After running the car now for a solid amount of time I'd like to suggest any new owners at least look into these upgrades:
1) full aluminum steering rack upgrade is a must
2) I've found I really like the front aluminum 25/30 degree hinge pin holders available (no Kyosho upgrade part for this AFAIK) and adds a nice extra bit of durability for club racing, and the stock one is hard to get enough torque on the set screws to keep the pins from moving around a bit without stripping the plastic out
3) rear-front and rear hinge pin holders with inserts. IMO these are a must
4) the tie-rods included in the kit are pretty thin and fragile
5) kind of disappointed in the amount of slop in the upper and lower shock mounts, but seems to have no effect on handling at all regardless
6) IMO not really a 'must' but I've got the V2 rear hubs and like them over the stock ones... another bunch of $ for upgrades on an already expensive kit
Overall the kit and layout are very well designed and clean. Love the mounting options and the cleanliness and ample amount of space provided in the chassis for a variety of configurations. This thing performs well, and it jumps and lands very nicely. Awesome kit overall. My main complaints comes down to what's included for the price tag of the kit. For a 1:10 scale electric 2WD buggy this thing is overpriced for what it includes. I don't mind paying for quality, but this is beyond what you'd pay for purely a name and quality.
Would I want any other kit? Nope! I love this one, and it's durable enough and the looks of the buggy (and stock body) are awesome compared to the other kits.
**forgot, you definitely want the WC red slipper set if you're running mod. The stock slipper pads are stupidly small and no amount of torque on the nut can get the slipper to adjust reliably. Also, the WC slipper spring set is a good upgrade vs. the two stock plastic pieces that sit on either side of the spring.