I think there are too many posts by noobs that say: "What will break first on my Mini T?" or How do I make my RC18T faster?"
This thread is to describe the strengths and weaknesses of the popular minis out there in detail and to help people choose the right one. If you havent read Inverted's "So you want a mini..." I suggest you read that first. There is a lot of helpful information on there.

First will be the electric minis in alphabetical order by brand.
Then the nitro minis.
Then some battery and electric motor info.

This is a work in progress, so if there is anything you would like to add, pm me or post it and I will add it in. There will be a lot of links, and I am sure some will stop working in the future, so if you find a broken link; pm, post, or just do a google/thread search.

Electric

Associated
-RC18 series - RC18R, RC18T, RC18MT
1/18th, 4wd, $155-180 RTR, $130-150 Kit
Very popular, huge aftermarket support. Upgrades: Hitec hs65 servo + saver +metal c spring and a draglink is simple and helps with most slop. MIP diffs properly shimmed before they start slipping will protect your gears. CVD's in front will stop the dogbones front slipping out and causing the *clack* sound when turning under power. CVD's in the rear really arent as necessary, though i have twisted apart a stock dogbone. the biggest problem is losing them when something breaks which is why I use cvd's in the rear. MIP outdrives will last under brushless power, I melted the stock plastic.

Cen
-Mini Madness/MG16E
1/16th, 2wd, $130-170 RTR
Uses 540 motor and 1/10 scale battery with SC sized cells. Another one of the faster RTR minis. High torque with 540 sized motor and standard size steering servo. There is a popular nitro version too. Very durable. Comes with friction shocks, so it could use a set of oil shocks. Comes with bushings, so it also may need bearings.

Duratrax
-Vendetta/Vendetta ST
AKA Anderson MB4, Shark 18,
1/18th, 4wd, $160 RTR, $100 kit
Great for racing with standard size servo. Very fast (for a RTR) out of box. It's biggest weakness is the axles. Atomic should work, but you have a high powered brushless system you will want the Duratrax steel CVDs. If you have a brushless system, consider the Duratrax ball diffs. There are steel diff gears coming out for thetoyz mid August, or sooner if GPM gets theirs done, so keep your eyes open.

-Mini Quake/Anderson MXB4
1/18th, 4wd, $160 RTR, $125-185 kit
Ball diffs, CVDs, and better electronics if you get the RTR. The mini quake SE kit has all of those. Most people reccomend getting the Mini Quake SE if you can still find it. Metal outdrives might be needed.
"They are VERY VERY fun trucks. I have had an RC-18MT, Mini T, Mini LST and the Mini Quake , and this is the one I decided to keep based on quite a few factors."

HPI
-Micro RS4
1/18th, 4wd, $160-300 RTR, $75-130 Kit
There is a 540 motor conversion out for it. This in one of the most popular 1/18th on road car. It is also one of the only belt driven. There is a drift version if you are into that.

Hot Bodies
-MiniZilla
1/18th, 4wd, $180-200 RTR
Slow out of box. Modeled after sister company HPI's Savage. Has a TVP type chassis. Battery in back for good wheelies, but that is about it.

Kyosho
Mini Inferno
1/16th, 4wd, $100-190 RTR
Heard the center diff is a weak spot. There is also a nitro version.

Losi
-Micro T- Micro Baja, Micro Raminator, Micro Desert Truck
1/36th, 2wd, $80-90 RTR
These cars are a lot of fun. To make it faster, I recommend the Losi lipo and Atomic BB motor. Speeds comparable to the 8750kv xcelorin brushless system. If you go brushless, keep in mind you need a new servo and receiver. First thing to break will undoubtedly be the steering links. I think Hotracing makes a fix for that. Thetoyz has a lot of Micro T parts.

-Mini T/Mini Baja
1/18th, 2wd, $100-150 RTR, $130 kit
Quite possibly the most poupular mini of all time. Gigantic aftermarket support. A very solid, time tested package. Mini Baja has a faster motor. The stock electronics on the RTR versions aren't very good.

-Mini Slider/Mini Late Model
1/18th, 2wd, $180-190 RTR
Great for racing. Very similar to Mini T, but the chassis and body are the main differences.

-Mini Lst - Mini LST2, Raminator, Rammunition, Mini Monster Baja
1/18th, 4wd, $100-240 RTR
These are one of the faster RTR minis out, unless you get the single motored Raminator or Rammunition. Those two are more for the looks, then the Mini LST, LST2, then the Mini Monster Baja has the best out of the box performance. The greatest downfall to these cars are the drivetrain. The Mini LST2 and Mini Monster Baja come with stronger metal diffs, but not the all metal viscous diffs. Other weaknesses are the chrome mini-magneto wheels and, for some people, the steering servos.

-Mini Rock Crawler
1/18th, 4wd, $240 RTR
Its a rock crawler. Four wheel steering and rock crawler designed chassis all around.

Sportwerks
Recoil/Tailwhip
1/14th, 4wd, $160 RTR, $200 kit
I have the kit version, and I swear it is indestructable. Drivetrain and chassis. I have a Neu 1105/2y in it. Foam tires are needed for racing or even if you just have a brushless system. Popular for racing. Check if your lhs or track has a class for it.

