Foxy
Posts: 17141
Joined: 3/23/2005
Last Login: 5/18/2013
From: Kingston UK, but living in Athens, GREECE
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Electric truggy>..........................................................MT4>Savage>...................................................................................................................Emaxx
Electric truggy is the way to go for a real monster truck (as much as that sounds like a contradiction). The thing is truggies have lower center of gravity, much better suspension geometry and are a LOT more durable than monster trucks. Don't get me wrong though, you'll pay for the privilege of owning an electric truggy as they are really a racing platform and the pinnacle of the surface hobby, in terms of evolved design and materials employed. Firstly, there are only like 2 or 3 in the market that are electric out of the box (the MT4 is technically one of them). For now, the best way to build an electric truggy continues to be buying a nitro kit and a full dedicated electric conversion (including chassis swap). You must get the chassis swap rather than the cheap conversions which are just a motor mount and battery tray, as the nitro layout is not balanced for electric, the dedicated electric layout of the conversion chassis makes a big difference. Tekno RC make excellent full chassis conversion for most cars including the D8T I mention in a second.
One of the most economical platforms to do this with is the Hot Bodies D8T, it's a really good racing truck, and as a basher it excels, as all truggies do. You can pick up the nitro kit for reasonable prices and a full electric chassis conversion with everything you need except electrics will only run you another $120. But when you factor in another $150 to $300 for electronics, it starts to get pretty pricy. Still, if your wallet can handle it, I assure you this is the most fun you can have with a remote in your hand.
The MT4 is an interesting case. It's actually technically a truggy, which is why it has a big advantage over the Savage. The MT4 has a center differential, something the Savage SORELY lacks. The MT4 is also lighter and more durable than the Savage, and will handle 6S with comfort. On the flip side, the MT4 is built poorly, it will need checking, but that's its only disadvantage (the Savage isn't exactly built by master craftsmen either, but hey...). In every other meaningful way it is the best of both worlds, 1/8th racer/monster cross breed.
The Savage is a good truck if you want to do one thing and one thing only. Flips. Due to the lack of a center diff, the fact that all the weight is in the middle of the car, and the overweight wheels and tires, it flips really nicely in the air off jumps. However, it flips just as easily on the ground, when accelerating, braking and even turning. Savages need SIGNIFICANT further investment to have even acceptable handling and durability. And even after that investment, will not handle even half as good as a real truggy due to the lack of a center diff and wing, high CoG, etc.
Personally, I have owned cars of every class, I currently have a Savage Flux with nearly $2000 bucks in and it still doesn't make me smile like my Xray truggy (though lets tell it like it is, the Xray truggy is arguably the single best RC car in existence at the moment and would be far more expensive to complete than even the Hot Bodies truggy). Here are some pics of both cars (below), and believe me, there is nothing that Savage can do that the truggy can't (except more rotations in the air), nowhere it can go the truggy can't, but there are myriad things which are more fun with the truggy.
Once again, don't dismiss the MT4, best of all worlds and definitely one of the single biggest bargains in RC right now. You will not have any trouble finding parts ever, despite lack of local support. The MT4 is based on a well known and well established truggy the TTR ST-1, also one of the single finest bargains in the hobby back then, as its successor is now. TTR are also the biggest RC company worldwide, they aren't going anywhere and neither are parts.
By the way, I started in 1984 with a Tamiya Frog too!
The Sav (has half the upgrades available fitted)...
And the Xray XT8 truggy (in a totally different league)
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All Forums >> RC Cars, Buggies, Trucks, Tanks and more >> RC Car General Discussions >> need advise please.... 
need advise please.... - 
It adds a whole new dimension to bashing keeping it on its wheels where as a truggy I find is kinda meh in that regard. Too easy to keep truggies planted to make bashing fun IMO.