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The 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. All that I see is a green hockey stick with a big zero below it followed by an endless expanse of runway with a course laid out with cones in front of me. Maybe it is a motivational statement, I will hit 0 cones this run. Or maybe it is a warning; you have driven something within 150hp of your current sled exactly zero times. The C6 Z06 is the joke about a genie that gives a man a million antlered animals when he asks for a million bucks, you see. It gives you all the rope you ask for to hang yourself. It is also a car that should be taken as seriously as a joke, it's fun and will always put a smile on your face. I wait for the starter to give me the all clear to go, the lazy, lopey idle of the seven liter v8 shaking the car. I take this time to disable the traction control. The button sits right on the transmission tunnel, but it's not an on-off switch. You can push the button all day long and just cycle the modes, to really turn it off you have to push and hold it for a few seconds. "You sure you wanna do this, bro?" the car asks as it waits. "I got fave hunnert horsepower." A message flashes across the screen, "Traction and stability control disabled". It hangs there the entire time it is disabled, a constant "I told you so". The car is massive improvement over the C5 generation. The leather is nicer, the plastics are less chintzy. The new TR-6060 is a spectacular transmission, the gear shifts are positive and easy. The T-56 was like, I don't know. Rowing a stick through rocks seems like it would be mean to the rocks. Let's call the T-56... purposeful. The new C6 Z06 has that same old corvetteness, but it's improved. A GM piece of poo poo, but it's a giant poo poo meteor burning bright through the sky. Twenty seconds have passed now. The starter looks at me and tells me I'm good to go. I thank him for some reason, I'm big into cordiality, as I bring up the revs and roll out the clutch. The rear tires begin to chuff as their 335mm cross sections attempts to deal with the massive off idle torque delivered by the seven liter v8. And it is massive. Coming up to the line, I started the car in 5th. The motor hemmed and hawed for a second and then propelled the car forward like it wasn't a big deal. The LS7, the genie motor. Praise Jesus and pass the OHV, this motor is absolutely fan-loving-tastic. The power delivery of OHV motors is a bit odd, the torque ramps up with the rpms and peaks close to the seven thousand rpm redline. The noise is not odd, it is angelic. It gets louder and more pissed off sounding in the upper rpms. My passenger gasps a holy poo poo as the needle swings past 4000rpm and the world starts to blur as the acceleration continues to ramp up. A green up arrow flickers on the HUD letting me know it's time for second. By this point we've covered maybe 100-150feet and the car is already at 60. The car will accelerate at a half g at half throttle in second gear. It is bonkers amounts of power. I've seen one running on 7 cylinders still set fastest time of the day, even over GT3s. I throw it into second and get onto the brakes for the first cone. I've driven this car with the stock brakes, they're very grabby on initial bite which is a bit annoying. The new ones in the car are a track/autox compound with very linear force and the braking setup is near perfect. I say near perfect because they also squeal, loudly. The car sounds delighted to be diving into a braking zone, "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" it seems to scream, along with you, screaming "WHEEE" because holy poo poo this thing is fun. Any items not secured in the hatch will also want to come enjoy the car with you up front, forcefully. And you can fit a lot in the hatch, four miata tires. Two dudes eating lunch.  A bottle of water launches itself into the dash from the rear. This is an amenity though, the car is hot inside. You'll need water. You'll also need very precise pedal inputs, the ABS will kick in the stop you from locking up, but there is no lack of braking force, ever. I come off the brakes and begin turning in, the steering is quick but somewhat vague. You can tell the limit but it's not a fine line, but the car is still easy to place. I brace my knee against the door for support because these seats are awful. Truly awful. Comfortable for long distance, but it is sitting on a bench seat in a car that comes capable of 1+g stock. We clip the backside of the cone, at the apex. The hard plastics on the door are