Kyosho Fazer Mk2 1972 Mazda Savanna GT Green review

What earns the 7.8.

Five equally weighted research-led buying scores; no measured grip, speed, drift angle, crash or reliability result.

Scored for: A classic Japanese touring-car enthusiast choosing a finished brushed 4WD Readyset for clean pavement.

The Savanna body is the reason to start here

The green Savanna GT is a good shortlist candidate when you want a classic Japanese coupe that is already painted, assembled and fitted to a usable hobby touring chassis. Kyosho supplies the FZ02 platform, radio installation and finished body as one Readyset. That is a different pleasure from choosing a bare chassis for competition or assembling a body kit from scratch. The buying decision starts with the shape you want to see on a clean paved course.

Exact model 34428T1 matters. The manufacturer describes it as a 1972 Mazda Savanna GT Tuned Version on the Fazer Mk2 FZ02 touring platform. The RX-3 name appears in regional product descriptions, but a commercial title also calls it a rally car. That title does not convert this into the FZ02-R rally chassis. We use the documented touring layout for the terrain recommendation and do not borrow the raised setup of the Datsun 240Z Rally from elsewhere in the archive.

This is a research-led assessment from the current English and Japanese product pages, the model feature page and the linked FZ02 / FZ02L chassis manual. We have not driven the car or established its cornering grip. The reference retailer is used for a dated USD commercial basis, not an independent handling verdict. Where source tables disagree, the difference remains visible. The strongest case is a finished scale road car with a clear venue, rather than a performance claim inferred from its styling.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗ · Independent hobby-retailer commercial reference, not a driving test ↗

A Readyset still leaves a power decision

Kyosho lists a completed chassis with radio equipment installed, the factory-assembled finished body, Syncro KT-231P+ transmitter, hexagonal wrench, spanner and setting-change parts. The G14L brushed motor and steering system are part of the assembled vehicle. You are not buying only the attractive Savanna shell. Conversely, the term Readyset does not mean a drive battery, charging system and all consumables are already selected and supplied in the box.

FourAA transmitter batteries, a drive battery, a compatible charger and appropriate tools remain on the completion list. The English exact-model page recommends 7.2V NiMH. The Japanese page additionally lists a specific 7.4V LiPo example, so do not reduce the choice to “any battery fits a Fazer.” Identify the actual installed controller, physical battery format, connector and supported protection settings with the correct instructions before choosing an alternative. This article does not supply a generic LiPo programming sequence.

Separate those requirements before comparing checkout prices. A supplied radio is valuable for a buyer without equipment; a missing battery and charger matter to the same buyer. Someone who already owns a genuinely compatible NiMH setup has a different first-drive bill from a person starting from nothing. Confirm the exact package and regional electronics with the seller, rather than infer inclusion or compatibility from a promotional chassis photograph with a battery fitted.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗

A G14L electric motor beneath a rotary-era body

The stock motor is the G14L brushed unit, operating in a shaft-driven full-time 4WD touring chassis. That is an electric drive system. The historic full-size Savanna’s rotary-engine story explains the body’s appeal, not the mechanism hidden under this RC shell. Avoid mixing full-size horsepower, rear-drive behavior or racing history into an RC performance description. This review contains no dyno result, measured top speed or claim that the model reproduces the original car’s handling.

Front and rear gear differentials allow wheel-speed differences across the driven axles. The shaft system connects drive through the chassis, while full ball bearings and a sealed differential/transmission arrangement are documented features. These details give a useful mechanical inventory and service baseline. They do not establish a tire-grip advantage, a measured efficiency percentage or freedom from cleaning simply because a housing is described as sealed. The actual course and its debris still matter.

The manufacturer specifies a 6.54:1 gear ratio in the exact-model table. Treat that as stock documentation rather than an invitation to change gearing before a first run. Its motor-mount arrangement supports prescribed positions for compatible pinion choices, but the right first step is to understand the delivered installation. Read the applicable instructions if servicing becomes necessary. A generic internet pinion recommendation cannot account for the actual motor, surface, power source and configuration you are using.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗

The first course should teach you the supplied car

The supplied Syncro KT-231P+ radio provides the transmitter side of the finished installation, and the KS202W is the documented steering servo. Do not assume an optional gyro, a drift-specific stability system or an advanced competition setup is fitted because another Kyosho or Fazer package offers one. Read the actual radio and controller instructions, check the installed labels and verify the prescribed neutral and direction behavior before trying to build speed on a course.

