The car matters very little at the stage you are at . What you really need is a radio you can grow with , and electronics that aren't throw away cheap. Any chassis from the last 5 years or so will be more than enough to get into the game. I personally deplore the TLR cars for a lot of reasons . Some people love them . What matters is reliability right now . Doesn't matter what car you have , if you cant finish a qualifier without having to get marshaled , driving is the hold back . Choose a car a lot of your local racers run , that will be a plus when it comes to help and support. Used 8 3.0 around here go for $200 bucks . You may find a rig ready to race for a great price from a local racer who is upgrading . Great option . But practice , reliability , and tires are going to get you 90% of the way there