Thursday Testimonials: Decked Late Model Body Showdown

With oval racing gaining popularity we at LiveRC are branching out to more reviews in the area. This week we would like to give our opinions on the MRKustoms HurriKane late model body versus the JConcepts L8D Decked body.

Late Model's have trended towards decked bodies in pretty much every circumstance. For those that aren't familiar with the term it basically just means that the front and rear windows are cut out and allow air to flow through the cab.

The most popular body in the category is the MRKustoms Hurrikane offering which boasts a super realistic cab look and is widely used by the fastest drivers at events like The Chili Bowl. The newest most exciting release has been the new decked offering from JConcepts in the L8D so we put them both to the test on a variety of subjects and provided feedback.

MRKustoms HurriKane
Price: $60
Website: www.facebook.com/mrkustomsrc

I showed up to The Chili Bowl without a decked body, so a big thank you to Jennifer Lathrop for letting me use her old body for all my testing. I was able to finish on the podium at the event and in practice was nearly 2 tenths faster just by changing from a non-decked body to a decked one.

JConcepts L8D Decked Body
Price: $42.50
Website: www.jconcepts.net/shop/l8d-decked-late-model-body

Was able to snag one of these for testing locally. I'm a big fan of the way this body looks and was excited to try it out against my HurriKane.

Looks:

The MRKustoms body has a more realistic look, it much more closely resembles a real Late model than the JConcepts body. I'm not so much concerned about realism personally and I like the way the JC body looks but I understand I am probably in the minority by not basing it off of realism.

JConcepts 4/5
MR Kustoms 5/5

Body Build:

These oval bodies are a lot more labor intensive than off-road bodies, but I'm going to give JConcepts an edge on this one. While the MRKustoms body looks very realistic with the dual cockpit design, it takes quite a bit of work to get it put together and all the pieces to fit properly as well as cut out. The JConcepts body takes a lot less time to get going and out on the track.

JConcepts 5/5
MRKustoms 3.5/5

Steering:

Something that is really important to me with a late model is initial steering feel. I personally want it to be fairly aggressive. The rise from the front bumper to the front window on the JConcepts L8D is much steeper than the MRKustoms Hurrikane. On the track the JConcepts body wins with steering feel and balanced out my car which always has a tendency to push.

JConcepts: 5/5
MRKustoms 4/5

Grip/Stability:

The MRKustoms HurriKane has a more gradual slope from the front bumper all the way to the rear shock tower. On the track it definitely feels like it makes a bit more grip and is really stable on braking and acceleration. The JC body might be a bit more agile but the HurriKane definitely wins in the grip department.

JConcepts 4/5
MRKustoms 5/5

As you can see, the scores are really close so I don't feel comfortable telling you to buy one over the other. The L8D from JConcepts is a little cheaper and more agile, but the MRKustoms has more attention to detail and stability. Both are great in their own way and if you only have the funds to buy one you won't be off pace with either. If you do have the opportunity to buy both I would recommend it. I plan to have both with me wherever I go as they are a definite tuning aide for different tracks and surfaces.

If you can only buy one here is what I recommend:
Larger tracks or your car is really aggressive normally: MRKustoms
Smaller, tighter tracks or your car lacks steering: JConcepts

Hopefully this helps steer you in the right direction with your next body purchase!