[magman]

First, Due to the weight of the savage, the mm esc is to small IMO. If you do switch to li-po batteries, I HIGHLY suggest getting a bigger esc like a mamba monster or a RX8 by Tekin. If you are planning on running a 4s li-po set up you will have to get a new esc anyway as the mm esc is only rated for 3s max.

Yes, a li-po setup done correctly will give you more power and run time.

If you try to skimp on your electronics...buying lower budget items, you will be disappointed and end up spending much more $ in the end.

Put it this way, a lot of guys w/Savages are running 5 and 6s set ups