Okay...we all know that our cars forte is NOT in the power department...but rather in its handling....and how we can kick some SERIOUS butt in the twisities....well...today my nephew got the August issue of Motortrend...and in the back, on page 133, is a guide for people choosing a car. there are the results of testing of 255 different cars/trucks.....and I was tickled to delight to see the company we keep in respect to running the twisities....i.e. the 600 ft. slalom. of all 255 vehicles in the list...ONLY 39 ran the course faster than us.....the ONLY car even in our class was the Matrix....it bearly edged us out by .5 MPH......but folks, other than that....to get a car that runs the twisties faster than us...you had to start putting down 10's of thousands of dollars more than we paid for our cars to do it.....we stand in VERY good company....and when you see the cars that could NOT hang with us....it even makes you smile even more. there was not a single Mercedes that could hang with us....close...but no cigar, the only HONDA that took us was the '02 S2000, it really made me smile when it showed that the ONLY corvette that took us was the ZO6, we could out run the rest in the twistie run.....WE ROCK!!!!!
stormin the twisties
- Thread starter Sir Nuke
- Start date
LinuxRacr said:Nuke,
I am big cheesin here!
That is good news indeed! It's one thing to have speed, but to be blown away by a car of far less prowless in the engine compartment.....Priceless!!
isn't it though.....I would have typed out the impressive list of the big hitters that are slower in the slalom but it would have taken a while.....needless to say......if we were chasin some of those boys through the twisties and they were serious twisties with little or no straights.....we would stay planted squarly in their rear view mirrors....MUCH to their surprise!!
banned bandit
Member
hehehe that means are cars have a better chance at out running the cops on those 90 degree turns
Road & Track
I'm sure you've seen this, but here's a little list from the June 2002 issue
Great Grip cars!
Mazda MP3 came in dead last (mainly because of power woes)
"who were the other 7?" you may ask...
Ferrari 360 Modena
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Porsche 911 turbo
Lotus Elise
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII (the euro model)
BMW M3 Coupe
Porsche Boxter S
For the record, most of these cars beat MY CAR by smallish margins in the turns and Gs, only seriously punishing MY CAR (hee hee) in pure acceleration numbers. The one area where they really gut-stomped MY CAR was (drum roll) PRICE. The EVO VII was next cheapest at a whopping $36K. And the Modena nosebleeds at nearly $200K. Give me 17000 bucks to spend on MY CAR (I just never get tired of saying it), and I believe I could catch the EVO and be slapping the hind quarters of the rest of the pack just to urge them on.
PLUS! MY CAR has a kickin stereo system and room for three friends. Only the EVO is as spacious and arguably practical, and unless they've added something, we have it out-amped. So, go ahead, all you nay-sayers, call my little car wimpy. I'll take you out to Veterans' Blvd. and you can TRY to keep my taillights in your headlights as we power-snake one diminishing radius curve after another and you wonder if your insurance is paid up. If'n you really wanna beat me, you better bring your Lotus.
I'm sure you've seen this, but here's a little list from the June 2002 issue
Great Grip cars!
Mazda MP3 came in dead last (mainly because of power woes)
"who were the other 7?" you may ask...
Ferrari 360 Modena
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Porsche 911 turbo
Lotus Elise
Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VII (the euro model)
BMW M3 Coupe
Porsche Boxter S
For the record, most of these cars beat MY CAR by smallish margins in the turns and Gs, only seriously punishing MY CAR (hee hee) in pure acceleration numbers. The one area where they really gut-stomped MY CAR was (drum roll) PRICE. The EVO VII was next cheapest at a whopping $36K. And the Modena nosebleeds at nearly $200K. Give me 17000 bucks to spend on MY CAR (I just never get tired of saying it), and I believe I could catch the EVO and be slapping the hind quarters of the rest of the pack just to urge them on.
PLUS! MY CAR has a kickin stereo system and room for three friends. Only the EVO is as spacious and arguably practical, and unless they've added something, we have it out-amped. So, go ahead, all you nay-sayers, call my little car wimpy. I'll take you out to Veterans' Blvd. and you can TRY to keep my taillights in your headlights as we power-snake one diminishing radius curve after another and you wonder if your insurance is paid up. If'n you really wanna beat me, you better bring your Lotus.
On Sunday night I went to an empty parking lot. It was the first time I really tested my car. One of the things I did was slalom the car. It was very fun. The car was really impressing me. I really suggest anyone who has not really played with the car, do it. It was nice to see how well it handled.
