Heres an email Mike sent me a little while ago that you may find interesting. I asked about the CRT.5 in the email as well btw.
Quote:
Losi 8 vs. RC8 vs. CRT.5
The initial batch of RC8s had a weak arm mold – faulty for some reason, so it was pretty fragile. AE has since updated the kits and will even send the newer arms to folks with the initial kits. This was the weak link on the AE buggy. The RC8 has more steering than anything else on the track, which is a nice feature IMO. One little quirk with the RC8 is the center diff location – it isn’t as far off center as some others, to the motor can’t be located far enough to the right, and the battery is located a little too far left in the standard setup – slightly off balance, depending on the battery pack. Installing a 46t spur and using s slower motor with a larger pinion will bring this back into balance. For racing, the RC8 is a little more work to bring to balance, but I would prefer it for track duty – you can never have too much steering.
The Losi is ready to go in stock form. The center diff is actually almost too far right, but it is pretty easy to set the Losi up in electric form. The Losi doesn’t steer as well as the RC8, but in electric form, it is much more stable than it is in nitro form(though not as stable as the RC8). This would be my first choice for bashing and my second choice for racing duty – This and the RC8 are both so close, that either is an excellent choice in the end.
The CRT.5 is a different animal altogether. It can’t be compared to the 1/8 buggies, really. I am about 1-2 weeks away from offering a extended arm and cvd kit for this truck as well, so my chassis kit will be upgraded and sold as a 1/10 conversion kit (I will likely put together a “stock chassis conversion kit” as well, for those working on a budget or looking to keep the scale closer to 1/12). The CRT.5 is a great little truck, and it can be turned into a little rocket ship pretty easily. These are rugged little units as well, but they aren’t as rugged as a 1/8 buggy. These are less expensive and easier to bring up to speed vs. the 1/8 buggies.
Basically, any of the three vehicles will be a good choice. It is hard to pick just one!
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