The Hyper 8 is $425+, than I have to add a powerplant. This is $400 including the mill...that's a pretty significant difference. And you don't know how the other guys drive in the buggy class...the spares are good peace of mind. There are pics under the classifieds at dirtoval.com (hyper 7 for sale) and what you described sounds like what i've seen there. As much as I would love a brand spankin new hyper 8 (i've read the thread) that is more cash than i'm willing to drop on something that i'm just "testing the waters" with, especially after having just spent close to a grand on my current toy (xxx-t mf2). Anything with "RTR" on it turns me off as there are the inevitable upgrades to make it race-ready and 9 times out of 10 the radio sucks, and i'm going to use my spektrum on the new buggy anyway. All replies are considered and appreciated!!