textured, and act as a cheese grater on your kneecap if you wear shorts. My knee will no longer have skin at the end of the day. But you should be wearing a fire suit when driving like this anyways, idiot. The handling balance is nice and safe, it slightly understeers at the limit and gives you the confidence to push hard, immediately. If you come off throttle mid corner it will lightly start to rotate the rear. It's all very safe and easy, and the big, approximately empire state building width tread blocks give an easy recovery window. Unwind steering, roll into throttle. The nose is slightly pushing in the low speed corner but I have a sweeping exit, so the motor will sort that out. 2nd gear, 3000rpm, dial up the throttle until the rear starts to slide, then keep in there. Throttle on rotation, any gear, any time. We come out of the corner with the rear slightly ajar of the front. If I was actually looking where the HUD was, the numbers would be doing multiplication tables in 8mph increments. Wheel straight, we are go for full, the LS7 screams its war cry as it hurls towards it 85mph redline. The LS7 does everything you tell it, and that's usually where it all goes wrong. Autocross is about precision, most corners aren't particularly fast, but it's hustling the car through the g circle as quickly as possible. And the car will help you do these things, but it doesn't really teach you anything. Full stability mode uses computer magic to brake individual wheels to keep yaw in check, in this Z06 it squeaks with glee as it does it. Traction control uses spark and will uncork the power is the wheel is unturned. ABS will do it's best to stop you, unless you hit ice mode where the system reduces braking power to half and you blow your braking zone because it's kind of not a great ABS system. Maybe it's a reminder that even the best brakes in the world can't stop you if you're going too fast. But then you turn off the training wheels and the car will chew your rear end off, because you wanted it that way. Get on the throttle too quickly, the Z06 will spin the car at almost any RPM in any gear. Tail sliding and you lift? You're going for a spin. Be a sliver too ginger or too long on the throttle and that corner that has a max speed of 40mph is now coming up at 50mph. It will do everything you tell it, but you tell it to do the wrong thing and you get in trouble, very quickly. I come in, .5s up on the next fastest street tire car. This lead is blown because I hit a cone. Where did I hit it? With the rear tire, the edge of which is approximately a foot to the left of your head. Parallel parking brings in similar nerve wracking oh god where is the tire in relation to the curb moments. All in all, I'd consider this car like a game of Jenga. A lo-fi fun time that is you against the laws of physics with no help but your own skill, and an interior about as nice as a sanded block of wood. If you're ham fisted that tower will come crashing down in a hurry, but with a little precision and skill you can reach the heavens. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Jul 3, 2015 |
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Jul 3, 2015 19:13
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 One of the most well-written OPs I've read in a long time in AI, looking forward to more. Also, welcome back!
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Jul 3, 2015 19:29
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Terrible Robot posted:
WITNESS! I have to think of everything I've gotten to car whore. Off the top of my head I'll have reviews for the BRZ, first gen Mazdaspeed3, Ap1/Ap2 S2000s, Miatas (several), E36/E46/E92 M3s, 2013 Mustang GT and V6, a stock honda civic lx, and an NSX. I might try and wrangle a drive in some of the weirder cars like a brunton superstalker/1m too.
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Jul 4, 2015 02:26
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Gettin' in on the ground floor of this highrise! Awesome post, keep 'em coming.
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Jul 4, 2015 03:11
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The Z06 really is like that bitch rear end genie, that's a great description. It just whispers "go ahead, look how big these tires are, you're fine" and then the next thing you know you're still going forward but forward for whatever reason has you looking out a side window.
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Jul 4, 2015 14:02
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Brilliant. Keep it coming.
