Designed by Yuichi Kanai the Kyosho Inferno is a 1/8 scale, four-wheel-drive, off-road competition buggy which was first released in late 1991 as the successor to the Kyosho Turbo Burns. As with the Burns series that came before it, each model has several versions with different factory specifications to suit specific budgets and skill levels. The first generation (MP3/MP4), now referred to as the "classic Inferno", was produced from late 1991 to the end of 1996 and won every IFMAR 1:8 IC Off-Road World Championship during its production run. With eight world titles under its belt, the Kyosho Inferno has been the most successful RC car in its scale and deserves the "fire"-themed brand name which has been in use since the release of the Kyosho Burns in 1988.

General history

Background The first generation of Infernos were produced from late 1991 to 1996 and shared only a few parts with its predecessor the Kyosho Turbo Burns. The Inferno was almost a complete redesign based on experiences in competition to increase performance, durability and ease of maintenance. Any similarity with the Burns series of cars was lost with the introduction of the Inferno MP5 in 1995 which introduced design characteristics which can still be found in the current MP10 more than 20 years later.

With the introduction of the Inferno, Kyosho also chose to sell partially assembled, entry-level kits and introduced their own line of budget GS engines.

As with the Burns predecessor, it was possible to start with the most affordable car and upgrade to a full-option, competition-ready vehicle when the skill and budget allowed. Alternatively one could also buy a competition car for far less than the cost of the individual optional parts.

It is often not known that the MP (Model Project) nomenclature, which is synonymous with Kyosho buggies from the MP5 onward, was already in use at Kyosho for the Burns series and first Inferno series of cars. Burns MP1, Turbo Burns MP2, Inferno MP3, Turbo Inferno MP4.

The versatility of this platform also enabled Kyosho to create 1:8 scale road and rally cars called the "Super Eight GP LANDMAX 4WD" and the Inferno ST (Stadium Truck) series. The Landmax were based on the original Inferno chassis until 2001, and then the Inferno MP7.5 chassis until 2008. The ST series is still going strong today although the components used bare little resemblance to the current Inferno buggy. The classic Inferno also had a smaller sibling in 1:10 scale call the Kyosho Inferno 10 which in turn lead to other "mini" versions of the Inferno in later years.

Timeline

Source:

Classic Inferno (late 1991–1996)

Models and specifications As with its predecessor, Kyosho released an intermediate-level car first which contained several performance parts. Not long after, this would be followed by a more affordable "DX" version and then a high performance "Turbo" version. The cars were typically released in kit form; however, Kyosho chose to release "DX" entry-level models partially assembled, making the car more attractive for customers who were completely new to the hobby. Depending on the country of release, the DX models would also include Kyosho's own GS engine, which was already set up and ready to run. This further reduced the complexity and made an otherwise highly technical hobby more approachable for a larger audience.

The success of this approach can be seen in the extent to which budget DX cars, that are available second hand, have been upgraded by their owners over time as they gained skill and confidence in the hobby. The Inferno's popularity also spawned a large number of 3rd party suppliers that provided additional performance accessories such as brake discs, carbon fiber plates, etc. Original Kyosho parts for these cars were still mostly given the "BS" and "BSW" nomenclature from the Burns series of cars and were also partially compatible with them. Later models received part numbers starting with IF and IFW.

The versatility of this platform also enabled Kyosho to create 1:8 scale road and rally cars called the "Super Eight GP LANDMAX 4WD" and the Inferno ST (Stadium Truck) series. The Landmax were based on the original Inferno chassis until 2001 and the original ST until 2005, nearly a decade after the production of the classic Inferno buggy ended.

After winning every world championship during its production run, the classic Inferno was phased out in favor of the MP5 in 1995.

Inferno 4WD, item no. 3281 (late 1991 – late 1993) As the successor to the Turbo Burns, the classic Inferno not only had a couple of the same parts, but also had a similar body design and countersunk chassis plate. The similarities were largely superficial however with only the following parts being interchangeable with its predecessor. Differentials (however Burns had two bevel gears, classic and Turbo Inferno had four, see comparison table below) The inferno rear bulk head (though redesigned) is a direct fit for all burns series chassis. Wing and wing mount Shock absorbers Wishbones, hubs and axles Fuel tank Engine mount

Most screws, nuts, washers, etc. The car introduced many new design elements and notable improvements which would largely continue in subsequent Inferno models Single radio tray which held all electrical components and could be switched quickly as one unit when desired. (Burns radio tray did not hold the throttle servo) Stronger shock mounts with more mounting options Differentials with 4 bevel gears (Burns had 2) Two part diff housings for faster maintenance (Burns diff. housing consisted of 5 parts), also the inferno both bulkheads eliminates the top lexan covered opening for better protection against dirt and debri. New wheels and tires Wide at front and back (Burns had narrow wheels and tires at front with the exception of the limited edition Turbo Burns SCC) Micro spike tires instead of regular spikes Lighter wheels with narrower spokes Separate front and rear disc brake (This was an optional part for the Burns towards the end of its production run and was supplied with the limited edition Turbo Burns SCC. The Inferno brake setup is not compatible with the Burns series.)

