Yes, the Kyosho Inferno Sports RTR is "just that bad". This is a car that is considered to be "Up-side-down". This is when the cost of upgrading the car exceeds its initial cost. Kyosho just wanted a quick fit in the "RTR era" so they put together this car. It is the only RTR that doesn't have some sort of CVA,CVD, or universal drive shaft on the front, which is very crucial to 1/8 performance, I believe they also used a plastic spur gear. These are no-no's and clear indicators that they were not, by any stretch of the imagination, trying to deliver a decent "bang-for-the-buck" but more like a quick buck. The hyper 7 RTR are very similar to their pro kits. We have people at my track racing the stock hyper 7 RTR(with a mod motor) and are killing. If it takes you a little longer to get the Hyper 7, be patient.