Dash-1 Emperor

* Type-1
* Type-3
* MS
* MS Black SP
* MS Memorial
* Premium

The **Dash-1 Emperor** (Japanese: ダッシュ１号・皇帝エンペラー, *Dasshu Ichi-gō Enperā*) is a Mini 4WD car released by Tamiya on September 20, 1988.

It was featured in manga and anime *Dash! Yonkuro* as the primary machine for the protagonist, Yonkuro Hinomaru. It was also features in the on-going manga, *Hyper Dash! Yonkuro**.*

## General info

The Emperor features the typical R/C buggy design bodyshell with two-tone stripes. On the front is a mono-shock prop and a pair of upper arm props. There are headlight props mounted on the front side of the canopy while on the rear, there is a rear spoiler with a large 'DASH!' decal.

On the front is the *CoroCoro Dragon* logo and a decal with the numbers '496'.

### Type-1 and Type-3 variants

The original Type-1 and Type-3 variants of the Emperor features the white body color, with blue canopy, red and orange stripes and yellow front mono-shock

Both Type-1 and Type-3 were equipped with the white, medium diameter 4-spoke Hotshot-type wheels, with the Type-1 comes with the black spiked tires and the Type-3 comes with the black high-profile slick tires. The chassis was molded in black.

### Special Kit variant

The limited Special Kit variant, based on the Type-3 variant, comes with a polycarbonate-mixed ABS chassis frame and an additional Dash-2 Burning Sun bodyshell. Other than that, it is mostly the same as the Type-3 variant.

The Special Kit comes with the monochrome, downsized version of chapter 1 to 3 of the *Shin Dash! Yonkuro* manga.

### MS variant and MS Black Special

The original MS variant features the same coloring as the original Type-1 and Type-3 variants. On the other hand, the MS Black Special variant features the black body color, blue canopy, silver highlights and front mono-shock and two-tone stripes of silver and carbon pattern.

The MS variant was equipped with the white, large diameter 4-spoke MS-type II wheels paired with the black low-profile spike tires. The MS Black Special was instead equipped with the metal gray, 5-spoke narrow lightweight wheels paired with the black arched tires. Both variant comes with the N-02 nose unit and the standard, light gray 16 mm lightweight plastic rollers. The standard MS variant has its nose, center, tail unit and the A parts were molded in black, while the MS Black Special has its nose, center, tail unit and the A parts were molded in neon yellow.

### Premium variant

The Premium variant features the same coloring as the original Type-1 and Type-3 variants but with the body decals being changed from paper-type to foil-type to give it the metallic-like appearance.

It was equipped with the metal gray, large diameter 6-spoke Manta Ray-type wheels paired with the black Avante-type slick tires. The chassis frame was molded in black, while the A parts and the easy locking gear cover were molded in blue.

### Imperial Force variant

The limited, Charatoru-exclusive Imperial Force variants, has the silver and two-tone red and black stripe-styled body decals, with the metallic red canopy. It has four color variants: Pearl, clear red, orange, and smoke. However, the body decals works best with the pearl color variant.

Depends on the color variants, it either came with the white chassis and white tires, or black chassis and orange tires. All variants were equipped with the black, large diameter 6-spoke Manta Ray-type wheels paired with the Avante-type slick tires.

### Memorial variant

Based on the MS variant, the Memorial variant of the Emperor was released to celebrate 30 years of Tamiya Mini 4WD Japan Cup.

It features the silver plated bodyshell with the black and carbon-pattern body decals.

It was equipped with the white, large diameter low-profile 6-spoke wheels paired with the super-hard low profile tires. It was equipped with the N-02 and T-01 units molded in red and the center parts molded in black.

## In media

### *Dash! Yonkuro* series

    Before the race against the thugs who were causing trouble around the off-road track that he and his friends made, Yonkuro was given a mysterious box by Mr. Sumeragi.

During the race, the thugs employ a dirty tactic by detonating bombs that have been buried into the race track beforehand. Yonkuro's Boomerang Jr. was severely damaged by the explosions but remembering the box that Mr. Sumeragi gave him, he opened the box and found that it contained the parts of his new car. Yonkuro had only assembled the new car's body and had his busted Boomerang's chassis recycled into his new car. Thanks to the new car, now known as the Dash-1 Emperor, Yonkuro and company won the race against the thugs.

During one of the races in the Mini 4WD Championship arc, The Emperor was struck by lightning at the last minute before it could cross the finish line. Mr. Sumeragi later have it repaired but it was busted again during the semi-final against the Emperor trio in the National Tournament, forcing Yonkuro to use the Great Emperor in the final.

