You got that right, Bro, and tanks are no different. Here in Detroit we're also known for cars, and we like to say, "Speed costs money - How fast do ya wanna go?" and it's kinda the same with tanks. Very cool tanks cost money - How cool do you want your tank to be?

As for the upgrades, that's also kind of like cars. You buy a new Camaro and soon you want an aftermarket exhaust for better sound. Stuff like that. But with tanks there are a lot more upgrades to do, partly because the hobby is still pretty new. Think about cars in the 60s. They were pretty good off the lot, but they still had a long way to go before you took it out on any kind of track. Now the factory built muscle cars are a lot closer to being race ready than they were back then, and I imagine if you look at RC Tanks in 15 or 20 years they'll have a lot less things that need to be done to them. I could be wrong about this, but I think Imex is working towards the day when ALL their tanks will come with steel gearboxes (Please correct me if I got that wrong, Erik). But to me it makes a lot of sense to spend a bit of money at the beginning to get a better model later on. The Tiger tank you just bought is one of the best stock lower hulls on the market, and it's a great foundation to build on. My first working tank was a TAG12010 (the same tank, only yellow) and now it's the S33.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EM3imwwDm0 You made a very good choice when you bought the Imex Tiger. It's kinda like building a house - start with a crappy foundation and you'll end up with a crappy house. You've got a very good foundation, so I'll be watching with interest to see where you take it from here, and if you need help you know where to turn.