Cain

iTrader: (294)

I am looking to either upgrade my MBX5 to an MBX5R, or, get a Losi 8ight.

I am curious what are the handling differences people notice from going from the MBX5 to the R car, as well as going from the MBX5R to the Losi 8ight.

As an FYI, my MBX5 has the suspension from the R on it up front and steering rack, but no long shocks and towers from the R.

captain america

iTrader: (12)

Since you asked, I think it would be more advantageous for you to move up to a full 5R specification. Not only would it be cheaper, since you already have the car 90% there already, but your spares and driving style would carry-over far better.

Aside from the fact that you'd have to shell-out more money for a whole new chassis with the 8ight, but you'd also probably not find the car's handling characteristics to your liking: I've noticed that many who go to the 8ight with experience on traditional 1/8 cars tend to have more trouble adapting to its handling characteristics. That having been said, the 8ight is quite solid, but I think you'll have a shorter learning curve by sticking to something much closer to what you already have.

Davidka

iTrader: (86)

Hi Cain,
I have had all 3 cars. The MBX5 is super stable and reliable, the R adds a little steering throw and more suspension throw with no downside I could see and the 8ight feels like it weighs 2 pounds less. It drives more like an electric car (which in your case, it will probably be). The best adjective I have heard anyone use describing the 8ight was "athletic". The downside to it's willingness to change direction is well, it's willingness to change direction. It can be unstable and more difficult to manage in the rough. I liked all 3 but I think I liked the MBX5r the best. It was very fast but forgiving of my sometimes short attention span.

ezveedub

iTrader: (17)

I would say go with the R or MBX5. The Losi can be very unstable in the rough and will generally lose out when tangled with other cars in traffic from what I have seen so far with these cars.

DOMIT

iTrader: (1)

I went from an MBX5 Prospec to the 8ight. No regrets, although it is completely different. The Mugen is more work to drive, and you have to push it harder. I could never get mine to turn like I wanted it to, except by removing the front swaybar entirely. (Then of course it behaves badly in the rough...)

The 8ight will do exactly what you tell it to, it is much more precise. However, it is also a little nervous and edgy compared to the Mugen... and pushing it harder isn't the way to go faster. It will turn around and bite you in a heartbeat.

The Mugen is MUCH more forgiving... but it also doesn't turn nearly as well.

The week before the RC Pro Finals there were some guys from South Africa out at Indy in Garland. They were ALL much better drivers than I was, and they were all (except the one with the Losi) running Mugens, some Prospecs and some MBX5Rs. However, it was fun to go side-by-side down the straight with me almost rubbing the inside corrugated, brake later than they did, and still turn inside them. The Losi turns. Of course I usually would wreck right after that and they'd pass me again... (they don't call me Captain Crash for nothing!)

As for the Losi being unstable in the rough... I would disagree. That's all about setup. My car is great in the rough and in the whoops sections.

I drove a Losi that belonged to a buddy, and driving gently because I didn't want to hurt his car, I was still a couple seconds a lap faster than my times with the Mugen. That convinced me, and I got the Losi. It suits me, I like the way it drives. Other drivers may not like it so well. The Mugen is more forgiving, but the Losi is easier to drive (for me.)

Note:

The Mugen wins hands down on durability. They're tough, reliable, and don't wear fast at all. The Losi wears parts much faster, in particular the bushings in the ackerman plate, the front center CVD, and the diff cases. Plan to spend more time and effort to maintain it. (Not really much more money though... Losi parts are inexpensive compared to most other brands!)

ezveedub

iTrader: (17)

I would say going from a Mugen Prospec to Losi 8ight is not a good comparison to say the 8ight turns better than a Mugen. The R turns better than the Prospec alone. Plus, with the some very simple changes to the steering links, I can get a Mugen to turn as fast as a Losi but with better control.
As for the Mugen, once setup to your liking, it will generally work for different tracks. The Losi requires changes to get it to work on different tracks IMO.

mbx5rcr34

iTrader: (5)

for me i dont need the losi8 buggy i'm hearing a lot of things especially it's fast to wear out.i have the prospec for 3 months and believe me up to know, no brake issue ,i need to do some driving adjustment cause i have a truggy for 2 yrs. but when i taste this mugen buggy thing man ,it's easy to handle all i can say it's the best out there so just upgrade to prospec and your all set..........

