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.
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.
[1] The versatility of this platform also enabled Kyosho to create 1:8 scale road and rally cars called the "Super Eight GP LANDMAX 4WD"[3] and the Inferno ST (Stadium Truck) series.
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[6] that provided additional performance accessories such as brake discs, carbon fiber plates, etc.
The versatility of this platform also enabled Kyosho to create 1:8 scale road and rally cars called the "Super Eight GP LANDMAX 4WD"[3] and the Inferno ST (Stadium Truck) series.
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.
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 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.
[17] The Inferno series continued the same style of box art and marketing material of its predecessor using mostly studio pictures of assembled and painted models.
[13] The demand and value on the second hand market is however significantly lower than the Turbo Burns which preceded it, with near mint-condition cars with box often selling for less than 200 US Dollars at the time of writing in 2018.
[21] The MP5 was the first of kyosho's 1:8 buggy line up to use the "MP" (Model Project), name in public and was largely a clean break from its predecessors as far as the "BS" and "BSW" parts compatibility is concerned.
The few remaining parts which are still compatible with the previous Burns cars (MP1-MP2) include the 19mm hex wheels (which would later be changed to 17mm on the Inferno 7.5 as a new industry standard), and the fuel tank.
The EVO2 was based closely on the car which won the 1996 World Championship[30] Among various options the most noticeable difference to the previous MP5 models was the longer chassis and rear wishbones which were later used for the MP6.
As with the Burns and earlier Inferno models, third party suppliers provide aftermarket bodies[19] and decals[45] to help builders complete their restorations.
As with the Inferno DX this is relatively rare as owners typically discarded the original, low cost parts in favour of performance pars as their skill increased.
Following the tradition of previous generations of the Inferno series, the entry level "Sports" variant was released a year after the initial mid-range car.
It was largely pre-built (often branded as a "Ready Set"),[47] and was supplied with Kyosho's own GX-21 engine, a pre-painted body and the necessary remote control hardware.
[49] In line with previous DX and Sports version there are a significant number of differences in the type and quality of parts between this entry-level car, and the intermediate and competition variants.
[52] As with other performance variants, this model did not include items such as radio equipment, engine and mufflers as the ideal selection of these were highly dependent on both the track and the driver.
This makes the 7.5 an excellent car for beginners who are looking for relatively modern technology with an abundance of replacement and performance parts with the option to convert to brushless if desired.
[56] The SP1 had a number of upgrades including a "traction control" front differential, a machined Duralumin engine mount, various blue anodized alloy parts and also a set of dampers which had a special coating on the inside to reduce friction.
[1] A true indication of this revolution is the fact that the MP9 also embraced the new brushless electric motor technology from the factory in addition to the traditional two stroke engine.
[62] It shares almost no parts with the previous MP7X generation and from the second car onward the abbreviation "TKI" which stands for "Team Kyosho International" was added to the model name which had not been used before.
The MP9 has been less successful over its lifetime that the other Inferno models with only one win in 2010 by US driver Cody King, [63] however there is also now considerably more competition as the cost of engineering and production of the vehicles has decreased over time.
[64] Although the internals of the car were new from the ground up,[1] the body still harked back to the long swooping lines and curves of previous Inferno models.
[68] Another first was the launch of limited-edition models named after Kyosho team drivers Cody King[69] who won the IFMAR championship in 2010, and Jared Tebo who was the top qualifier.
[73] The big change in the TKI3 line-up was the introduction of a ready-set car which was completely pre-assembled and featured metal parts that were stamped rather than machined to further reduce the cost.
Continuing the public's interest in "ready-set" cars, the MP9TKI3 was also released as a palm sized Mini-Z version which could be driven indoors and had item number 32081BB.