AntimonyER
Member
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- Mazdaspeed3
In college I had always thought my next car would be a Mazda 6, while I was driving my Galant. Of course, that changed quickly when my chance to buy a Z06 came along. I always thought my dream car was a corvette, and it was fun, but after a couple of near death experiences (vettes are horrible rain cars if you wanted to know), and a desire for something slightly more practical, the MS3 article in C&D caught my eye. One test drive and I was ready to part ways with the vette.
Believe it or not, as a 22 year old who loves to race and drive fast cars, the MS3 brings more smiles than the vette ever did. Maybe it was just because the force of being pushed into the seat of the vette flattened them out, but either way, the MS3 is not the compromise I thought it would be.
Sure, it has straps for baby seats and 6 air bags for safety, and fold down back seats for that SUV-esque cargo space, but these are just extra benefits. This car is fast, not scary fast, but fast nonetheless. I have a little stretch of road that my roomates and I call the quarter mile, although it is not quite so, and while the vette hits 102, the MS3 still reaches a respectable 93. It probably should be a bigger difference, but there is a slight bump that puts the Z06 out of sorts, while the MS3 was solid throughout. As for torque steer, I have encountered minimal amounts a couple times, but after knowing what happens when you floor it in the vette with the wheels turned, I would consider any negative effects non-existent.
But the real difference between this car and the vette is the smoothness. You don't feel the speed in the MS3, which is why I am investing in a radar detector soon. 80 feels the same as 50, and even 120 is a breeze. And it is true not just for straightline speed. Slinging the car into corners is the most fun I have ever had. Nov. 19th is the next autocross, and you better believe I won't be holding back. I will give you all updates of how that goes. There is WRX running DS, and while he is more experienced than me, I hope to give him a run for his money. Now, all this talk has made me itch for a drive, so gotta go.
Believe it or not, as a 22 year old who loves to race and drive fast cars, the MS3 brings more smiles than the vette ever did. Maybe it was just because the force of being pushed into the seat of the vette flattened them out, but either way, the MS3 is not the compromise I thought it would be.
Sure, it has straps for baby seats and 6 air bags for safety, and fold down back seats for that SUV-esque cargo space, but these are just extra benefits. This car is fast, not scary fast, but fast nonetheless. I have a little stretch of road that my roomates and I call the quarter mile, although it is not quite so, and while the vette hits 102, the MS3 still reaches a respectable 93. It probably should be a bigger difference, but there is a slight bump that puts the Z06 out of sorts, while the MS3 was solid throughout. As for torque steer, I have encountered minimal amounts a couple times, but after knowing what happens when you floor it in the vette with the wheels turned, I would consider any negative effects non-existent.
But the real difference between this car and the vette is the smoothness. You don't feel the speed in the MS3, which is why I am investing in a radar detector soon. 80 feels the same as 50, and even 120 is a breeze. And it is true not just for straightline speed. Slinging the car into corners is the most fun I have ever had. Nov. 19th is the next autocross, and you better believe I won't be holding back. I will give you all updates of how that goes. There is WRX running DS, and while he is more experienced than me, I hope to give him a run for his money. Now, all this talk has made me itch for a drive, so gotta go.
