ORIGINAL: Dr.VanNostrin
In regards to the carbon vs aluminum issue... A complex part made of carbon can be made many times stronger and more stiff than one produced from a single stamped plate of aluminum or even 6al-4v titanium. Take a look at any modern Formula One car...
A proper 1/8 scale carbon chassis is much more difficult to produce than a stamped aluminum or milled billet aluminum chassis. However the part could be made lighter and more stiff... Again, look at the Formula cars...
Dr. Van
Carbon is only strong in the way it was designed to take impacts from. If it takes an impact from another angle it shatters. For example at one race a one of the F1 car's wing got knocked off going into a corner and hit the front suspension of the car behind it. The suspension of that car shattered instantly. Considering 1/8 buggies take impacts from every which way I don't think a carbon fiber chassis is a good idea.
To get back to topic Aluminum is deffinatly stronger then graphite. If graphite was fit for 1/8 buggies you would see top racers using it pretty often.