How many people buy their 10th scale cars and race them out of the box without upgrades? 18th scale cars, even hopped up to the hilt are still cheaper than 10th scale cars not only to build to run and maintain.
We have been able to buy the LRP Shark Monster Factory Team for quite a while in the UK. That has every available hopup for £160. There is also a new LRP distributor which means the kits will become widely available all over the UK through your favourite shop. DMS will stock them too in all shapes and sizes.
Xray M18 carbon kits and Associated RC18B FT kits have been available for ever too. Exotek have been making carbon race chassis for well over a year. Rob Knight put a stock RC18 on the national podium and Mark Stiles put a XRay M18 on the podium so you don't need a Blaze to be competitive (although I think everyone agrees it's the better race car).
The issue is not availability, cost, quality of the kits, it's what you know and what you are used to and how open minded you are for giving it a go. Who cares what size the car is, you are still standing on a rostrum driving it with your thumbs making it go round corners and over jumps. You are still arguing setups and tyres choices and have your own dirty little secrets that you don't share with nobody.
Saying these cars are just toys for kids are no different to my wife saying my B44 with Novak GTB and Trakpower saddles is just a toy for a kid. I guess both are right and wrong in the same sense.
