RX-8 gets 11th in Winding Road's Top 50
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RX-8 gets 11th in Winding Road's Top 50
If you haven't already, you definitely need to subscribe to Winding Road , an online sports car enthusiast magazine, Greart articles. The last 3 months have been going through the top 50 (in their opinion)sports cars. The current issue was looking at 11-20 and the RX-8 got 11th!! Top 10 is in the next issue. Sure does affirm my selection of the car to drive (that I can afford)
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For those too lazy to google: http://www.windingroad.com/
Get it while it's hot!
Here's the top 50 - 11:
Jeep Wrangler
Saleen
Jaguar S-Type R
BMW 645 Ci
Subaru Legacy
Volvo V70R
VW Beetle
BMW Z4
Lamborghini Murcielago
Audi TT 3.2
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Mercedes-Benz SL600
Dodge Viper SRT-10
Bentley Continental GT
Subaru Impreza WRX
Aston Martin Vanquish
Mosler MT900S
Maserati GranSport
Lexus IS 300
VW Golf TDI
Jaguar XJ
Ford Focus
Infiniti G35
Lexus GS
Acura NSX
Volvo S40/V50
Lamborghini Gallardo
Bentley Arnage
Ferrari 575M Maranello
Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG
Audi S4
Mercedes-Benz SLK
BMW M3
Mazda 3
Nissan 350Z
BMW 5-series
Ford GT
Honda S2000
Maserati Quattroporte
Mazda RX-8
Get it while it's hot!
Here's the top 50 - 11:
Jeep Wrangler
Saleen
Jaguar S-Type R
BMW 645 Ci
Subaru Legacy
Volvo V70R
VW Beetle
BMW Z4
Lamborghini Murcielago
Audi TT 3.2
Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Mercedes-Benz SL600
Dodge Viper SRT-10
Bentley Continental GT
Subaru Impreza WRX
Aston Martin Vanquish
Mosler MT900S
Maserati GranSport
Lexus IS 300
VW Golf TDI
Jaguar XJ
Ford Focus
Infiniti G35
Lexus GS
Acura NSX
Volvo S40/V50
Lamborghini Gallardo
Bentley Arnage
Ferrari 575M Maranello
Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG
Audi S4
Mercedes-Benz SLK
BMW M3
Mazda 3
Nissan 350Z
BMW 5-series
Ford GT
Honda S2000
Maserati Quattroporte
Mazda RX-8
#7
No, it's ordered. In one of their blurbs they said something like "how did this end up so low on our list?".
But they also mention that they value certain things more. The RX-8 has a lot of the stuff they value. (They say they love 2 seater roadsters and the RX-8 is pretty close to one). They also say indirectly that bang for the buck is important. For one of the Lambos they put it fairly low; they said it was an awesome car to drive, but really you can get a driving experience pretty close to it for like 30% of the price.
They also have a "shoot out" between the RX-8, Volvo S40, and Evolution VIII. Strange combination of cars to have a comparo with but whatever. They said the S40 was surprisingly good (keeping decent pace with the Evo). They didn't have a clear winner for that, but they said the Evo was obviously the fastest but it was also the most tiring to drive and if the Evo was too ugly and too intense, the RX-8 is the car you want. The S40 was good but in the end just not involving enough.
It's a pretty cool mag. I just signed up. All you need is an email address. I gave them my "junk" email address.
But they also mention that they value certain things more. The RX-8 has a lot of the stuff they value. (They say they love 2 seater roadsters and the RX-8 is pretty close to one). They also say indirectly that bang for the buck is important. For one of the Lambos they put it fairly low; they said it was an awesome car to drive, but really you can get a driving experience pretty close to it for like 30% of the price.
They also have a "shoot out" between the RX-8, Volvo S40, and Evolution VIII. Strange combination of cars to have a comparo with but whatever. They said the S40 was surprisingly good (keeping decent pace with the Evo). They didn't have a clear winner for that, but they said the Evo was obviously the fastest but it was also the most tiring to drive and if the Evo was too ugly and too intense, the RX-8 is the car you want. The S40 was good but in the end just not involving enough.
It's a pretty cool mag. I just signed up. All you need is an email address. I gave them my "junk" email address.
#8
Originally Posted by spork
No, it's ordered. In one of their blurbs they said something like "how did this end up so low on our list?".
But they also mention that they value certain things more. The RX-8 has a lot of the stuff they value. (They say they love 2 seater roadsters and the RX-8 is pretty close to one). They also say indirectly that bang for the buck is important. For one of the Lambos they put it fairly low; they said it was an awesome car to drive, but really you can get a driving experience pretty close to it for like 30% of the price.
They also have a "shoot out" between the RX-8, Volvo S40, and Evolution VIII. Strange combination of cars to have a comparo with but whatever. They said the S40 was surprisingly good (keeping decent pace with the Evo). They didn't have a clear winner for that, but they said the Evo was obviously the fastest but it was also the most tiring to drive and if the Evo was too ugly and too intense, the RX-8 is the car you want. The S40 was good but in the end just not involving enough.
