saying a dnano is just like any other r/c mini is like saying a diamond is like any other rock out there in the backyard. kyosho didn't develop it for your "play around the house" toy market and quite obviously, they have no desire to attract that market so while you may have points in mind, they're completely irrelevant to the product we're discussing. take a look at
http://dnano.jp and browse their online shop. use a currency converter and you'll see the pricing is just about on level so yes, they are paying and again, its because of their perspective of value.
1/8 nitro???
you're kidding me... engines, gas, parts & all the things you need to be competitive can skyrocket to over 2 grand before you hit the track. racing a dnano just takes buying a model & a starter kit... so, even if you got any necessary uprades, you're still looking at LESS than 800 bucks. how does that compare to 1/8th racing in any way??
(btw, i do race 1/8th truggy).