Tony_Montana

lol, but ya its cause im in the market to buy a car, and im considering the G35, RX8, and the R32. SO ya.

Ike

Just to update you a bit the 05 Evo MR just turned a 1:26.0 on the Topgear test track which is .2 seconds off the Lamborghini Gallardo and faster than a Lotus Exige and Porsche 911 GT3. The 05 STi turned a 129.4 (had pretty bad understeer but still turned a fast lap) Too bad they're just "supped up econboxes" and "only for the "drag racing crowd" :p

mitchfried

Maybe the issue isn't how much horsepower or torque the car has from the factory. Seems quick to me, but many of the people who buy a car based on performance inage and advanced technology like to modify their rides for additional power. To date, their aren't a lot of mods to make substantial gains in hp and torque. So perhaps the feeling that you can't do better power-wise with the car is frustating some owners. You know the mods will be coming.

The Miata is a good example of a low power (until the Mazdaspeed) fun to drive car with lots of hop up options. Buy an old Mustang GT for $7,500, put about $5,000 in mods and bingo! Tire melting power. But it's still a Mustang.

Keep in mind that a mid 6 0-60 time is quick, just not as fast as some other cars. For those RX-8 owners with automatic, you have a legitimate beef, but at least Mazda offers an automatic.

If you really want to feel depressed, the new Buick LaCrosse, the replacement for the Regal, has an estimated 0-60 time of 6.7 with automatic and 3.6 liter engine. So don't challenge your grandma to a drag race....autocross her.

Ike

There are plenty of fast Regals as well. If you see a Regal (late 80s model to current) that looks like it might be modded I suggest you stay away.

I think you're right with your first point, I know a large amount of the appeal to cars for me is their modability because I know I will get bored and want more power. For that reason alone I'll probably always own a car with FI, they're just so cheap and easy to make faster.
I went a more expensive route but had I wanted to go the cheapest route I could have made about 80hp at the crank for under $500.

zevans

Ah, but the more often you do it, the better you get. :D

I sort of agree and disagree with that at the same time... there's a certain point where a car is just plain quick and once you're beyond that point it makes no difference. It was great fun smacking the crap out of a 350hp+ Z initially but the novelty wore off pretty quickly, and now I've bought a true driver's car instead (i.e. the rex.) It's fractionally slower in a straight line but it's no biggy, still scarey enough for a public road.

Different car totally. Yes, it's a rotary, but it's NA. Shoulda bought something else with sequential tubs if you wanted to feel like a 7 all over again. I mean, you wouldn't buy a FWD car and then complain about the lack of power oversteer, would you?

Kudos to Mazda for NOT getting involved in the HP wars. They designed a CAR, not a bunch of vac plumbing with four wheels attached somewhere. (Can you say S4?)

Yes, but not at this price point!

One of the reasons I bought yellow is because it's not metallic - so the odd stone chip can be fixed. :D

zevans

Actually... a specific question - why didn't you buy a VX220?

Ike

I'd LOVE one!

1.) I live in Wisconsin and the winters are nasty and I just can't justify owning two cars.

2.) It's not available in North America :p

3.) Can you sneak one into the US for a good price, I could probably justify owning two cars if I really tried