TRF's world challenge started in 1988 when Tamiya released a pure racing buggy called the "Avante" (kit #58072). The Avante kit used highly sophisticated materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, reinforced plastic and other innovative components. The kit also incorporated fully adjustable suspension with a rear trailing arm suspension design. With all of these components and innovative, if not ahead of it’s time design, the Avante was destined for pursuing racing performance. TRF was founded to be a test team for this machine.

In 1988 TRF entered the Avante into the JMRCA Championships in Japan, the equivalent caliber of race as the U.S. ROAR Nationals. This move proved to be a great opportunity as this Japanese National Championship resulted in getting TRF ready for its first appearance at the 1/10 Electric IFMAR (International Federation of Model Auto Racing) World Championships. Tamiya ended up finishing 7th overall in its first international competition and thusly established the current TRF style of using information gathered from these races to better develop radio control products.

During the 1990’s, Tamiya established a new trend to the R/C world. The trend began with the introduction of the Tamiya TA01 chassis. This chassis was a modified Manta Ray 4WD electric buggy (58087) that used short length suspension arms so that Tamiya designers could fit scale looking touring car bodies onto a reliable, independent suspension, 4WD platform. Releases such as the R32 Nissan Skyline, BMW M3 Evo, and the Mercedes Benz 190 E single handedly launched the 1990’s touring car craze. By the end of the 1990’s “Touring Cars”, or on-road R/C cars with sedan bodies, increased in popularity worldwide. Many events around the world were held for this new form of racing. David Jun of Tamiya America, racing with Tamiya’s newest car, the TA03F-Pro, won the ROAR Nationals in 1996. In 1997, he again used the TA03F-Pro to win the NORRCA U.S. Nationals the following year. With this success and opportunity, TRF started developing TRF touring cars as the market began to see more advanced machines from Tamiya’s biggest competitors.

In 1998, a prototype of TRF's first touring car called the "TRF414X" was born. The TRF414X was thrown into race competitions around the world and its development data was gathered and analyzed. A pure racing machine called the "TRF414M", developed by the data gathered from the prototype, debuted right before the IFMAR World Championship in the year 2000. The TRF414M entered the first ever Touring Car category in the IFMAR "ISTC Class". The car made the A Main and it received positive feedback from the drivers racing in the touring car class.

For the next 2 years, before the next World Championship would be held, TRF entered races around the world with the TRF414M and further developed the chassis. TRF re-entered the ISTC class at the IFMAR World Championships in 2002 with the TRF414M and won the title of World Champion. TRF had become number 1 in the world after their inception in 1988. The next IFMAR On-Road World Championships were held in Florida in the year 2004. TRF entered with a new machine called the TRF415MS, a successor of TRF414M, and again won the title and became World Champion. Tamiya R/C became number 1 in the world with its hard work and development and proved its dominance in the Touring Car world once and for all.

In subsequent years, TRF entered many On-road International races among which it has won every single important one at one time or another. These races include the International Reedy Touring Car Race of Champions, held at Tamiya America’s R&D Test Race Track, LRP Masters in Germany, the International Indoor Championships in Las Vegas and the Reedy Race of Champions in Asia.

In 2006, Tamiya came out with the next incarnation 4 wheel drive chassis the TRF416. This new chassis had big shoes to fill following the successful run of the TRF415 chassis. The TRF416 proved up to the challenge winning multiple races leading up to the IFMAR World Championships in 2008. Tamiya once again proved it still had the car and driver to beat when Marc Rheinard once again claimed victory in the prestigious event. The TRF416 has since gone on to win multiple events including the DHI Cup, European World Championship and European Touring Series crown in 2009. After coming off a great year in 2009, Tamiya once again laid claim to the number one spot with their TRF416X and Marc Rheinard winning the 2010 IFMAR World Championship. This win marks the 3rd World Championship for Tamiya, and the only manufacturer to have more than one world title.

In 2006 Tamiya went back to the drawing board to develop an all new competition level 4WD electric buggy. 4WD electric off-road racing had seen a decline in recent years due to other popular forms of racing, but in 2006 many manufactures were starting to ramp up for the upcoming Off-Road IFMAR World Championships to be held in 2007 with the host company being Japan. In the span of 9 months TRF was able to develop and release the TRF501X. Since TRF gathered valuable information in regards to drive-train efficiency, they used what was learned from the TRF415 and TA-05 dual belt drive systems to put it to off-road use. The results proved to be successful as TRF driver Hupo Honigl, from Austria, made the coveted “A” main with his new TRF501X.

The labor from this racing effort proved to bring something to the masses. The TRF501X is a high end racing machine with a high end price tag, but designers in Japan took what was learned from this pure racing machine and put it into the development of a more price conscious racing machine. This machine is the DB-01 and it shares the same drive-train and suspension as the TRF501X, but is made out of molded reinforced plastic. Yet again, this demonstrates what is learned out in a race track can be implemented into mainstream R/C products.

Following the success of both the 501x and the DB-01, Tamiya developed a new competition platform, the TRF 511. This new off-road buggy kept in line with the proven dual belt, mid motor layout as the 501x, and even though the dimensions are the same as the 501x, almost every parts has been redesigned to optimize performance. In 2009, the TRF511 took overall victory at the prestigious EFRA European Championship with Marc Rheinard behind the wheel. Then in 2010, Tamiya off-road ace Lee Martin took the European Championship again behind the wheel of the TRF511. These victories solidified Tamiya’s place at the top of the off-road racing world.

After many years of research and development, Tamiya threw its hat into the 2 wheel drive off-road buggy category with its TRF201 chassis. Widely considered one of the most popular and challenging r/c classes, Tamiya took its time to make the TRF201 capable of winning straight out of the box. Debuting at the 2010 Yatabe International Offroad Grand Prix with driver Satoshi Maezumi, the TRF201 finished with a strong 2nd place in its maiden race. In it's first full season of competition, Lee Martin took the EFRA European 2WD Championship with the TRF201, making it a Tamiya sweep in both 2WD and 4WD.

Tamiya TRF, whether it be in Japan or in the U.S. will never rest on its laurels. In 2006 M. Tamiya, the president of Tamiya Inc. set forth a directive to take Tamiya design development into the next phase. That phase involves direct R&D in the U.S. offices in Irvine, California. The fruits of this new directive have resulted in a brand new TRF product called the TRF801XT. This is Tamiya’s first venture into the competitive world of Nitro Off-Road racing. The TRF801XT is a competition level, 1/8 scale, racing Truggy kit and it shares the same traditions as other TRF developed products. This new era into the nitro racing world will prove yet again that Tamiya strives to bring the customer the best possible racing products.

Following the launch of the TRF801XT, Tamiya released the TRF801X buggy as well. Sharing many similar features, the pair of off-road nitro vehicles would provide racers with a race winning platform in either 1/8th scale nitro racing class. In 2009, Ryan Lutz took the TRF801X global by competing with drivers from around the world at the Neo ’09 in the United Kingdom, and came away with a 3rd place finish. Tamiya is out to prove that no matter the class of racing, there will be a Tamiya at the top step of the podium.