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Jul 4, 2015 14:57
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2001 C Street prepared Mazda Miata: Or how I learned to Stop Worrying and Love Left Foot Braking Taylor swift blares on the radio. A six point harness holds me into the racing seat, the belts tightly grasping my crotch like a sex crazed significant other asking "want to have some fun?" Yes, miata, I want to have fun. Other than the snugness, the seat is quite comfortable, as are the belts. I've driven with them on several hour road trips and it's never been bad.Then it happens, it always does. A man throws himself at the car. "Can I ride with you?" he asks, wooed by open top racing experience and the roll bar. "Sure, hop in" I tell him. He struggles with the belts for a second. Six point harnesses are easy to figure it out once you've used them but people new to it need some help. "Think of it as a safety starfish, that's how all the belts should align" I tell him. It clicks, and he clicks in. We're good to go. Just me, tswift, and a man by my side. This may be a stereotype, but haters gonna hate and I'm just gonna shake it off. The starter drives an M3 with a loud exhaust, it sounds very good. I rev the Miata at him to let him know I'm the real boss around here though. This Miata has an intake, header, and catback. It puts down 117horsepower to the wheels on a good day. The miata is also relaxing inside, for such a small car they are quite roomy. The stereo quality is great for a convertible and the HVAC functions well. There isn't much else to the car aside from that. Maybe a glovebox. Two cupholders. The car is covered in carpeting and leather that you would find in a mid segment 90s Japanese luxury car. We launch hard, and by hard we are blown forward by the gentle breeze of low horsepower. 60 comes up in a staggering wait poo poo I barely hit 30 by the first left hand cone, might as well flat shift into second and keep my foot buried on the way to reaching 60mph in approximately never. I will never shift out of second, and second goes to 55mph. This all doesn't seem very special or exciting, so what's the big deal here? Well, Miata ownership is like vampires. You can read about them, be around them, you can even ride in one and you'll never really be super impressed. Then you drive a well sorted one and you're bitten, and within a few years you will own one. Everything about the driving experience is just excellence. The steering is hydraulic, and although light it offers great feel. The car is narrow and placing it is a breeze. The brakes are great, the pedal is super accurate. The handling is very neutral, and the car makes it painfully obvious how awful of a driver you are. This car has some very nice coilovers running very high spring rates, stock Miatas roll quite a bit but this one reacts almost immediately to any changes. We pass the first cone, foot still buried flat as 45mph comes charging up. I lift for the next cone into a right and roll into throttle at the apex. The car comes out of the corner and... I can go full throttle immediately. I haven't carried enough speed for throttle to even matter. The car is gently reminding me that my lines and timing blows and I'm ungrateful because it spend all night slaving away getting to 45mph and I'm just throwing all this good momentum that it took so long to build up right out the goddamn window. It is a giant neon motel flashing sign of "THAT WAS SLOW" with the arrow pointing exactly to where you sucked. The next cone I am going to push a little bit harder, which isn't difficult getting to that little bit because building speed comes slowly. The front balks and starts to scrub only slightly because I didn't blow the corner by several million mph too fast. Ok, just a wee bit slower for that one. Still, there goes my momentum. This is where the Miata becomes the Mr. Miyagi of the most important part of being fast, braking. With your left foot. Prepped Miatas handle perfectly. The only way the car is slow is if the driver is slow, so you start figuring out ways to cut time anywhere you can using any method you can. You don't have time in a Miata to transition your foot from brake to gas. That precious half second is at least .5mph that you desperately need. So you start to brake with your left foot. And then you start to brake going all the way into the apex instead of a straight line. And then you start to brake a little to transfer some weight onto the nose when you're understeering in a sweeper, and then you develop the ability to hurl the car into a corner and use minor inputs to keep the car going exactly where you want it, like a wizard. It's driving a slow car fast using every trick in the book, and it is one of the most satisfying driving experiences in the world. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Jul 5, 2015 |
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Jul 5, 2015 19:48
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You just made me want to drive a Miata for the first time in my life.
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Jul 5, 2015 20:31
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Nice Starbucks® G-meter you have installed there!
