"The hyper 8 is a cheap kit for a reason, it also has shotty parts quality. and in my opinion, when i owned one of those for one race weekend, it pushed like a pig more than any other buggy ive driven", thewholeyearinn
You raced it one weekend and then you 'bash' it? Come on, man. Did you even try to get a proper setup on it? Did you tear down the diffs and set them up with a standard diff setup? The initial runs came with a somewhat unconventional setup (Grease in the rear). If you think a buggy needs improvement, tell the reader exactly where you think it needs it, and how you'd go about improving it. A little background detail goes a long way.
Also, the Hyper 8.5 is much improved and more forgiving than the Hyper 8. You can say that you didn't like it, or that it wasn't 'right' for you, but declaring that it 'sucks' is lazy and misleading. You could also say that you've witnessed certain breakages or problems with them, then describe that problem. Odds are, people have already come up with a solution to the problem and the information was 'out there', but the driver was unaware or ignored it.
All buggies have issues. You have to work through those issues via exploring setups and mods. This was the case with the Losi, and appears to be the case with the RC8... Does this make them less capable or less competative? If you've not 'mitigated' or corrected the issues, then the answer is "Yes" or "Possibly".
The Hyper 8.5 is no different in this respect. There are some minor modifications that one should perform right away on the buggy to mitigate some minor issues or improve durability. For the most part, the Hyper 8.5 has addressed / corrected issues with the Hyper 8. These mods take 2 hours tops (Less than that for experienced folks).
The parts quality isn't 'shotty' either. The parts are fairly durable, maybe not quite Xray durable, but durable relative to other top buggies out on the market. So, if you have (Conservatively speaking here) average parts durability, but you can basically rebuild the major components of the car with all new parts for under $150, then what's the problem? The Hyper 8.5 has got to be one of the most cost effective and competitive buggy chassis to race out on the market right now... If money is no object for the potential buyer, then this fact has no influence on their purchasing decision, but, for the vast majority of people out there, money IS, to some degree, an issue.
P.S. This goes for everyone. Refrain from publicly 'slaggin a buggy that you know next to nothing about... It's just 'bad form'. By all means, report problems that you've experienced and issues with customer service, but be honest about the details and situation, especially if you somehow intentionally or unintentionally contributed to the 'negative' result / outcome.
You'll notice that pro drivers rarely, if ever, put down another design or manufacturer. Why? Most of the contemporary buggy designs out today are highly competitive in the right hands, and can easily win an event on any given day. And get this, manufacturers can and do make improvements to their products, by in large. So, today's issues usually become distant memories if the manufacturer is committed to winning market share. Most designs have specific track conditions where they 'shine'. It really comes down to preparation, driving, and setup skill, plus personal preference.
There are so many great buggy designs available right now, it is amazing. It's a great time to be an 1/8th scale buggy driver!