Inferno DX; item no. 3290h (1992–1994) Just like the Burns series, the "DX" referred to the entry-level specification car. Unlike the Burns, however, this DX came partially assembled and some metal parts such as the exhaust and shock absorbers were replaced with plastic parts. An overview of the differences can be seen in the table below. The BS121 ring and pinion gears were made from a cheaper alloy material instead of the steel gears which were found in the Classic and Turbo versions of the car.

Unlike the Inferno 4WD und Turbo Inferno, the chassis of the car had additional holes to mount the Kyosho GS21-CR series engine. This particular engine is recognizable by its heat-sink which has vertical instead of the more common horizontal fins. An interesting cost saving measure was also the lack of countersunk holes in the chassis which would have required an extra production step. This had not been seen since the original Burns.

Turbo Inferno; item no. 31346 (1994–1995) Continuing the model naming of the Burns series, the first series of Inferno cars also used the name "Turbo" to signify the car with the largest number of performance parts. Visually the Turbo Inferno could easily be identified by the anodized blue chassis plate and larger capacity, blue shock absorbers. Interestingly Kyosho did not include the blue anodized plates which were mounted in the steering and center differential of the Inferno DXII which was released the following year. The Turbo Inferno also included newly designed green wheels, a green spoiler, and unique "high grip" tires (part W5646H) which were supplied from the factory. Other than that the car was very similar in specification to the Inferno 4WD as can be seen in the comparison table below. The new, rigid plastic spoiler was the first departure from the Lexan versions which had been used until that point and would remain standard equipment on all future Inferno models.

Inferno DX II Ltd.; item no. 31552 (1995–1996) The DXII used pieces from the initial classic Inferno 4WD, first Inferno DX and Turbo Burns. Most notable differences from the first DX were: The plastic shock absorbers were replaced with those from the classic Inferno 4WD (same type as Turbo Burns) The metal bearings were replaced with the ball bearings from the classic Inferno 4WD and Turbo Inferno The plastic muffler and rubber manifold were replaced with the Aluminum tuned muffler and manifold from the older Turbo Burns The Lexan wing was replaced with the hard plastic wing of the Turbo Inferno, however in the same yellow of the wheels instead of the Turbo's green. Although the part number of the wing stayed the same (BSW-71KY), Kyosho changed the color to neon yellow after the DXII was discontinued making the original yellow wing one of the hardest parts to find for collectors and restorers.

In addition the DXII had all blue anodized plates (with the exception of the chassis), and an additional hole in the chassis to accommodate a pull start. Some DXII kits also included the GS21-X engine. This engine had a new, larger head with horizontal fins to compensate for the overheating issues of the previous GS21-CR. The new head was available in plain aluminum (part 6520-31) and later with a blue anodized head (part 6520-31bl) to match the other blue plates on the car.

As there was no entry-level "Sports" version of the subsequent MP5 model the Inferno DXII remained Kyosho's entry-level car until 1996. Kyosho would not release another entry level 1/8 Buggy until the MP6 Sports in 1999.

Overview of main differences between classic Inferno models  Part nameTurbo InfernoInferno 4WDInferno DXInferno DXII Limited1Differential ring gearBS14*BS14*BS121BS1212Differential pinion gearBS14*BS14*BS121BS1213Differential bevel gear (S)BS37 (2 pairs per diff)BS37 (2 pairs per diff)BS37 (1 pair per diff)BS37 (1 pair per diff)4Differential bevel gear (L)BSW64BS36BS36BS365TiresW5646HBSW40BSW40BSW406ChassisBS108**** (blue anodized)BS108BS120GT287Ball bearingsFullFullMetal BushingsFull8WheelsBSW80KGBS105BS105BS1059WingBSW71KG (Plastic)***BSW5 (Lexan)BSW5 (Lexan)BSW71KY (Plastic)***10ShocksBSW72 + BSW73*****BSW27 + BSW282001 & 2002 plasticBSW27 + BSW2811Front AxlesBS20 (Universal)**BS20 (Universal)**BS45 (Dog Bones)BS45 (Dog Bones)12Center Diff BSW34 (Adjustable)BSW34 (Adjustable) - -13Spur gearBS11BS11BS122BS12214StabilizerBS63 + BSW79 BS63 - -15Fuel TankBS65BS65BS28BS6516Exhaust - -BS123BS6417Manifold - -BS124BS2618Engine - -Kyosho GS21CR (optional)Kyosho GS21X19Plate SetBS115 + BS116BS115 + BS116BS115 + BS116BS115 + BS116 (both blue anodized) *Depending on the market and year of production the Turbo Infernos and Inferno 4WDs may also have been supplied with BSW-1 and BSW-2 hardened gears from the factory instead of the standard BS-14 set.

** Kyosho changed the part numbering of BS20 universal joint to IFW62 for later models

*** Kyosho later changed the part numbering of the BSW71 wing to IFW213. The color codes and colors for all wings are the same with the exception of IFW-213KY which is a neon yellow instead of the regular yellow of part BSW-71KY.

**** This chassis was not available as an official spare part. Instead BSW-60 Special Main Chassis was listed. This chassis was not blue anodized.

***** BSW-78 shock boots were included in the BSW-72 und BSW-73 sets. The part number for the boots changed to IFW-154 for later models.

Notable optional parts