It's a pretty cool mag. I just signed up. All you need is an email address. I gave them my "junk" email address.
But they also mention that they value certain things more. The RX-8 has a lot of the stuff they value. (They say they love 2 seater roadsters and the RX-8 is pretty close to one). They also say indirectly that bang for the buck is important. For one of the Lambos they put it fairly low; they said it was an awesome car to drive, but really you can get a driving experience pretty close to it for like 30% of the price.
They also have a "shoot out" between the RX-8, Volvo S40, and Evolution VIII. Strange combination of cars to have a comparo with but whatever. They said the S40 was surprisingly good (keeping decent pace with the Evo). They didn't have a clear winner for that, but they said the Evo was obviously the fastest but it was also the most tiring to drive and if the Evo was too ugly and too intense, the RX-8 is the car you want. The S40 was good but in the end just not involving enough.
It's a pretty cool mag. I just signed up. All you need is an email address. I gave them my "junk" email address.
#9
this list is kinda bs...
a mazda 3 beating out a m3???
s2000 losing to rx8? i mean i love the rx8, but the s2000 is MORE fun on the twisties...
i've driven a quattraporte... and that car handles way better then the 8 and the s2k... this magazine seems very bias... :/
a mazda 3 beating out a m3???
s2000 losing to rx8? i mean i love the rx8, but the s2000 is MORE fun on the twisties...
i've driven a quattraporte... and that car handles way better then the 8 and the s2k... this magazine seems very bias... :/
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Originally Posted by spork
No, it's ordered. In one of their blurbs they said something like "how did this end up so low on our list?".
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Originally Posted by Mikelikes2drive
this list is kinda bs...
a mazda 3 beating out a m3???
s2000 losing to rx8? i mean i love the rx8, but the s2000 is MORE fun on the twisties...
i've driven a quattraporte... and that car handles way better then the 8 and the s2k... this magazine seems very bias... :/
a mazda 3 beating out a m3???
s2000 losing to rx8? i mean i love the rx8, but the s2000 is MORE fun on the twisties...
i've driven a quattraporte... and that car handles way better then the 8 and the s2k... this magazine seems very bias... :/
As far as the magazine being bias, I'd recommend you download one of their issues and read an article or two. I personally find them far from bias. They go into way more detail in their comparisons than most other magazines.
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Ahhh...I found the reasoning behind their Top 50
Casting all caution to the wind, we present here the first installment of our Top
50 rankings. Our intent is to regularly give you our admittedly iconoclastic view of
the best 50 cars currently sold in these United States. This first installment covers
cars ranked 50 through 41. Each of our next issues will cover 10 additional cars
until we’ve wound our way down (up?) to the Top 10.
Why have a Top 50? Oh, grasshopper, many reasons. First of all, we wanted to
do it. We had the feeling that there were really only about 50 good driver’s cars on
sale. And, after working assiduously through most of the cars on sale, we have to
say that 50 is about right. As you get above that number, you start running into
cars that are pretty much hands-down inferior to those already on the list. Some
examples of what didn’t make the cut: Mercedes S500, Porsche Cayenne S,
Cadillac XLR, Chrysler Crossfire, and many more cars that are too big, too soft, too
tall, too heavy, too dispassionate, or too pointless.
The second big reason is that by comparing cars overall, not by category, you get
some really interesting results. When you look at some of the rankings, you’ll
probably say “What the X%#$?.” We say “drive them.”
Our rankings are based mainly on our view of just two questions – is this a good
driver’s car and is it a good value? Recognizing that practical factors are a reality
for most if not all, we throw in some thoughts about stuff like fuel economy,
passenger comfort, and specialized capabilities as tie-breakers.
We hope you enjoy the list. Send your accolades, comments, and hate mail to
editor@windingroad.com.
50 rankings. Our intent is to regularly give you our admittedly iconoclastic view of
the best 50 cars currently sold in these United States. This first installment covers
cars ranked 50 through 41. Each of our next issues will cover 10 additional cars
until we’ve wound our way down (up?) to the Top 10.
Why have a Top 50? Oh, grasshopper, many reasons. First of all, we wanted to
do it. We had the feeling that there were really only about 50 good driver’s cars on
sale. And, after working assiduously through most of the cars on sale, we have to
say that 50 is about right. As you get above that number, you start running into
cars that are pretty much hands-down inferior to those already on the list. Some
examples of what didn’t make the cut: Mercedes S500, Porsche Cayenne S,
Cadillac XLR, Chrysler Crossfire, and many more cars that are too big, too soft, too
tall, too heavy, too dispassionate, or too pointless.
The second big reason is that by comparing cars overall, not by category, you get
some really interesting results. When you look at some of the rankings, you’ll
probably say “What the X%#$?.” We say “drive them.”
Our rankings are based mainly on our view of just two questions – is this a good
driver’s car and is it a good value? Recognizing that practical factors are a reality
for most if not all, we throw in some thoughts about stuff like fuel economy,
passenger comfort, and specialized capabilities as tie-breakers.
