Cars We Drive!

[A Y]

A while ago, one of the instructors at a BMW CCA track day had a Cobb-tuned WRX. The damned car caught on fire on-track right in front of me and had to pull off to the side, mostly due to an oil leak that came in contact with a hot engine. The car was very fast when it worked, but what you had to put up with (beyond the catching fire part) was pretty unacceptable. Every stock car right now has capabilities beyond >99% of the driving population anyway, so modding for performance reasons is kind of pointless: it basically reinforces bad habits instead of teaching you how to drive properly.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I'd much rather driving dynamics to sheer speed.

 

[M635Guy]

I'd much rather driving dynamics to sheer speed.

Preach brother

 

[M635Guy]

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yuck

 

[javyn]

Garbage. Particularly if you like spirited or ‘performance’ driving. Good news is that you don’t have to get one even in cars with smaller engines or a focus on fuel economy. Plenty of options out there with a perfectly good automatic transmission with gears. Or even a few with manual

What do ya mean by performance? I like to drive like a maniac on the freeway but want something with good mileage since I spend 80% of my driving time in bumper to bumper rush hour.

 

[TheFoo]

What do ya mean by performance? I like to drive like a maniac on the freeway but want something with good mileage since I spend 80% of my driving time in bumper to bumper rush hour.

They generally don’t let you rev to redline because they are designed/programmed for efficiency. Instead they’ll hold you at a conservative RPM range. Takes away a lot of the fun.

 

[TheFoo]

Okay, this is very pretty:

 

[Jmm722]

Okay, this is very pretty:

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I've seen a few on the road, they're great looking. They have incredible interiors and a great N/A V8. I guess it's an S-Coupe, 8 series competitor for far less $$

 

[TheFoo]

But, you have not experienced them built to the spec of your car.

Your car is a beast. It it has a target on it. Because if you and others want to say it is the benchmark?
You are the new guys. paying your way in.


a 400+hp streetcar, built right, will dance around a GT3.

Let’s look at just the engine. Yes, you can easily eek out 500+ HP from a relatively pedestrian motor with a turbocharger or supercharger, but such a drivetrain will not have the same linearity, durability, sound, or redline as the GT3’s naturally aspirated flat-6. I don’t think there is a cheaper way to replicate that engine’s 125 HP per liter output or its character. Porsche claims it is likely the most expensive series production motor for sale right now—yes, that includes Ferraris and Lambos.

 

[HRoi]

What do ya mean by performance? I like to drive like a maniac on the freeway but want something with good mileage since I spend 80% of my driving time in bumper to bumper rush hour.

Besides what Foo said, they make everything about the powertrain kind of vague and disconnected. And it’s really disconcerting not ever feeling the transmission shift. The early ones also had really terrible NVH and reliability...don’t know if that ever improved

 

[TheFoo]

I've seen a few on the road, they're great looking. They have incredible interiors and a great N/A V8. I guess it's an S-Coupe, 8 series competitor for far less $$

Yeah they sound great. I usually think the styling details are too fussy and disruptive, but that special green blends with them in a way that makes everything look more cohesive. Overall stance, proportions, and shape have always been very nice.

 

[brokencycle]

I test drove one about a year ago. I commented that it was enjoyable to drive. In sport+ it was fun to drive and the throttle was very responsive. I like the styling, it is very comfortable obviously. Only thing I didn't like was the fact it had back seats.

 

[Piobaire]

I test drove one about a year ago. I commented that it was enjoyable to drive. In sport+ it was fun to drive and the throttle was very responsive. I like the styling, it is very comfortable obviously. Only thing I didn't like was the fact it had back seats.

I'm surprised they let you test drive an RX350 let alone that.

 

[brokencycle]

I'm surprised they let you test drive an RX350 let alone that.

I had my GS in for service. They had just arrived with the new LS500. Drove them both.

 

[Piobaire]

How many did they have on the lot?