RE: 8ight-t kit vs RTR
As for parts support, I guess ultimately it's up to you. In my situation, I really don't have an LHS (I had a halfway decent one that closed), so I'm an all online parts person anyway. So "support" for me really means "does someone sell a good amount online".
In my case, AMain has great parts support for the Tamiya truggy I own, Xray if I had one, etc.
For you, I'm not sure how convenient a 2 hour drive is to the LHS, but if that works for you, maybe parts support would sway your decision more than the product brand (Losi vs. Xray). That said, I've always heard good things about Xray, and Foxy above has great firsthand experience, so I'd be willing to go that route if I were in your shoes.
Actually, you even mentioned that you'd be buying parts online anyway.....go for the Xray. [8D]