If you're heavy into racing and money isn't an object, I recommend the Kyosho Kania buggies or the Mugen MBX5. They are racing machines and you won't be disapointed. You won't want to bash them though.

If you're looking to bash or if you kind of new, I suggest the new Hyper PCB or PBS or whatever it is. The stock engine (Hyper .21 8-port) is good for club racing and has some pretty good top end. It also comes with a starterbox. It's not great quality from what I hear but that fact that it includes on is kind of cool. This is probably you best all-around buggy right now.

The Swift is new and I really haven't heard much about it yet. I know the stock engine is the same that comes in the Inferno Sports -- and that's not a good thing. It has a sweet radio though which is a plus. It also has some carbon fiber for the bling bling department too.

I personally picked the Lightning Pro. It has deficencies, but it has the strongest chassis for the least amount of money. I haven't seriously raced it yet, but it's marketed as an out-of-the-box club racer (everything is race legal). When you weigh out the pluses and minuses, the chassis is a slightly better than a Kyosho Inferno MP 7.5 (kit version). If you're an expierenced hobbyist on a budget and looking for a kit for club racing, this is the way to go. You can sell the stock engine and pipe on ebay and recoup $100 from the $300 it costs. Then you buy a good radio and a good engine and you're still atleast $300 a head of the other kits out there. The downside is the RTR equpment is weak -- engine, pipe, wheels, body, wing. The other sad thing is the complete lack of company support. Hot Bodies isn't going to help you with this. It's a figure-it-out-for-yourself kind of a deal.

I have no problem with the weak engine, pipe, wheels, body and wing. I would upgrade those parts on an other RTR buggy anyway. Also, I love to figure stuff out. It was a great learning expierience when I purchased it. I was a little leary cause of the price -- $300 for everything but a radio!?!?! My newbie purchase was a Duratrax and the "get what you pay for" lesson was still ringing in my head. I got it anyway and I'm glad I did. When you see the buggy, wiggle the wheels and hold it in your hands, it's amazingly how sturdy and solid it is -- just like any other kit-built buggy. "Cheap" surely only describes the Lightning Pro's price tag.

Anyway, I like the Lightning Pro but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Good Luck with your purchase.

-RobH