[magman]

If you want long run times...the Neu motors are a must. 30+ min. on a battery in race conditions may be a stretch w/5k batts. You would probably need 6-8000mah batts. to make that long time...prob. is the extra weight of the bigger batts. The MMM is a great choice for a esc. Castle has just about worked the bugs out and it is v/smooth.
As far as a buggy goes..how deep are your pockets? the "premier buggies IMO are"
1. X-Ray 808
2. Mugen mbx-6
3. Associated/Losi

I own a mbx-5 Mugen and love it.