Re: Road & Track
my point exactly....those cars were all in the 39 that had better numbers in the slalom.....but as you noted.....when you look at THEIR price tags....you would expect it now wouldn't you? and IF we took the price difference and were able to spend it on our cars...well....nuf said.
the ONLY reason we came in last in that comparison...was our power...or lack there of....there is no doubt that in that list...WE got the most bang for our buck...there is no way anyone could deny that one.
Perdition said:
my point exactly....those cars were all in the 39 that had better numbers in the slalom.....but as you noted.....when you look at THEIR price tags....you would expect it now wouldn't you? and IF we took the price difference and were able to spend it on our cars...well....nuf said.
the ONLY reason we came in last in that comparison...was our power...or lack there of....there is no doubt that in that list...WE got the most bang for our buck...there is no way anyone could deny that one.
Mazdaspeedgirl
Resident Autocrosser
- :
- 99 10AE MX-5 | 2016.5 CX-5 GT
WOW!!! That's awesome news!!!
Well, I was debating on whether or not to take Pogo (my PR5) on the twisties with the RX-7s tomorrow, but I am gonna strut my stuff tomorrow now that I know what I know!!
I have got to get that issue of MT...
Well, I was debating on whether or not to take Pogo (my PR5) on the twisties with the RX-7s tomorrow, but I am gonna strut my stuff tomorrow now that I know what I know!!
I have got to get that issue of MT...
- :
- 03' Silverado, 03' P5
I probably shouldn't tell this, but what the hell. All this talk about the P5's handling, I can't help it... 
On my way home from work on the interstate, they are paving one of the lanes on the Southbound side. While they are paving the left lane, they have set cones over in the right to keep people over far enough, and to make you slow down. Anyways, the cones are about 3 feet on the Right of the center line, and spaced about ~50 feet apart I guess. On the way home last week sometime around 7:30 PM, there was little to no traffic other than a newer grey Ford Mustang GT in front of me a hundred or so feet.
Anyways, I was just fooling around and started weaving back and forth between the cones, not far, basically centering them, and swerving back onto the right side of my lane. Keep in mind that I am going about 60MPH and the P5 was as stable as could be. When I quit for a few seconds, I notice two people in the back of the mustang waving. I decided I would quit so that I wouldn't attract any more attention.
Well, evidently the driver of the mustang didn't want to be outdone, and decided to swerve through the cones as well. I'm at ~75 feet or so behind, when all of a sudden the car jerks over between two cones really quick, then right back while braking really hard. I had to stop pretty quick, but noticed something when I did. The mustang had centered a cone perfectly, running over it, and and lodging it near the rear axle under the car. They pulled to the side of the road and I drove by smiling.
The young guy that was driving wasn't smiling, but the passengers in his car were... I got a pretty big kick out of that. You got it right though guys/gals, these cars will flat out handle like a go-cart.
On my way home from work on the interstate, they are paving one of the lanes on the Southbound side. While they are paving the left lane, they have set cones over in the right to keep people over far enough, and to make you slow down. Anyways, the cones are about 3 feet on the Right of the center line, and spaced about ~50 feet apart I guess. On the way home last week sometime around 7:30 PM, there was little to no traffic other than a newer grey Ford Mustang GT in front of me a hundred or so feet.
Anyways, I was just fooling around and started weaving back and forth between the cones, not far, basically centering them, and swerving back onto the right side of my lane. Keep in mind that I am going about 60MPH and the P5 was as stable as could be. When I quit for a few seconds, I notice two people in the back of the mustang waving. I decided I would quit so that I wouldn't attract any more attention.
Well, evidently the driver of the mustang didn't want to be outdone, and decided to swerve through the cones as well. I'm at ~75 feet or so behind, when all of a sudden the car jerks over between two cones really quick, then right back while braking really hard. I had to stop pretty quick, but noticed something when I did. The mustang had centered a cone perfectly, running over it, and and lodging it near the rear axle under the car. They pulled to the side of the road and I drove by smiling.
The young guy that was driving wasn't smiling, but the passengers in his car were... I got a pretty big kick out of that. You got it right though guys/gals, these cars will flat out handle like a go-cart.
Mazdaspeedgirl
Resident Autocrosser
- :
- 99 10AE MX-5 | 2016.5 CX-5 GT
cone-eatin mustang
LMAO!!! that is so funny!!
Handling is the entire reason I got rid of my 96 GT! I have to say the mustang is the sloppiest handling "sports car" on the road!
