RogerM: I don't think it is very useful to compare rc cars with real cars as most premium real car brands use newest manufacturing techniques and cars are made with different goals in mind. There quite interesting low priced small cars on the market that deliver stunning quality for this market. Toyota Aygo for example isn't produced less intelligent than an Audi.
In RC most brands use average machiney and many companies even use the same factory. The injection point have to be removed on most plastic parts by hand. That is not a problem but shows that Kyosho does surly not have the best machinery in RC (but by far not the worst
).
The first RB5 needed many tuning parts to make it comparable to others, so I wouldn't speek in general. I couldnt see a difference in wearing between a RB5 and other cars in general (22 for example apart from a few issues the 22 kit has). Differences are really small and in other classes with more different cars there are at least 5 brands with stuff at the same level For me the RB5 has two pros: outstanding shocks and the newest cars eliminated every problem the first cars had.
If it was just the fact it is made in japan than it wouldn't be so cheap to buy parts in Japan on your own. Even cheaper with import taxes and shipping, looking at this it can only be the distributors or distributors have to buy in local japan shops too.