Wamphyrii has got it right. Those are the best 3 choices I can think of also and out of those three the best choice would obviously be the Super Vee, if you can stretch your budget and wait till they are released. Its the first brushless RTR to hit the market. There are alot of us seasoned guys waiting for it. Don't be scared of the speed if you have a little self control you can just keep yourself from going WOT (wide open throttle) till you get used to it.
The Hammer is the next best choice and is in your price range. Check the market place on this web site and you can even find one cheaper, there is a nice guy that has a few for sale right now. The Hammer is also upgradeable and there is a very long thread on here about it and all of the owners are happy with it. It is also very upgradeable. But it will never be as nice as a boat as the Super Vee.

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