DOMIT

iTrader: (1)

Hmmm... I disagree. Don't upgrade to Prospec. I put the plastic chassis braces on mine (non-prospec parts) and it handled better.

The MBX5 is a great car, in ANY varient. It just didn't suit me. I would never hesitate to recommend that car to anyone.

Megacrash

Sold my 8ight for a mugen 5r

Probably the best thing ive done,

My overall racing has improved vastly with it and i have become far more consistent. I had the ability with the losi to do fast laps but it required a lot more concentration for a longer period

ezveedub

iTrader: (17)

The Losi does require more attention to input. Its seems like the car needs input for everything. When jumping, you have to correct it in the air sometime. As for the Mugen, once its setup, it just jumps straight.
For some, the Losi works, for some, it can be the worse car you ever drove.

MattP

iTrader: (440)

I have also owned all 3 of the buggies mentioned.

I was racing a prospec mbx5 in 2005 and it never broke. I put a generic setup on the car and never touched it again. It seemed to do everything decent and didn't really shine in one particular area.

Then I picked up a mbx5R when they were released. I immediately noticed that the new buggy had more suspension travel and more droop. It also seemed to steer a little sharper and better than the older prospec. Again It was a tough buggy and I only managed to break an upper arm on it once. I really couldn't take advantage of the extra droop offered by the R because the local tracks aren't really that rough around here.

Then I started on the Losi phase. I'm currently on my 5th 8ight buggy..lol. I would say that the mugens felt more like a kyosho to me as they had a pretty neutral feeling everywhere on the track. Immediately with the Losi I noticed the quick acceleration over the R. The losi jumps better, accelerates quicker, is lighter, steers a little better and drives faster easier for me than the mugens did. The losi does seem to have the infamous "loose" rear end because of lack of weight on the back of the chassis. But you often hear people say that "loose is fast". I had no trouble changing my driving style to fit the losi. The mugen is more planted than the losi lots of times but I still prefer the losi. It's all personal preference.

I love the innovative thinking that Losi put forth before they released their 1/8 buggy. From the shocks to the easily removable radio tray to the offset engine. It all just seems to work well for me.

So my vote is losi for best all around handling.

Tor

Hello Cain, I'm Thor, I have raced with you over the winter. I finished 2 at Staples last weekend. I run Mugen mbx5r and have also raced a Jammin and a Losi. My background is years of electric racings. I would first worry about getting the balance right with a car since your running electric. It was not design for the battery and motor setup. If your looking to run a gas buggy then I would say that you cannot go wrong with a mbx5r, losi, or a RC8. Mugens quality is the best..

mugenlife

iTrader: (4)

i owned both mugen's and ran them many times minutes apart on the same track and the R turns better it also goes through the rough ALOT better than a prospec (only difference in set up was droop). if i tried to go as fast over rough blown out sections of the track the prospec seemed 3 times more likely to get side tracked or flip. not that the prospec is bad (i have driven worse imo) but the r is the best rough track car i have driven.

ezveedub

iTrader: (17)

Previous posts seem to some up what I was saying. The R is better over the Prospec and the Losi is either a hit or miss. For me, the Losi is a miss. Also, if you do get a Losi. make sure to check your times, as some feel they are better with a Losi, but find out they are actually slower in actual racing time.

Cain

iTrader: (294)

Balance using a lighter pack (what I used is much lighter) than the maxamps 6000mah pack really woke the car up. It didn't feel heavy like it did at the first ROAR event I went too. Alot of guys are running the 5000XP pack which is longer than what I have, and alittle heavier but state it feels great.

I actually noticed a big performance boost when I went with the max droop that I could with my MBX5 hybrid. It really handled the rougher parts much better and just ran better overall in my opinion.