I ended up going with the xray finally and am super happy with it. I have only ran 6 battery packs through it so far, but I have not broken a single thing. Running an 8.5 on a 92x48 indoor clay track and it has plenty of power. Very well designed vehicle, good quality parts, fit and finish is top notch. This is my first 4wd buggy ever, and I am very happy with it. First race out I tq'ed (9 cars in the class), but made too many mistakes in the main and ended up 3rd. The base setup is easy to drive. It jumps well. Not much more I can say. Good stuff.
Jason