From what I hear, If you have a need for mini speed, you'll want almost anything else other then the newer ECX 18th scale, since they have no real aftermarket parts support. you'll just be buying and breaking the same parts over and over. I think an rc18t would be a better choice for you if you want speed runs out of a mini. Maybe even a Mini-T if you're crazy like me (haven't finished mine yet, kinda hard to find the original plastic main gear cover for some reason. I might think about buying a loaner car until I decide to go full mod Franken-T.