Get him a cheap NIMH brushed setup and let him learn showing him the correct way to handle things such as charging and let him help fix things when they break. No sense spending 400$ on a brushless and lipo setup and the kid ends up not wanting anything to do with RC. If he truley likes it and wants more then upgrade in the future. Nimh is plenty fast for him which in turn youll break alot less, safe (with supervision) and just as fun as a brushless on 2s lipo for bashing. Without all the added "dangers" of lipo that people claim. All that bs is because of improper handling and burnt up ESC's are from people overgearing not checking temps and running too many cells on an esc not recommended for it. I wouldnt recommend nitro although my personal preference IS nitro. Save those until hes a bit older, or get youself one and let him mess around with it a little bit. Watch his reactions and see what HE likes better. RC is RC there is no better than the other. Its all fun an games.