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Jul 6, 2015 03:51
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2013 Subaru BRZ This review brought to you by the generosity of Bsamu. This is not the driving experience we need, it is the one we deserve. Everyone wants a fast car because the car is fast. You get intoxicated with the numbers. Fave hunnert herspower. Two hunnert milesanhour. One hunnert thousndollar. You get big wings, big motors, big brakes, and big tires that are semi slicks. It is a car that lets you know it is the boss even if the driver isn't. The driver doesn't need to know how to drive fast, those tires picks up all the pebbles on the road to hurl indiscriminately at pedestrians letting them know that this car is serious business. It looks fast sitting still. I can't open her up on the street bro, the limits are too high. I'm gonna put a $100 on the dash and pin the throttle, if you can reach it, it's yours. They're the class bully. Top dog is fun but sometimes it's better to be off with the theatre kids playing spin the bottle rather than stuffing Timmy McporscheGt3s face in the mud over a few seconds. Fast cars are rewarding and fun, but they are work. They are a well trained Rottweiler that only fetches the ball when you tell it to. The BRZ is a Golden Shepard, it happily trots off to get the ball and it is wagging it's tail in delight the entire way. I'm sitting next to bsamu playing with the rotary dials for the climate controls, because rotary dials are the best kind of dials. Those and toggles. Everything should have those. The interior is typical subaru, I don't know how else to describe it. Sit in a WRX sometimes, it's a uniquely Subaru feel. That means it's pretty nice and the seats are comfortable. It feels like sitting in a bathtub despite not being a super low car. I'm still playing with the toggle and decide I need to stop being weird. Then again, I think the first time I met him, I was dressed as a crayon. Whatever. "What RPM do you launch at" I ask him. "Well, normally 3000-3500", Sike bro. I'm not launching your car. Maybe destroying body work but blowing up a differential is just rude. This car is decently quick, not super slow but not what I'd consider really fast. The torque is very flat aside from the little dip, but once you're past the dip, it picks up speed quite well. So no, no one is going to be slapping a $20 on the dash unless you already owe that money to your passenger. The speedo is pointless and I'm not really sure why it's there, but the digital display is easy to read. The stock tires are also not that great. I turn in for a chicago box and the front goes.. straight. For about a quarter second the tires are flexing and still putting us on the path dead ahead. This car will not be hustled hard like ones on razor sharp race tires. A loud thunk is heard as his left bumper consumes a cone. They still have surprisingly decent lateral grip once loaded up, but transitions are not their strong suit. I apologize for being a horrible person and doing that to his new car, then mention the tires. He tells me someone at the last event had the same feedback when they drove it, so they just started tossing it around to see what it did. I decided to do the same, this run wasn't going to be that fast. Tires really are the first modification that anyone should do to a car, good tires change everything. I am the high school jock, the BRZ is the ugly girl who takes off her glasses and is suddenly Rachel Leigh Cooke. This car really has it going on underneath those tires. The chassis and suspension are really, really great. The car does what you tell it to, and it slides and wiggles the entire time you are doing it. You're not putting down blazing fast lap times but you turn in too hard and the car will oversteer, like any car would, and then you catch the lazy slide and you are sideways and you're already slow so you turn the slide into a power slide and you have a big smile on your face when you do it. You don't need reactions honed by hours of sims or racing go karts either. It's not like cars on race tires when you're doing 80mph pointed off a runway and you're thinking "I hope there isn't anything hiding in that tall grass over there" and leave skidmarks in your underwear almost as long as the ones on the ground. It low, it's accesible, and anyone and their mother can hop in and have fun. Because it is a good car, and it has the foundations of a good car. You know the it can handle another two hunnert horsepweor and maybe another hunnert millimetter of tire and if you took the glasses off, it would be prom queen and kick dirt in the face of Stan Supra. But it's really just a lovely little thing the way it is. InterceptorV8 posted:Nice Starbucks® G-meter you have installed there! I was testing out the Takumi method of driving smoothness! Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Jul 7, 2015 |
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Jul 7, 2015 01:05
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The BRZ has real tires now and can actually turn. Review v2 to follow.
