing argument comes down to one word: price. At this level, a parent can buy several cars without breaking the bank or needing any mechanical knowledge — the brand also works with more than 2,000 schools in China. Then comes the classic path of the hobby: the wider the pool of beginners, the more drivers are likely to walk into a local club and move on to racing.