oOple forum member NISMO has an excellent Tamiya Avante re-release build thread and comparison to the original 1988 version of Tamiyas 'competition' race buggy.
I'm not sure how the Avante would stand up to todays Tamiya shaft-driven 4WD racer, the TRF502X - but you can check out Nismos thread here:
http://www.oople.com/forums/showthre...d=1#post457694