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Jul 7, 2015 02:37
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Great writeups, Muffinpox. Can confirm: BRZ/FR-S totally loves to be thrown around on stock tires and that allows you to drive it like you stole it 100% of the time - and are making a 42mph getaway. I blitz the poo poo out of my uncle's whenever I'm back home and it's available, and agree with your thoughts on the car's dynamics and fun-quotient completely. Will be very interesting to see what you think of it comparatively now that bsamu's got new rubber. Also looking forward to your E92 M3 review, I was surprised at how similar to the FR-S it felt (regarding the car's complete and boundless desire to just do anything the driver asks it to) the first time I drove one in anger.
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Jul 7, 2015 04:01
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Ether Frenzy posted:Great writeups, Muffinpox. Ive ridden in BRZs with real tires so I have an idea, but I like car whoring so I'll save it for when I drive bsamu's again. And hit stuff, again. There are a bunch of cars that handle surprisingly similarly, I haven't driven a BRZ on good tires but it reminds me of the E46 330. You think "this car could really handle another 100hp and be perfect", lo and behold you get in an E46 M3 and it's pretty much perfect. The Z06 handles like a giant prepped miata oddly enough. The only real difference is the width and horsepower. Getting the rear slightly ajar trail braking a corvette at 70mph scares people. In other news I got to drive a NSX again this weekend, so next one up is either the AP1 S2000 or that. Lots of work this week so it might be light on reviews  Any preferences?
Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 19:12 on Jul 7, 2015 |
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Jul 7, 2015 17:03
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Your posts are fantastic and I love them! I agree with your BRZ review. There is a honey riding on that lousy rubber.
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Jul 7, 2015 19:46
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2002 Honda S2000 Remember that movie where there's that loving family? They've been together for a while and the dad gets a job offer off in a remote location and brings the family with him, promising them a good time. Then the father eventually goes insane and tries to murder his family with an axe. You know that one? Yea, welcome to AP1 S2000s, buddy. S2000s are very unique cars, even for cars. It sounds like a sewing machine at idle. They're also about as big inside as a sewing machine, it's a very small car. It has the same wheelbase as a Honda Del Sol. The engine sits far, far back in a engine bay far, far too big for the motor. With an intake, you can perform an oil change through the hood. The rear shocks have a detached reservoir. It has a unique smell that only S2000s smell like. The power top goes up and down in 9 seconds. It won't let you do it unless the handbrake is up though, the car won't even think about it. It wont put up with your poo poo. The door panels are wide, as is the door sill, and have a leather patch where your knee will brace you. You can wear shorts all day and feel the soft touch of supple leather. The transmission tunnel is tall and wide, with leather where your knee meets it as well. There is lots of very nice leather, everywhere. It is a very liveable and very well put together car. The interior is better than any 30-40k car I have seen, but I suppose that's easy to do when there's about 5sq.ft of total volume. You feel safe, secure. This is great for when you target fixate on a tree. Did I tell you about the time I bought some parts off an S2000 wreck and the frame was pushed into the middle of the passengers seat? S2000s can be tracked without aftermarket roll bars if you pass the broom test, and the windshield hoop can support the weight of the car. Lots of people have found this out. That gearbox? That gearbox does not disappoint in the slightest, the only gearshift I have ever driven that is better is in an NSX. And this is fortunate since you will be rowing like an olympic team because that motor