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I just raced the Mugen ECO for the first time this past weekend. I was very pleased with it. The USA edition is an improvement over the original. It is more stable. It comes pre-assembled as a roller, so there isn't much to put together. My first impression of the car was that it was very well made. A lot of aluminum and carbon parts come installed. Everything about this buggy just screams quality. It has a well designed battery tray that easily accepts a standard size single 4S or dual 2S lipos. It's the little things that Mugen does that you really come to appreciate. It comes with a handy little transponder mount that is "cushioned". The radio tray has a rubber grommet that the wires pass through. There is a little pathway under the center diff that protect the ESC wire. The front/rear hub carriers have little access holes that you can spray oil into. That forces dirt/grime out of them. The rear body mount is cushioned. Great stuff. While the car is still essentially a nitro conversion type layout and not a "true" e-buggy. However, it still does a few things to separate it from most others. The motor, tray, and esc mount sit very close to the center line of the buggy. That's indicative of good design. One really good thing about the ECO, is that you don't need any upgrades. It has very few flaws. Unlike the Ve8, there are no "must haves" that you need to compete with it. You have everything you need (other than electronics) right out of the box. On the track, it ran smooth. It just glided on the surface. It jumps very well. Handling rough section is not its forte, but most light weight buggies are like that. The lighter weight does make it very fast and nimble. On a high grip hard packed surface, this thing is probably unbelievable (I'll be trying that soon). On a big loose track, it took some time to get it set up right. Just stick with it and you will be fine. There are very few negatives that I can say about the ECO. Be careful with the motor mount. I've heard of them breaking when over tightened. However, if you under tighten it the motor can come loose and you will shred your spur gear. I would invest in a few extra spur gears, just to be safe. It comes with carbon fiber towers. They are strong, but not as strong as the aluminum. The rear arms are a weak spot. A hard hit on the rear could snap them. That's the trade off with a light buggy. They cut a lot of spaces in the arms to make them lighter, but that makes them weaker. Invest in some spare arms, but make sure your rear suspension is set up properly with the correct fluids, ride height and springs. That will greatly reduce the chance of them snapping. Don't let those things dissuade you though. Every car has their flaws. The ECO has the least amount that I have encountered though. I highly recommend this buggy. |
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