The WPL C94 fixes the drive shafts that break on the C84
The WPL C84 vs C94 decision turns on one part nobody puts on the box. The cheaper C94 ships metal drive-shaft U-joints, while the pricier C84 still uses plastic ones. That single change deletes the standard first upgrade on a WPL rig. The C84 buys the gap back with removable doors, roll cage options and a larger body.
Key Takeaways
- The C94 has metal drive-shaft joints, so the usual first WPL upgrade is already done.
- The C84 costs about $35 more and adds removable doors and a roll cage.
- The C84 hides its battery under the seats behind weak magnets, which is fiddly.
- Both share the same leaf springs, 370 motor and new WPL transmitter.
- Both are officially licensed, so the scale detail is the real reason to buy either.
How the WPL C84 and C94 compare
The WPL C84 is a 1/10 Suzuki Jimny SJ10 Type 1. The WPL C94 is a 1/12 UAZ-469. The sizes differ, but the platform underneath is shared.
| Spec | WPL C84 (Suzuki Jimny) | WPL C94 (UAZ-469) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | around $95 | around $60 |
| Scale | 1/10 | 1/12 |
| Licence | official Suzuki Jimny SJ10 Type 1 | official UAZ-469 |
| Colors | army green, white | army green, white |
| Roof | removable hard top styled as a soft top | removable hard top styled as a soft top |
| Doors | removable, openable | fixed, do not open |
| Rear gate | opens | fixed |
| Windscreen | folds, metal hinges | folds, plastic hinges |
| Drive shafts | plastic U-joints | metal U-joints |
| Suspension | leaf springs front and rear | leaf springs front and rear |
| Motor | 370 brushed, counter-rotating gearbox | 370 brushed, counter-rotating gearbox |
| Steering servo | 17g gear servo | 17g gear servo |
| Run time | around 20 minutes per pack | around 15 to 20 minutes per pack |
| Battery location | under the seats | under the hood |
| Radio | new WPL transmitter with tool tray | new WPL transmitter with tool tray |
| Lights | functional front LEDs, LED kit optional | functional front LEDs, LED kit optional |
Body and realism
Both trucks carry proper licensed hard bodies, which is the thing WPL does better than anyone at this money.
The C84 is the busier one. The top comes off, and so do the doors, which open on magnetic locks. The rear gate swings, and the front windscreen folds down on metal hinges. For a truck that costs less than a set of tires for a competition crawler, that is a lot of hardware.
The C94 keeps things simpler. The top lifts off and the windscreen folds on plastic hinges, but the doors are fixed shut. In exchange you get a body almost nobody else on the trail will be running, with the front emblem and logo molded in rather than stuck on.
Plastic quality goes to the C94, which uses a slightly stiffer blend. Both should shrug off rollovers. The C84’s spare wheel mount is the weak spot, and it can snap off during ordinary outdoor crawling.
Interior and scale options
Both interiors are good for the money, and this is where the C84’s extra cash shows up. Lift either hard top and there is a full modeled cabin underneath.
The C84 gets more room to play with because it is the bigger truck. Its seats fold, its doors come off, and the box includes two alternative roll cages so you can rebuild the look without buying parts.
The C94 answers with a rear bench, a cargo area carrying extra seats, a working rear-mounted spare wheel and molded detail throughout. Leg room is tight, though, and fitting a driver figure is a squeeze.
Both accept WPL’s optional LED kit, which adds blinkers, a search light and rear lights. The C84 rewards anyone who likes rebuilding and posing a model, while the C94 is happier just being driven.
Chassis and drivetrain
WPL rigs have a long-standing weakness that costs you money after checkout: the U-joints on the plastic drive shafts fail, and a metal drive-shaft set has been the standard first upgrade for years.
The C84 still ships those plastic U-joints, while the C94 ships metal ones that should last far longer under the same abuse. A $60 truck fixing the drive-shaft problem while the $95 truck does not is a strange way round.
Underneath, both run a 370-size brushed motor with a counter-rotating gearbox. That gearbox cancels torque twist on climbs, a trick WPL first introduced on the C54. Both also hide their on/off switch under the hood.
The C94 puts the pack under the hood: easy to reach, though a tight fit, so fit it with the lead facing forward and you have something to pull on. The C84 buries it under the seats behind magnets too weak to hold it reliably, and getting the pack to sit flat takes patience.
Suspension and tires
WPL’s leaf springs have improved a great deal since the early C-series rigs, and articulation is good on both trucks. They flex over uneven ground instead of lifting a wheel at the first ridge.
Both also ship unique wheel designs with foams inside the tires, which is far from a given under $100. Tread patterns differ slightly, with one a shade more aggressive, but grip is usable out of the box on both. Neither truck needs a wheel or tire upgrade before its first outing. That is rare at this price, because on a rig like the FMS FCX18 a set of sticky wheels and tires is the first $50 an owner spends.
Electronics, radio and batteries
WPL retired the one-handed transmitter it had shipped for years. The replacement arrived with the C84 and now comes with both trucks. It feels more premium, adds a foam grip, moves steering trim to the top face, and hides a small tool kit in a removable base for trail-side repairs.
Front LEDs are functional as standard on both, and the optional kit adds blinkers, a search light and rear lights. Power comes from WPL’s standard 4-pin lithium-ion pack, which is nothing clever but gives roughly 15 to 20 minutes of run time and is cheap enough to keep several spares in the bag.
How the C84 and C94 crawl
The counter-rotating gearbox is the main reason both rigs feel planted for the money. Neither one lifts a front corner on a steep climb the way a same-price 4x4 without that gearbox does. On the trail they part company on weight and on how each body sits over an obstacle.
The C94 has a reinforced metal chassis, and owner reviews on the Banggood listing call it a clear step up on slow-speed control over earlier WPL rigs. The soft leaf springs and the climbing ability are the two things buyers there mention most. Its lighter 1/12 body also suits the shared suspension better, and it is easier to place on tight garden and indoor lines.
Retailer specs for the C84 on the Amazon listing put it at a 17g gear servo and roughly 20 minutes per pack, and the larger 1/10 body gives more absolute ground clearance, so it clears bigger rocks, though it is the heavier truck on the same springs.
Leaf springs and a brushed 370 make a scale-trail setup on both trucks, so steep off-camber lines will roll either one. On the same ground, the C94 is the more sure-footed of the two, and the C84 buys the difference back with reach over taller obstacles.
Price and which one to buy
The C84 sits near $95 on WPL’s own store. The C94 turns up around $60 at the big discount retailers, though specialist hobby shops list it closer to $90, so shop around before ordering. Our roundup of RC crawlers under $100 covers where the C94 lands against the rest of the field.
Buy the C94 if you want better hardware for less money. It has metal drive shafts, easy battery access and a body nobody else on the trail will have.
Buy the C84 if you want the bigger 1/10 scale, the removable doors, the roll cage options and the metal windscreen hinges. You will be fitting metal drive shafts yourself later, so budget for that.
Get both if you are building a scale convoy. They look right parked together despite the scale gap, and between them you get the metal shafts on one truck and a body full of removable parts on the other.