Alright, nothing technical, here goes!
I'd start with a prime lens. Here's the low down from my experience: a 50mm (1.8 or 1.4) is a great lens to start with. It gives you the classic "through the eye", "human perception" focal length. I use my 50mm 1.8 a lot. The sharpness in the center is stellar, while the sharpness on the edges is also worth noting as very good, especially compared to a kit lens. 1.8 lenses are cheap also, 1.4 are more. Bokeh is ok, not great, but ok.
85mm 1.8: Awesome, awesome, awesome lens, period. Tack sharp all over, even at extreme corners. The good thing about the 85mm is it gives you a voyeuristic perspective compared to a 50mm. This perspective is used A LOT in car photography in order to single out the subject car. The 1.8 at this length too gives you a melted away background. Priced around the same as the 50mm 1.4, I'd opt for a cheap 50 1.8 and an 85 1.8 (thats what I use).
One thing to also note is that under low lighting, both lenses sometimes suffer from an inability to focus on what you want them to. This can be frustrating, but there are ways around it, so when it inevitably happens, don't get discouraged.
Flashes: Ok, this is more complicated. Using flashes properly takes skill, time, and patience. How many do I use, where do I put them, how much power, aperture, composition, etc? There are many good guides to be found to start learning, most of which I find at book stores actually, not online. Plus, there is no replacement for experience. Every location is different, therefore every shoot is different. Once you learn the fundamentals, the rest falls into place.
Sorry for the novel, but I hope this helps you out. You have a good eye, that much I can see. Once you learn some new techniques, you'll really enjoy what you can do!
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