doesn't make a ton of power below 6000rpm. This is not a problem though, the gearbox is an absolutely joy. The intake noise isn't half bad either. The car has a bit of a bipolar feel to it, drive it slow and the car is rather sedate. In fact, you can drive it very, very hard, almost to the limits, and it will still be sedate. Then you get to that last tenth and it becomes a complete madman. I get the go ahead. The F20 likes revs. I don't mean that it can be revved high, it wants to be at redline. It's not terrible down low but the motor wakes up the higher the revs go and it does not let up until it hits 9000rpm. There is no torque drop off, only a single minded charge into motorcycle territory. You feel a bit uncomfortable at that range, like something is going to fail and put a rod through the block. You're Billy Crystal and the car is Meg Ryan, screaming "YES YES YES" with it's demonic mechanical wail in the diner. Everyone is staring, the car is content, you're trying to figure out if this is really happening and order the bread sticks. I turn in for the first cone, the steering is a bit strange; it is very quick on turn in and a bit slower off center. It has electric assist and doesn't provide a ton of feedback. It's not great, but it's not the dullest thing I've ever driven. The nose is very pointy and has a lot of steering lock relative to the short turn to turn ratio. You will need both of these. The handling is the definition of completely neutral, the car will understeer or oversteer depending on your inputs. On coasting, you can push right up to the limit without any issues. It gives you confidence. I'm overconfident in my steering input, and it begins to oversteer. Fortunately, thanks to the quick steering this is easy to catch. But you have to be fast. Very fast. Or you do this.  I recover, we've scrubbed speed so I roll into throttle, even with 140ft/lb it still proves to be a bit too much. Now the car begins to slide. Again. I back out a bit and catch the slide, lifting too much will spin the car. I'm being sloppy here, I'm not being deliberate enough. We're in the middle of a fast sweeper. I am not dedicated, I lift a bit and the rear comes around. We go into another fast sweeper, I am learning to trail brake and the rear starts to rotate. I panic and I slide the car. I'm in the ring with Mike Tyson. It is perfect. It knows all my flaws and is hammering me relentlessly when I open myself up. I am not good enough for this fight. S2000s are lauded for their handling, they handle like a real race car. Stock, and even once setup, they are very very fast cars. And they require you to know your poo poo at the limit, like a real race car. It is not a car to tolerate the inexperienced, it will punish you for any mistake you make and it will do so in a very brief manner. It will not tell you your mistakes either, you must figure it out. That is not to say it will do it without warning, it gives ample warning, but the recovery window is more like a quick time event. You will not be deliberate enough with turn in and the car will say "Pop quiz hot shot, where are we going now?" You better have "sideways" drilled into your head because that is exactly where, and it wont wait long for your answer. The AP2 generation had the rear suspension tamed down, a bit easier to drive. But for as difficult as it was to drive, it is just as magical when you really got it right. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 02:08 on Jul 9, 2015 |
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Jul 9, 2015 01:52
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Muffinpox posted:There are a bunch of cars that handle surprisingly similarly, I haven't driven a BRZ on good tires but it reminds me of the E46 330. You think "this car could really handle another 100hp and be perfect", lo and behold you get in an E46 M3 and it's pretty much perfect. I've got a Miata and an e46 m that I autocross and I test drove the poo poo out of a C6Z06 and I agree with you on everything you've said. Wish I would have had the pocket change to pick up a z06. That was an awesome car.
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Jul 9, 2015 17:39
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Keep 'em coming.
