I'm reading that the plastic gearing might be a problem - so I'm looking at the Traxxas Slash VXL 2WD since that comes with metal gearing due to the brushless motor (which appears to have less maintenance to it anyway). It already has a ESC that allows for LiPo, so I would be relatively set, yes? Plus, having the TSM would be good for my son since control, even at 50% power, is a bit more limited for him.