very economical new 1/8 buggy roller

[simplechamp]

You gotta look at it from a marketing standpoint. There are a lot of people that will buy a vehicle to try the hobby, drive it 3 times, and then never use it again, or use it very little. This is the type of car that is aimed at them. It's cheap and straightforward. Allows them to test the waters without spending a bundle. Can't really compare it to a $600 race roller because they are a different class, made for different markets of people. Of course it will have less durability and performance, but for a casual user looking to try out the hobby I bet the LX-1e is a decent vehicle.