Wind Hobby
-Ferrit
1/16th, 4wd, $???
Standard size servo. Not much parts support. There is a pretty big thread about it.

Xray
-M18, M18T, M18MT
1/18th, 4wd, $190-220 RTR, $115-215 Kit
Have pro kit versions which I have heard are VERY durable and race worthy. Similar to RC18 series. Go for X-ray to get best performance and durability. There is also a nitro version of the all the types: car, truck, and monster truck.

Nitro

CEN
-Mini G-unit, MG16, MG16-TC
1/16th, 4wd, $190-200 RTR
2.5 (.15) engine give tons of power. It is a good truck, even better when you consider the price.

Kyosho
-Mini Inferno 09
1/16th, 4wd, $200-415 RTR


Sportwerks
-Chaos
1/16th, 4wd, $80-120 RTR
Well, if you like really ugly bodies, this is the car for you. The diffs could use some help. The steering could too. This a very inexpensive nitro mini. Screw on fuel tank cap.

Xray
-N18, N18T, N18MT
1/18th, 4wd, $260 RTR

Batteries

Don't go cheap on batteries! Batteries are what makes and electric mini, especially a brushless one. For NiMh, IB and EP cells are what you should be looking for. People have had good luck with Elite 1500 cells too. SMC makes some really nice NiMH batteries. NiMH stands for Nickel Metal-Hydrate and NiCd or NiCad stands for Nickel Cadnium. These cells hace higer charge and discharge ratings, but usually less capacity then NiMH. These are not usually used in minis. The usual cell size for minis is 2/3a if you are making custom packs.

LiPo, or Lithium Polomer, are much better performing and can have higher capacity for the size then NiMh. A good mini lipo should cost 30-50 dollars. The Apogee 1500mah 2s LiMn is one of the best. It is Lithium Magnesium and is said to be safer than lipo; can be charged at 2C. The best, imo, is the Flightpower Evolight V2 1600mah 2s. It has very high power and is the best, and sometimes only, choice for high end brushless systems. When choosing a LiPo battery, don't just get the one with the highest capacity. Like said above, don't go cheap on batteries.

The "C" rating stands for capacity. To find the max discharge with a lipo battery, multiply the C rating by the actual capacity divided by 1,000. I.E. a 1200mah 20c battery will have a 24 amp capacity because 1.2 x 20 = 24a. the equation would be 20C=24,000 24,000/1000=24a. I personally divide the capacity by 1000, then I multiply it by the C rating.

Don't go cheap on batteries, but also know when you could get a better deal. I think that some losi batteries are expensive, especially the NiMh ones. I have never tried them, but if they were that good there would be more people using them.

Motors

There is only one question: brushless or brushed. It all depends on your performance needs and racing class. Lots of racing classes only allow certain turn brushed motors. There are maintainable brushed motors out there, I know there is one made by Orion. I'm not to big on brushed motors or escs though. Brushless is my thing.

Some things about brushless - The 1/18th Castle Creations motors are not very good. They are a good budget motor, but they just don't cut it for racing, especially offroad. This is true for a lot of other motors too, like the Losi and Dynamite C4. The Mamba ESCs are great though. The castle link is a great feature. The Quark 33a is another great option. If you have a very powerful brushless motor, you will need a bigger esc, like the 1/10th CC sidewinder.

The Novak Mongoose is coming out soon. It should be pretty fast. Me and some other people noticed the watt rating, which is basically the motor's power, is pretty low. We'll have to see how they perform when they come out. These are sensored motors, which a virtually cog-free. Most of the newer sensorless motors don't cog much, so don't let that hold you back from buying a sensorless system.

With most of these good motors, you don't really need a 3s lipo. Sure, a mamba 8k motor on 3s will be crazy fast, but what will it be geared? 11/45 in a vendetta? With some of these high end 4 pole motors you can get a motor of similar kv, run it on 2s, and gear it in the same vehicel 19/45 and it will be jsut as fast if not faster. Not to mention the motor wont burn a hole in the chassis...

If you want an amazing brushless motor for racing or for bashing, look into these. They are all 28mm motors, which is a little bigger in diameter then the stock brushed motor. Measure before you get one. They will fit into most vehicles, although with some you may need to modify the motor mount or something like that. These three motors are the ones that may require a 1/10th esc and some high discharge capable lipos, like the flighpower.

The first one is the Ammo. The 28mm 3900kv and 5100kv are the ones most being used for cars. These motors are amazing. The next one I recommend is the Permax 400/4D. These are not made anymore, and very hard to find. Try to get a 3.2mm shaft if you have a choice.

The best brushless motors, by far, are Neus. I have two Neu motors, 1105/2y (5100kv) and 1107/1.5d (8500kv). They are super high torque four pole motors like the permax. They will rip the gonads out of any stock drivetrain. They are vary hard on batteries. You can get Neu motors at castlecreations.com.



I know there is a lot of missing information. Please post or pm me any information you know that is not already up there. I hope this helps some people decide what to buy. Thanks for looking.