We hope you enjoy the list. Send your accolades, comments, and hate mail to
editor@windingroad.com.
#14
Originally Posted by TODreamer
which edition is this shoot out in?
but again, it's a really strange combination to do a comparo with. sounds unbiased which i like. when people talk up cars too much it makes me feel like everything they say has to be taken with a grain of salt.
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Maybe the Mini is in the top 10 as well.
Ford focus? WTF? I've owned 2 of them, both 5 speeds and they were very underpowered. I could see the SVT perhaps but not the base model.
FWD sucks.
Ford focus? WTF? I've owned 2 of them, both 5 speeds and they were very underpowered. I could see the SVT perhaps but not the base model.
FWD sucks.
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Here's my guess for the last ten: Porsche 911, Porsche Boxster S, Mitsubishi Evo 8, Subaru STI, Mazda Miata, Mini Cooper S, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Ferrari 430 Spider, Porsche CARRERA GT, and lastly the 86 Toyota Corolla from Initial D. The 86 Hachi Go would be in first place, the others is not in order.
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"is this a good driver’s car and is it a good value?"
Viewing thier list i would say they place more on the latter than the former. I love my 8 but there's no way i can say with a straight face it's a better 'drivers' car than a Viper SRT-10, or many other on that list so far. I can almost understand it beating out cars like the Quattroporte - my favourite sport sedan - based on price but it does seem like a strange ranking system. Kind of a subjective 'we like these best' as opposed to an objective or quantified system. Still good read.
Viewing thier list i would say they place more on the latter than the former. I love my 8 but there's no way i can say with a straight face it's a better 'drivers' car than a Viper SRT-10, or many other on that list so far. I can almost understand it beating out cars like the Quattroporte - my favourite sport sedan - based on price but it does seem like a strange ranking system. Kind of a subjective 'we like these best' as opposed to an objective or quantified system. Still good read.
#22
Originally Posted by Machan
Maybe the Mini is in the top 10 as well.
Ford focus? WTF? I've owned 2 of them, both 5 speeds and they were very underpowered. I could see the SVT perhaps but not the base model.
FWD sucks.
Ford focus? WTF? I've owned 2 of them, both 5 speeds and they were very underpowered. I could see the SVT perhaps but not the base model.
FWD sucks.
#23
Originally Posted by Smoke Honda
Here's my guess for the last ten: Porsche 911, Porsche Boxster S, Mitsubishi Evo 8, Subaru STI, Mazda Miata, Mini Cooper S, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Ferrari 430 Spider, Porsche CARRERA GT, and lastly the 86 Toyota Corolla from Initial D. The 86 Hachi Go would be in first place, the others is not in order.
Corvette (the true best buy in performance vehicles)
Evo
STi (I think they might group the Evo & STi as one vehicle... what Pros and Cons do they NOT share?)
Porsche Boxter
Mazda Miata
Mini Cooper S
BMW 3-Series
Porsche 911
Lotus Elise
Dodge SRT-4
Toyota MR-2
And the alternates:
Mustang GT? 300 horses for $25K...
Pontiac GTO? 400 horses for $35K....
Nissan Altima? hey, the Focus made the list...
Chevy Cobalt SS?
Honda Civic Si? again, Focus...
Scion TC?
Acura RSX?
Ferrari 360? If they've got the other 2, you'd expect to see this one...
Last edited by Apophis; 06-13-2005 at 05:21 PM.
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Originally Posted by Apophis
For a car that starts at $14K, it has pretty darn good pickup and handling, IMO... again... for $14K...
It has a little more grunt the 2.0 l focuses that I've owned in the past which only had 135 hp IIRC. Now that I know how to heel and toe downshift, I could probably have more fun with those little 135 hp cars though.
I do like the Focus SVT which was an incredible value. Some were selling for 14-15K brand new before it was discontinued.
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Originally Posted by penman
"is this a good driver’s car and is it a good value?"
Viewing thier list i would say they place more on the latter than the former. I love my 8 but there's no way i can say with a straight face it's a better 'drivers' car than a Viper SRT-10.
Viewing thier list i would say they place more on the latter than the former. I love my 8 but there's no way i can say with a straight face it's a better 'drivers' car than a Viper SRT-10.
This is the whole reason for the trip. You drive this road, fully expecting broken pavement, chuckholes, and hidden wet-dry transitions mid-apex. You don't care; you drive the road because that's why you bought the car, and that's what you do.
Given this scenario, do you still think the Viper is the better "driver's car?" It's a better performance car for sure, and a better track car, but to me a great "driver's car" is one that rewards under these conditions, and that demands an artful blend of performance, comfort, predictability, and tactility. It’s got to excite you but also handle unexpected changes in conditions, and then it’s got to keep you well-coddled for those inevitable boring stretches between the adrenaline.
Is the RX-8 the perfect driver’s car? No, but it’s a damn good one. I’ll reserve my personal judgment of a Viper until I drive one, but based on what I’ve read I’m not surprised to see it down on the list of “drivers cars.”