Joel,
There's no secret to making good models - just try to have fun, learn from the experiences you'll have (how do you think we all learned? From our mistakes!!), and have the same patience you show when you build bikes. Car models are just the same, really. They just have 4 wheels.
Take your time preparing the body (as you would with the fairings on a bike), make sure you test fit everything so you don't have nasty surprises AFTER the thing has been painted, and take your time. More importantly, take your time. Did I mention that you should take your time?
I've ruined countless finishes by rushing the build. Take your time!
I haven't yet built the Peugeot WRC yet, but I'd think it's safe to say that just about ANY Tamiya model will be trouble free. In fact, I've found that you have to be pretty heavy handed to actually have any problems with any Tamiya kit.
When you get a little further into the build, feel free to ask any specific questions - and better still, post a few pictures as you build the thing. We all love to see other people's work.