Torch (might have been a type earlier… 
)
Flashlight - USA
Torch - UK
Same thing. 
Yes a C8 will offer good throw for it’s size. Although they use an XM-L2 LED emitter. This emitter is physically large, so you have a large hot spot and bright spill beam too.
Hot spot is the bright centre part of the beam.
Spill is the less bright outer part of the beam.
The C8 should offer a beam a bit like this:
If you want more of a pencil beam with less spill then there are other options.
Flashlights that use smaller LED’s will have lower output, but a higher surface brightness. This translates into a narrow beam that can throw even further and less bright spill beam.
There are also special optics (aspheric lenses) which have no spill beam at all and can produce a very tightly focused beam of light. Such lights are often called zoomies as they also have a flood mode.
Some pics to help explain.
This is an XP-E which is an old emitter and is making maybe 180 lumens, the light above which is like the C8 makes 700 lumens. So there is a big difference in numbers.
Note the hot spot is much smaller and the spill less bright:
But despite this, due to the LED being physically small it can still throw a beam of light just as (slightly further infact), but it does illuminate a smaller area.
This is a Zoomy. The trick with these is they can offer extremes.
On full throw, note there is no spill at all:
On full flood, lights up a lot, but only very short distances:
The big down side to zoomy lights is they can’t do both at the same time. So it depends what you want to use them for, they either offer the best or the worst depending on your view point.
Honestly I’d be amazed if you were disappointed with the C8 I listed. But if you want more of a pencil beam, then this is a fantastic offering and as cheap as chips:
http://www.dx.com/p/jacob-a60-cree-q5-3-mode-310lm-white-led-flashlight-w-strap-black-1-x-18650-114268#.U2JGgfldVZg
I think you asked about tints (neutral, etc,)
This is the colour of the LED. For the most part most off the shelf torches, premium and budget alike are cool white (CW). This is the ice white colour many associate with modern LED lights (not the blue white of cheap nasty junk).
CW will generally offer the highest output and works well for most things. But it will reduce the colour rendition making things seem a little more grey coloured and less vibrant.
Neutral white (NW) is a warmer tone and will offer more accurate colours. This is much nicer if you are likely to be using the light in wooded or grass areas.
Warm white (WW) is even warmer. I actually quite like this tint as it’s very pleasing and easy going on the eye. But it can make white things look a little yellow/brown.
In terms of modes. Many lights have different output settings. This is because on High they can be too bright to use up close, or get too hot too quickly or will have very short run times.
Having different output levels gives choice to use the light in different situations.
Some lights also have blinky modes such as strobe or SOS. While I can see these being handy, it is a far more specialist use and something most people just don’t need.
The big trick is the UI (user interface). A good UI means the modes you want are easy to get at and modes you don’t need or use often are hidden until you need them. Budget lights tend to have simple UI’s while premium ones often have superior UI’s. Although this isn’t always the case.
2 or 3 modes and no blinky modes at all make a light easy to use IMO. If I have a need for a strobe I’d rather a light is dedicated to accessing it quickly which most aren’t.