Building any heavy weight is not cheap and once you get into custom machining etc it ramps up very quickly
Over the years I have been competing in various classes all have shown a progression in design and materials
I would prefer Robot wars not going the Battlebots route where the robot costs are generally a step above what we see in the UK.
Its people investing their own time and money therefore the sport needs to be open and not elitist, and the British love an underdog