This seems to happen to me a lot lately (am I imagining things?). I know the 8 isn't superb off the line, but I generally don't bother taking off with a fast start anyway.

Recently, at lights, I'll see a vehicle next to me take off at about the same speed. Then about half-way through second I'll notice that they are still even (because I'm not racing), and speed up a little -- usually because I want to change into their lane ahead of them, not behind them. Then they gun it, like they're going to race (wtf?).

So I go to 9K in 2nd and 3rd and smoke by them. I guess the question is: why do they bother? If I'm not taking them off the line in an aggressive fashion, why would they think I'm going to waste my time racing them in 2nd or 3rd?

 

They like the pain.... like those S&M folks... (not that there's anything wrong with that :D )

Literatii, I'm sure that many people experience the same thing with all nice sport cars.

I also find that people drive aggressively around me. I drive very decently when there's other cars around, mostly because I don't trust anyone (see my Minivan Doofus poll). People seem to want to cut in front quite often (maybe because I leave a FREAKING 1.0 car lengths between me and the car in front!!!). Anyways, it's usually the guy driving the SunFire (built for drivers) that drives like a bozo.

From Montreal Gazette article:

"Eric Gauthier should be sent to prison for driving his Pontiac Sunfire at 157 kilometres an hour down Ste. Catherine St. E. and crashing into 20-year-old Yacine Zinet, killing him, ..."

Sorry to be so morbid.... However, I do like streching the car's legs when nobody's around... Just ignore those Sunfire POS.

 

i've been there... all i do is drop it in 2nd or 3rd at 7-8 RPM and just fly by.

 

I just slow down (if there's not too much traffic behind me) and let them speed away looking like the fool they are in their POS cars
the funniest was yesterday when it was all sunny and I KNOW there's always motorcycle cops giving out tickets on this road I know and this guy was speeding up when I try to merge into his lane. so I speed up as well just to get him riled up and then I slow down just before the radar cops site and he got nailed :p

 

It may just be that they wanted to keep up with you to take a better look at the car.

 

I know this car is "officially" down to 238HP, but let's face it:

How many cars that are "racing" you are at 238 HP or more??

They are mostly wieners. We have a great car, and even at a mere $40K or so, we are out of most people's league. Most are little boys, dreaming little boy dreams.

Know what we have... the "little people" matter not.

(Flame suit on).

 

true...
kinda thinking of a bumper sticker saying "I don't play in traffic" to those straight line heros...

 

I find its usually the kids in their "Sweet" Civics with the big coffee can on the back, and the 2: road clearance.....it happens all the time.

 

No, not always underacheiving POS cars with delusions of grandeur trying to race u. Yesterday, this idiot in a BMW 3 tailgates me for two blocks in a residential 30 km zone. I'm already doing 46-50 kph. The street widens to 2 lanes and he swings out into the left lane in an automotive equivalent to giving me the 1-finger salute. He had the jump on me by about a half a second. As he pulls alongside me, I look over, he seems to Mr Button Down Normal. In fact, it could even be working down the hall from me and I wouldn't know it.
I usually don't race on the street, but I woke up on the wrong side of bed yesterday, wasn't in a good mood. I just had to smoke him, so I did.