Proceed
The speed largely depends on what YOU do to it. I have owned several 1/8th cars over the last 10-15 years. Picco Genisis, Parsec Sigma NC4, BMT austin light, serpent vector, and HPI Proceed. They were all good cars. I raced them on racetracks and not in parking lots. The speed was generated by the engines that I ran (mostly RB Concepts). Also how I geared them, the clutch setup and Fuel. They all can ge geared differently but on a racetrack, you do have areas where you need to shift at in order to post quick, fast laptimes.
If you are just playing around then the HPI would be a great car, but honestly they all are good for that. If you plan on racing one and want to be competitive then probably not. I say that because most racers at your club would probably not be able to help you out when you're in a bind.
Steve