Use the model’s operating precautions and choose a designated spacious area with no traffic or crowd. Begin with broad turns and a clear stopping zone so you can observe what the car does without immediately meeting a curb. The manual tells the owner to stop if behavior becomes abnormal and not continue until the cause is resolved. We are not replacing that instruction with a condensed calibration trick or recommending powered adjustments around exposed gears and rotating wheels.

Keep the first setup record short: battery identity, standard settings, surface and any clearly observed issue. Change one justified variable later, using the relevant instructions. Tire grip, steering travel and radio neutral are different questions, so trying to solve all three at once makes the outcome hard to interpret. A successful first session is a predictable car you can stop and inspect, not a dramatic slide that leaves you uncertain which control setting was responsible.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗

Touring hardware with a finished body on top

Kyosho describes a low-center-of-gravity nylon chassis with integrated gearbox structures, front and rear ribbing and no upper deck in the main layout. Independent suspension, oil-filled shocks and the full-bearing driveline are part of the documented platform. The manufacturer also supplies setting-change parts. Those features explain why it is more than a decorative shell on toy electronics, without proving a measured lap-time result or a particular crash-survival advantage over another RTR.

The 200mm figure is body width excluding mirrors, while the listed front/rear tread is 167mm. Those labels are not interchangeable. Overall body dimensions help with storage and course planning; wheel-center spacing describes a different part of the footprint. Similarly, the 260mm wheelbase is not the 459mm overall length. Keep the original labels when comparing another complete car, rather than build a precision-looking comparison out of dimensions measured at different places.

There is a real height conflict: the English 34428T1 table prints 136mm, while the Japanese table prints 146mm. We have not measured the model or resolved that disagreement with Kyosho. Both figures are retained here. If a display case or shelf depends on a few millimeters, ask for confirmation of the actual delivered car. Do not substitute whichever value fits your preferred conclusion or quietly copy another FZ02 body’s dimensions.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗

Rally in a title does not create rally clearance

The exact product page lists an approximate 7mm chassis-height figure and 64mm-diameter,27.7mm-wide tires. Those dimensions support the touring-car buying brief; they do not establish a guaranteed obstacle height. A clean, dry, smooth paved area is the logical first venue. Inspect for stones, joints and abrupt edges that can contact the underside or body. Give the car a clear path and run-out space rather than expect a low road shell to forgive every surface interruption.

The linked chassis manual warns against grass, muddy, sandy, rocky and dusty ground, and against puddles or similar wet settings. That matters more than a marketplace category saying rally. Sealed transmission housings and a waterproof-servo description do not override the vehicle’s operating limits. The sensible ownership plan includes cleaning and inspection after appropriate use, not driving through contamination and assuming a waterproof word applies equally to every component and connection.

Nor is this a dedicated rear-drive drift package as supplied. A buyer whose actual aim is controlled RWD sliding should compare a complete purpose-built drift car. Our Racing filter denotes the on-road driving category, not eligibility for a particular race class or proof of a competitive setup. Check local track rules before making an event plan. Street-style photography and a classic racing body cannot establish either drift capability or competition legality on their own.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗

Keep the scale details and the inclusion list separate

The Savanna body has overfenders, a front spoiler, mirrors and a detailed classic grille, with the green finish already applied. The official photographs show why the body is likely to lead the purchase decision. You do not need to pretend the shape adds a technical advantage to justify preferring it over another FZ02 shell. Styling is a legitimate reason when the underlying car and its operating requirements also fit the place you intend to use it.

Light buckets are provided for an optional 97054 LED installation. Working LEDs are not a standard inclusion simply because the lamps look realistic in a photograph. Keep a factory body detail, a light bucket and an actual powered lighting system separate in the shopping list. This review concerns the complete car and its standard equipment; it is not a replacement-body recommendation or a reason to order optional electronics before understanding the original package.

