Review: Mugen MBX-6T M-Spec Truggy

Mugen Seiki recently released the MBX-6T M-Spec, a pre-built 1/8 scale Truggy with all the race-level components already installed. As part of the release party, a media day was scheduled at Revelation Raceway. A few tents had been set up, and under each tent was media pit space. This space included a table and chair, a killer Mugen pit mat and an identically prepared MBX-6T loaded with the Ninja JX21-B01A engine and KO Propo EX-1 UR radio gear. I immediately sat down and took the RC Driver wrapped body off. Under the hood was a gorgeous truck outfitted with carbon fiber and anodized aluminum bits. This truck meant business!

Knowing some of us might be Nitro-novices (ahem, that would be me), Mugen brought a few of its team drivers down to support us while we drove around the track. From fuel stops to engine tuning, these guys did it all…even marshalling our cars (yes, Mike Swauger and Robbie Collins did marshal my car more than once). After several hours of testing, I found myself having a renewed interest in 1/8 scale nitro! Beware…if you read on, you too will be sucked into wanting one!

AT A GLANCE
WHO MAKES IT: Mugen Seiki
WHO IT’S FOR: Everyone
PART NO.: E0060
HOW MUCH: $540

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• The MBX-6T M-Spec comes pre-assembled. I did a little poking around and found that Mugen has pre-prepped the M-Spec for you ahead of time; locknuts on the hinge pins to prevent them from falling out, loctite on any screws threading into metal, etc. This means you shouldn’t have to worry about parts falling off during your initial runs.

• The MBX-6T M-Spec is based off the Championship winning MBX6 Buggy. More traction and stability have been added with the addition of a longer 7075-T6 chassis (10mm longer than the MBX-5T chassis) and redesigned rear suspension.

• The differential outdrives have been lightened and durable, lightweight driveshafts have been included. These items mean less weight and less rotating mass, meaning more power can be put to the ground. In addition, a redesigned rear end and different shocks geometry provides plenty of rear traction in wet or dry conditions.

• The Big Bore, threaded shocks include aluminum caps and rubber shock boots over the shafts. Each is filled with 400wt oil which gives the M-Spec a good, balanced feel. Of course, if you feel so inclined, the shocks are easily removed to swap to a heavier or lighter oil.

• Because this is a race-level truck, Mugen has filled the diffs with a fluid from the factory. The front diff has 10,000wt oil, the center has 5,000wt and the rear has 3,000wt installed. This should be a really good starting point.

• The shock towers are super-thick 5mm carbon fiber units. While both contain 3 adjustment holes for the shock, the rear one also has 3 adjustment holes for the inner camber link.

• Most 1/8 scale vehicles continue to use the standard C-Hub front suspension. Mugen, however, has incorporated a dual-pilow-ball setup. The M-Spec also benefits from new upright steering arms and new Ackermann geometry.

• The front of the M-Spec comes equipped with a 2.5mm anti-roll bar while the rear sports a 2.9mm bar.

• Mugen has moved the running gear closer to the middle of the truck. This helps put a lot of the weight forward and helps balance out the truck. I also think this is what helps the M-Spec in the steering department!

• Mud guards are attached to the rear suspension arms to help keep rocks and debris from clogging up the rear driveline.

MUGEN SEIKI MBX-6T M-SPEC
DIMENSIONS
WIDTH: 17 in. (433mm)
WHEELBASE: 14.6 to 14.8 in. (373 to 378mm)

NEEDED TO COMPLETE
-Transmitter and receiver
-Steering servo
-Throttle servo
-Receiver pack
-Engine
-Wheels
-Tires
-Exhaust pipe

PARTS USED
• KO Propo EX-1 UR 2.4GHz TX & RX—Item no. KOP80190, $260
• KO Propo PDS-2368 ICS servo—KOP30046, $150
• Ninja JX21-B01A engine—MUGJX21B01A, $350
• Pro-Line Mounted Caliber tires—PRO9030-32, $28.50

HARDWARE Metric hex

TUNING OPTIONS
Camber—F&R, adjustable length
Caster—adjustable clips
Droop—adjustable setscrews
Toe (F/R)—adjustable length/toe block
Wheelbase—hub, adjustable spacers
Shock springs—standard or optional
Shock locations—standard or optional springs
Shock oil—use a variety of viscosities
Bump-steer—add or subtract shims under the steering ball stud

TRACK TEST
Test Venue Revelation Raceway, Ontario, CA
Conditions Slightly technical, relatively smooth, lots of jumps

Revelation Raceway is a great track to test at. When it’s wet, traction is at its best. When it dries out, it can be slippery. These changing conditions really test any vehicle’s handling.

STEERING Neutral
When the track was wet, the MBX-6T M-Spec handles perfectly. Teamed with the KO Propo PDS-2368 steering servo, Mugen’s new upright steering arms helped the truggy to rip through the corners as if glued to the track. For those who drive a little less crazily (like me—most of the time), the steering was crisp and predictable. When the track dried out, however, things got a bit hairy! It took a little more care to successfully put down a fast lap, but once in the zone, the M-Spec was amazingly comfortable to drive.

BRAKING Excellent
At Revelation, you need good brakes. There are quite a few hairpins, hard corners and big jumps. For my driving, the front brakes seemed a bit strong, but thanks to the independently adjustable front and rear brake setup, I was able to back the front brakes off a tad. Under heavy braking, the combination of another KO Propo PDS-2368 servo and the super-soft Pro-Line M3 Calibers brought this beast to a standstill with minimal effort.

ACCELERATION Excellent
In addition to its many hairpins, Revelation Raceway has a pretty long straightaway. The lightning-fast response of the KO Propo EX-1 radio and the sick power of the Ninja JX-21 engine provided excellent acceleration. Setting up for the jumps, this combination felt super-smooth, and it didn’t require much brain power to figure out how much throttle I needed to clear anything. The lightweight drivetrain allowed more power to be put to the ground instead of being wasted. While the gearing seemed about 1 tooth too low, it is definitely a good start for most medium nitro tracks.

SUSPENSION Excellent
After running the MBX-6T for a couple of hours, I had a chance to test every line on the track. In the ruts and on the smooth sections, the pre-built setup is really good. I’ve noticed that no matter how much you overshoot the landing, most 1/8-scale cars land flat with very little bounce. Even through the rhythm section, the M-Spec feels very forgiving and just glides over the moguls. Drive it hard, and you’ll definitely get a little bit of controllable drift. Mugen did a great job on the suspension.

DURABILITY Excellent
1/8 scale usually means big jumps, lots of power and a heavy throttle finger. Revelation has big jumps, long straights and allows the use of lots of power. A tumble—many tumbles—was inevitable: M-Spec rolled and cartwheeled but was as solid as a rock. No damage then or on a run a couple of days later, so if you break something, you obviously did something wrong. Really!

WRAP-UP
If you are in the market for a truggy, give the M-Spec a look. It’s already built; pull it out of the box, install your electronics, add fuel and go. The best part is that the box-stock setup is really, really good. It has exceptional steering yet is stable through the rough sections. It includes a ton of race-level components that you usually don’t find in an RTR vehicle, and its price compares favorably with those of other factory-level rides. I’m not a nitro guy, but this truck has me excited about nitro racing. I guess I’ll see you at the track—with my RTR MBX-6T M-Spec!

LINKS
Mugen, www.mugenracing.com
KO Propo, www.kopropo.com
Revelation Raceway, www.revrace.com
Proline, www.prolineracing.com
Ninja, www.ninja-engine.com
Upgrade RC, www.upgrade-rc.com