While this is my son's car, I have to say I've been very impressed with it and thought I'd provide you with a review for anyone looking to get their pre-teen/teen child a nitro buggy..

It's a good buy if you want to get child into the racing scene, as it challenges them with starter boxes, hump packs, and it looks sick! ;-) I did have to help Andrew with the initial few starts on the box (hint, press down on the engine), but he got his feel for it. He tuned the engine well. A buddy at the track thought it was a bit rich, we both want to go through the track an emulate a race before leaning it much (as it sounds and runs like a beautiful engine at it's current tune). We'll be happy if we can lean it more.  

At the track it was intense. This car handled beautifully, and was also extremely durable. While a few folks did stop down to watch it run (mainly when Andrew was having his best laps) , we had some good spills with it. Or at least I did when he let me run it after my D8T had issues. It appears to be a very tough car, which is good for someone young who might not always remember to check each screw before running it. ;-) 

I've not gone through it, nor will since it's Andrew's car, but will be curious to see what needs to be done right now. In fact, we decided Andrew will be the first in our family to enter a race. This is how happy we are with it. He's a better driver than me right now, and I'm a better "pit guy" right now, so it probably makes sense for him to go first.

The stock engine (350) has been more than enough for our track. I imagine Andrew will give a review at osme point, but from a "dad's perspective"....

Pros:
1. Quality enough for a new racer, who wants to feel his way and upgrade as he learns.
2. Forgiving enough for a kid with intermediate knowledge on nitro rc buggies, but yet challenges them.

Cons:
1. Starter box not the best. You have to press on the engine to get it started. This will be whip if I need to re-start it during a race due to hot engine.
2. Plenty of room for upgrades. Of course, this is not always bad, as it allows your child to notice what can be better and then have plenty of options for that upgrade.

All in all, I definitely would recommend this vehicle. Not only to kids (although it seems perfect for them), but to anyone new to racing.

I would love to hear from current/past/future owners on here concerning your experiences with the buggy!

quote:

ORIGINAL: mattster1971

Hey John. I wouldn't disagree that it is a great model and comes complete. But, I don't know that many parents who can drop 699.99 for this rtr for a 9-12 year old. Now if that kid is an aspiring racer with a dedication to the sport, maybe, but that's out of my price range for a new vehicle. But hey, if you got it to spend, more power to you!