I have had several fantom RF12 engines and raced then when i was in southern california. yes they dont last very long. i got 6-9 gallons through them but they do have tons of power if you add the fantom pipe to it. i raced the losi xxxnt and had great success with the combonation.. i even had one addapted to a blower i bought on line, that was way to much torque for the transmission and i blew up bearings and casesleft and right but it was a ton of fun when it did run. the 300.00 price tag for the engine is steep. if your looking to race it i would say invest . if you just plan to play with it then its not worth the investment