Having flown mine with a brushed and brushless motor, I can tell you that going brushless makes bring up to true 3D performance (continuous 2:1 power ratio for 20+ minutes, without worrying about burning up any motors).

If you plan to stay with brushed motors, you may want to consider the smaller 3DX version (26" wingspan) with a 2s lipo battery. I am planning to try that when I get the time.