I've never owned a buggy so consistent as this Xray 808! Its just so dang fast and strong! When I first got it, I had to make some small changes to suit my style, and after a couple races I had this thing dialed! Before the 808 I had a Ofna, Mugen, and then Losi, so I expected performance. What I found out after 6-8 gallons with the 808 is it has perfromance, durabilty, and longevity over anything else on the market.
Results,..... you cant argue with them... its real proof!
I have finished every single main and qualifier since the US nationals (going on 15+ races!). Not only that I'm running faster than I ever have (by far), and have won multiple trophies in expert class racing with this 808 (I'm not sponsored yet). Its absolutely a dream to drive, and is built to perform at the top level of racing,.. even out here on the west coast where the competition is extremely tough. I'm getting faster every time I run and cant say enough about how well this buggy performs.
If you had an Xray and only ran it a couple times,.. you didn't give it enough time. Period! This car gets better and better every time you run it, and responds well to even small changes. Ask any pro Mugen driver how the box stock MBX6 setup is, and they tell you 5 things to change right away if you want to be fast. The box setup for both cars will not work for every track. The Xray is no different if you dont work with the settings for your track and style, then say "its inconsistent or edgy" your only cheating yourself out of $600 for a new ride that wont perform any better without dialing.
Mugen is a quality car, but the Xray is a still a step up in durability and precision built parts. Getting parts online is easy and cheaper than from a LHS. If your racing often, stocking a few parts is normal. Trust me you don't need to buy tons of parts or buy a second buggy for parts, as this car is very very strong!
I would stock these parts:
Bulkhead and 19x13 bearings $15-20
Steering rod plastic ends $5
One center pinion $15-20 (on ebay)
Shock ends $5
Shock Shafts $20
I guarantee most racers have more than this in their bag...!
Also dont forget teamxray.com offers a full online setup sheet system, where you can create your own or view setups from team drivers. Does Mugen have this?
Stick with that 808! You will here your name called out quite often as the TQ or leading the race, and you'll think wow I'm not even trying!
Sorry about the book...