How much better is an RC8B3.1 than a.....

[Nightcrawler67]

I'm looking at picking up a slider RC8B3.1 for what I think is a good price. However, I already own a typhon 3s BLX that has been upgraded to CASTLE MOTOR AND ESC. My question is.......IS THE RC8B3.1 that much better than a typhon??

Please be gentle, I'm not too versed in 4wd buggies. Any and all information will help me greatly though.

Tia

 

[Chubaka]

Being it is discontinued, how is the parts supply on them? Being nitro, your typhoon will most likely outrun it both in top end and acceleration.

 

[bill_delong]

The Typhon is a RTR based on a very dated design from the Durango DEX408. While Durango was a very competitive race grade brand, ARRMA was forced to take short cuts with plastic parts in place of aluminum/carbon upgrades to keep costs low. If you want to compare apples to apples, the TLR Tuned Typhon is about as close as you can get to a DEX408 caliber design.

That said, the DEX408 was arguably a solid design, however it never earned any notable awards:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Durango

In contrast, the RC8B3.1 took the win for IFMAR in 2018:
https://www.associatedelectrics.com/about/ifmar_winnings/

Simply put, comparing a 2015 design from Durango with a 2018 design from AE is like taking a knife to a gun fight from a competitive stand point.

HOWEVER... if you're not racing and just bashing around, then I would keep the Typhon which has greater promise for long term parts support. I am not well versed in forward compatibility for AE cars, so you may find it difficult getting parts for a B3. I personally would stay away from the B3 either on or off the track with questionable parts support.

If you're looking to upgrade to a more modern race grade design that has been discontinued, then I would encourage you to consider TEKNO, they are the only race grade brand I know of which supports all of their legacy vehicles so you'll never worry about getting parts from them making TEKNO the holy grail for bashers, especially when you consider their 50% Lifetime Warranty deal:
https://www.teknorc.com/warranty-repair/

Side Note, I have no affiliation with TEKNO, just providing my honest feedback, however I am currently a sponsored driver with HB Racing where I feel that HB is the best fit for me in order to be competitive with a durable design that gives me the results I'm looking for.

 

[Nightcrawler67]

Being it is discontinued, how is the parts supply on them? Being nitro, your typhoon will most likely outrun it both in top end and acceleration.

Its the electric version and parts seem to be available. I pulled the trigger.