The car was later rebuilt and used in the 2nd round of the Hell Caravan rally during the Black Mistral arc until it was melted due to the high heat of the lava race track.

In *Hyper Dash! Yonkuro*, the Emperor was, once again, Yonkuro's primary machine. It was used to race against the Dash Warrior members and, later, against Kill Crow. However, the explosion caused by Kill Crow's Night Seek Trigger had severely damaged the Emperor's chassis, rendering it unusable. This forced Mr.Sumeragi to secretly replace the entire car with the new one with part of the Emperor's parts equipped without Yonkuro and co.'s knowledge.

## Gallery

### Boxarts

Boxart of the Type-1 variant.Boxart of the Type-3 variant.Boxart of MS Chassis variant.Boxart of the Special Kit.Boxart of the Premium variant.Boxart of the MS Black Special variant.Boxart of the Memorial variant.
### Manga and anime

Dash-1 Emperor, as seen in *Dash! Yonkuro*.The busted Emperor, during the Mini 4WD Tournament arc.
### Custom models

The Emperor with the customized '496' chassis by BenpiraThe Emperor with custom chassis by Dolleydoll.The Emperor with custom chassis by Dolleydoll (Angled front view).The Emperor with custom chassis by Dolleydoll. (Angled rear view)l
## Trivia

* It is the first Mini 4WD car to have more than one chassis variants.
* Although they share the same bodyshell design, the MS variant is not compatible with any shaft-driven chassis.
* It is the first to be not based on any Tamiya R/C buggy.
	+ It is also the first to have the R/C buggy (albeit a Quick Drive 1/14 scale R/C buggy) based on the Mini 4WD car.
* The original Type-1 variant of the Emperor was chosen to be a cover car for the 1988 and 1989 seasons of Tamiya Japan Cup, while the Memorial variant (Which was equipped with the MS Chassis) was chosen to be the cover car for the 2018 season to celebrate 30 years of Japan Cup.
* In *Dash! Yonkuro*, the Emperor was seen equipped with the wheels from the Speed Roller and Wheel Set paired with the Slick Sponge Tire Set.
* Starting with the Premium variant of the Emperor, most future Mini 4WD car with Super-II Chassis were came equipped with the easy locking gear cover.
* In *Hyper Dash! Yonkuro*, much like the Dash-2 Burning Sun, the Dash-1 Emperor was seen equipped with the Type-1 Chassis instead of Type-3 Chassis. This is because both cars were originally made for Type-1 Chassis.
* In the *CoroCoro Comic x Sanrio* collaboration project by Shogakukan and Sanrio, the Emperor was being 'sanriolized' along with its owner Yonkuro Hinomaru.

## See also

### Yonkuro's Emperors

* Dash-01 Super Emperor
* Dash-001 Great Emperor
* Liberty Emperor (Dash! Yonkuro)
* Dash-CB1 Geo-Emperor
* Rise-Emperor

### Related

* Dash-X1 Proto-Emperor - A prototype Emperor owns by Jin Kidouin.
* Dash-X2 God Emperor - A prototype Emperor owns by Kyouko 'God Emperor' Hijiri.
* Dash-X3 Hurricane Emperor - A prototype Emperor owns by a unnamed racer.
* Dash-X4 Devil Emperor - A prototype Emperor owns by a unnamed racer.
* Dash-X5 Shadow Emperor - A prototype Emperor owns by Jigokumaru Enma.
* Beast Emperor - Kill Crow's machine based on the Emperor and one of the Black Dash machines.

## External links

### Tamiya Japan

* Dash-1 Emperor at Tamiya Japan
* Dash-1 Emperor (Type-3) at Tamiya Japan
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) at Tamiya Japan
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) Black Special at Tamiya Japan
* Dash-1 Emperor Premium at Tamiya Japan
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) Black Special (reissue) at Tamiya Japan
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) Memorial at Tamiya Japan
* Dash-1 Emperor (Type-3) Special Kit (reissue) at Tamiya Japan

### Tamiya America

* Dash-1 Emperor (Type-3) Special Kit at Tamiya America
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) at Tamiya America
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) Finished model at Tamiya America
* Dash-1 Emperor Premium at Tamiya America
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) Black Special (reissue) at Tamiya America
* Dash-1 Emperor (MS Chassis) Memorial at Tamiya America
* Dash-1 Emperor (Type-3) Special Kit (reissue) at Tamiya America