LMAO!!! that is so funny!!
Handling is the entire reason I got rid of my 96 GT! I have to say the mustang is the sloppiest handling "sports car" on the road!
- :
- '07 Mazda3, True red
sorry to interject on a protege5 conversation(it seems all p5's...) but drive the mp3! in the autox, i was takin turns like no one's business!, after each run, i kept hearing "damn that thing can turn!" im done now...bye.
I'll help you...
Stop talking to typical Mustang owners. They live for the quarter mile, and I thoroughly believe that if they thought It'd subtract a half-second from their time, they'd pull the steering column. Driving is driving, dragging is dragging. I rode in a Mustang GT once... ONCE. Here is a brand new showroom car that felt like it was riding on stilts with me in a bag at the top. It was isolated, fuzzy, noisy, and pretty fast. The guy driving looked like he was trying to hold vegetable oil in a sieve, and every time he added 10 mph, it just got worse. I kept feeling like if he took a curve, we'd roll all over each other in that peach basket. My Dad's Caprice Classic was a better driving car! Here's another word: UBIQUITOUS! Try to avoid Mustangs on a Saturday night in any town with a population over 3000, and you'd have to take the train tracks. The Ford Mustang has all the cachet of socks, because everyone seems to have them. Another thing, WHERE do you put your hands? I mean, it's like sitting in a hammock! I see these guys hanging their elbows out of a GT, and it looks like they're trying to fish dimes out of their shirt pockets! Here's the capper: about a year ago I read in Automobile magazine that the writers were laughing at GM for killing the venerable Camaro after so many years. They talk about how American Iron will have to soldier on with just the Mustang now, and how they "admire" Ford for "sticking with a winner". Next issue, they're doing some dumb thing about what they really drive and what they want to be driving. I mean, they poll the whole staff right down to copy boy. The really drives are as follows: BMW, Lexus, Saab, Volvo, Mercedes, etc. (good ol' American Iron, boys). The wanna drives are things like Lancer Evo, Subaru WRX, Lotus, Hummer, Infiniti, Koenigsegg, etc. What? No Mustangs? Why not? Because it's an uninspiring ride based on engine size alone. No one questions their power and speed, but nobody this side of a Ford purist or a NASCAR wannabe drives a Mustang anymore. If you beat a Mustang, great, but trying to convince people of it when all they know is displacement and 0-60 is an exercise in futility. Talk to me instead, I'm a gracious listener.
Stop talking to typical Mustang owners. They live for the quarter mile, and I thoroughly believe that if they thought It'd subtract a half-second from their time, they'd pull the steering column. Driving is driving, dragging is dragging. I rode in a Mustang GT once... ONCE. Here is a brand new showroom car that felt like it was riding on stilts with me in a bag at the top. It was isolated, fuzzy, noisy, and pretty fast. The guy driving looked like he was trying to hold vegetable oil in a sieve, and every time he added 10 mph, it just got worse. I kept feeling like if he took a curve, we'd roll all over each other in that peach basket. My Dad's Caprice Classic was a better driving car! Here's another word: UBIQUITOUS! Try to avoid Mustangs on a Saturday night in any town with a population over 3000, and you'd have to take the train tracks. The Ford Mustang has all the cachet of socks, because everyone seems to have them. Another thing, WHERE do you put your hands? I mean, it's like sitting in a hammock! I see these guys hanging their elbows out of a GT, and it looks like they're trying to fish dimes out of their shirt pockets! Here's the capper: about a year ago I read in Automobile magazine that the writers were laughing at GM for killing the venerable Camaro after so many years. They talk about how American Iron will have to soldier on with just the Mustang now, and how they "admire" Ford for "sticking with a winner". Next issue, they're doing some dumb thing about what they really drive and what they want to be driving. I mean, they poll the whole staff right down to copy boy. The really drives are as follows: BMW, Lexus, Saab, Volvo, Mercedes, etc. (good ol' American Iron, boys). The wanna drives are things like Lancer Evo, Subaru WRX, Lotus, Hummer, Infiniti, Koenigsegg, etc. What? No Mustangs? Why not? Because it's an uninspiring ride based on engine size alone. No one questions their power and speed, but nobody this side of a Ford purist or a NASCAR wannabe drives a Mustang anymore. If you beat a Mustang, great, but trying to convince people of it when all they know is displacement and 0-60 is an exercise in futility. Talk to me instead, I'm a gracious listener.
