for example the bumper supports are all plastic while the evo4 or 5 is carbon fiber. the servo mounts are plastic which can easily be replaced with aluminum ones. the diff and spools have cheaper materials. the center diff is a bit different. all of these components can be upgraded, which i think tamiya wants them to be. i really like the aluminum bulkheads and motor mount. the chassis is top notch. i'd say you get what you pay for on the ta05ms and it's a very good chassis from what i see. i would say upgrade the screws and you have a very serious contender out there. i'm sure it can put a few evo and 415 owners to shame. i'm not a big racer myself because i build them, run them a few times and put them on the shelf because i got other chassis' to mess around with.