The chassis photo in the gallery illustrates the platform with a battery installed. Kyosho’s required-equipment list still makes the drive battery separate. Follow the actual access instructions, keep wiring clear and secure the supported pack correctly. The manual specifies operating with the body fitted and inspecting hardware regularly. No paint wear, body-impact tolerance or timed service result is claimed here. The useful benefit is finished presentation with documented access, not a fictional account of our own workshop sessions.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗

A sold-out retailer reference is still only a reference

The dated USD245.99 vehicle reference comes from Skunks Hobbies’ exactKYO34428T1 page with USD selected, checked 26 October 2026. That listing is marked sold out. We label the source as a hobby retailer, not manufacturer MSRP, and make no claim that the car can presently be ordered there. The US manufacturer site was not directly usable for a live price check. No yen conversion, discount calculation or Amazon offer has been invented to fill that gap.

The first-drive basket adds the four transmitter AA cells, a supported drive battery, the matching charger and whatever prescribed tools you lack. Price that exact combination before calling the Readyset less expensive than a package that includes drive power. Reusing a compatible charger can change your total, but only after checking its actual battery support. A reference vehicle price before tax and delivery is not a complete ownership bill or a universal starting budget.

Over time, inspect the body, tires, shocks, driveline and fasteners according to the instructions. Brushed equipment and bearings still need appropriate care, and an attractive model may be used very differently by two owners. We do not have measured tire life, motor-service intervals, repair frequency or reliability statistics for this car. Start with the documented stock arrangement, learn what routine access requires, and resist treating a long optional-parts list as the compulsory price of making a finished vehicle usable.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗ · Independent hobby-retailer commercial reference, not a driving test ↗

Change the body or change the driving activity

The KyoshoFazer Mk2 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R KPGC10 Silver 34425T1C is the close conceptual alternative when you want another classic Japanese body over a touring-car platform. Read its precise package and dated availability basis rather than assume every FZ02 listing remains currently orderable. Body preference may decide between them, but it does not justify borrowing one car’s weight, lighting or electronics revision to fill a gap in the other’s specification sheet.

The 1970 Toyota Celica GT Orion Turquoise 34429T1 offers a different period coupe within the same broad assembled touring brief. Choose it if that body is the stronger personal connection and the actual supplied equipment suits you. We have not compared the two on a track or established a handling ranking. For a buyer already comfortable with the shared activity, the finish, availability, exact package and complete startup basket may be more useful than a speculative speed difference.

If the activity is what needs changing, compare theTraxxas 4-Tec Drift Nissan 240SX105247-4 for dedicated rear-drive sliding, or theKyosho Datsun 240Z Rally 34482T1 for the distinct FZ02-R platform. They are complete cars with their own operating limits and equipment requirements. Neither is simply this Savanna with a different photo. Decide between grip-oriented touring, deliberate drifting and a light-rally brief before purchasing a classic body and expecting it to perform all three jobs without further thought.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗

A convincing body-led touring choice with practical boundaries

Shortlist green 34428T1 when the Savanna GT shape is the attraction and you have a clean paved venue that suits a low touring car. The finished body, shaft 4WD, installed G14L motor, bearings, oil shocks and supplied radio form a coherent Readyset. Its appeal does not depend on pretending it is a measured class winner. A buyer who wants to see this particular coupe circulating on an appropriate course has a more specific reason than someone shopping only by motor type.

Pass when the real plan is rough-ground rally use, deep lawn driving or dedicated RWD drifting. Also pause if the price comparison leaves out the battery, charger and transmitter cells, or if a tight display case requires the unresolved height to be exact. Confirm the delivered electronics before selecting an alternative power source. These are decisions that can be settled before checkout, rather than problems to discover after treating a broad commercial title as the complete specification.

Our five equally weighted category scores assess body presentation, touring equipment, initial completion, venue fit and value/evidence. They are transparent research-led buying judgments, not customer review stars, measured grip, crash durability or long-term ownership findings. The Amazon button reuses a historically recorded exact 34428T1 complete-car identity with its original date. It does not assert a fresh price or availability check. Make the surface and complete power basket fit the car, then let the Savanna styling finish the decision.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer documentation ↗ · Manufacturer chassis manual; select FZ02 provisions ↗ · Independent hobby-retailer commercial reference, not a driving test ↗

Know exactly what you’re ordering.

Published manufacturer specifications for model 34428T1. Conflicting figures are flagged rather than silently corrected.

Sources: Manufacturer documentation ↗