Typically the car kit includes the clutch and flywheel parts.
As for engines, I would recommend the V-spec. I just bought mine last Friday from Tower Hobbies ($299US
) but love it. I changed over from the Force .26 and was instantly impressed with the fuel economy of the V-Spec. RCNitro did a review of this engine and they were equally impressed (2.93HP @ 28,000).
Make sure you invest in a good 3-stage air filter otherwise kiss your engine goodbye. The motor saver is good ($20US)
Jabba,
Did your friends break in the engine the same way? I'm thinking that maybe an incorrect break-in led to your friend's problems. I've ran 11 tanks (145ml each) and the engine still has crazy pinch and compression. I think that even though the manual says 1/2 gallon break in, more is required. I just recently started tuning for performance.