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Jul 9, 2015 17:50
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E36 M3 I dated someone for close to three years total. At the end of the relationship I thought the grass might be greener on the other side, I wanted to experience the world. I wanted to be single. So we broke up and I got everything I ever dreamed of. Then I found my illusions of grandeur were just that, illusions, and that I had what I wanted all along. But then it was too late to get it back, and as my life turned to ashes in my mouth I went on a year long bender trying to fill the hole in my heart with a back loader filled with drinking and sex only to come out emptier and more alone than I ever was. That's kind of what stock E36s are like. Now, don't get me wrong here, the E36 is a good car. There's a reason they're as prolific as the miata. Driving cars fast is fun and the BMW is no exception. But I sit in the Vader seats and it's just that immediate feeling, like when you first meet someone whose Okcupid profile is amazing and seems like everything you want and then the first half hour of conversation is a shambling mess about your favorite flavor of Orbitz gum while you desperately try to get a flow going, only for her to excuse herself to the bathroom and then crawl out the window. You silently curse that you didn't do it first. The 90s German interior is a 90s German interior, nice materials, functional layout. It is a classic style that will never age out, the stern German dials are easily readable and the driving position is good. I'm going to be American as hell and complain about cup holders but nothing gets between me and enjoying a nice Starbucks® Delicious Iced Coffee G-meter. These cupholders did. Curse you, Germany. Visibility is good too, the hood drops off and it looks like there is no car in front of you. That front is barely even there. This is also partially due to the high seating position, which coming from normal sports cars, feels like sitting in an SUV. You also sit very far forward, it's like being in an mid engined car except the place where the engine would be is maybe taken up with baby seats, or a cage, or ikea funiture or whatever you put in back seats, I haven't driven something that isn't a two seater in ages. Friends? No. Not me. I'm a lone wolf. The lonliest wolf. Someone hold me. But not from the backseat. It's time to go and I stall the car. Again. I stalled it earlier too, because the gearbox and clutch suck. You'll get used to it over time, but you also will get used to your clumsy date stepping on your foot in stilletos. The starter laughs at me. My street cred is suffering. How is the gearbox so terrible? The clutch pedal is springy, the bite point is high and comes up unannounced, and the shifter is okay but in a car like an M3 it is like your dates profile pictures being 4 years and 40lbs earlier than what you get. I'd take a T-56 over this. I'd take an early Audi CVT over this. In terms of burns, that is throwing someone into a thermite pyre. Once I restart the car, I get on it hard. The S50 is a good motor, it's smooth it pulls hard up in the rev range. The car is pretty fast but it's also lacking 100hp from the European version. Maybe if I hadn't driven an E46 M3 prior to this I would be ok with this lot in life but I did and I'm not. It is going out with a younger sibling only to find she has an older sibling that is better in every way, and is available. One that also keeps flirting with you and saying it could be. It could never be, not now. You've committed, and you've committed wrong. I also never particularly cared for the sound of BMW I6s and this is no different. It doesn't sound bad, it doesn't sound great, it just sounds ok. That's right, just Ok. I've driven an LS7 and S2000, I can judge whatever motors I want. Secretly, I'm the devil. Let me gloss over the good parts quickly so I can continue hating this car. The E36 does what all M3s do and is a benchmark of handling to every car in the world. There, I said it. I turn in and the steering weights up with great communication. It is extremely linear, there are no hiccups or gotchas. You know how much grip the front has left and what it is doing at every moment, it just goes where you point it. The rear suspension is no different, there is no toe change induced over steer or understeer, you turn in, the suspension loads up to the max, lets you know, and you go on your merry way. Most cars take me a bit to get used to but I am hurling this thing at corners at maximum attack 2 cones in without any errors. It is good, it is linear, it is the no nonsense stern German driving experience and it deserves to be king of the hill. The long throttle makes exiting easy and putting down the exact amount of power you want a breeze. We clip cones, hang out the rear on tight corners to balance out understeer, and generally just drives amazingly for the entire run. Okay. There. That's the good stuff, the core mechanics. Back to hating. Did I mention slow stuff? Did I mention the steering in this thing? It has 8 billion turns lock to lock. I could shuffle a Peterbilt through the tight stuff faster than this thing. I fly into a slalom and do my best impression of being a Canadian lumberjack slaying the worlds largest red oak. People tell me to shuffle steer and I tell them to buy a real steering rack. While I'm at it, I hate this steering wheel. Early 90s steering wheels with the 4 spokes are terrible. Anyone who ever approves a 4 spoke wheel needs to be fired. The handbrake is unpleasant. Harman Kardon is a dumb name for a company. Estoril Blue is a great color but it isn't Laguna Seca Blue. I hate the way the ignition feels when you start the car. I'm complaining about little things that have nothing to do with driving because I hate this car. This is a great car to drive and I just hate it so much. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 04:48 on Jul 11, 2015 |
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Jul 11, 2015 02:12
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Sadi posted:I've got a Miata and an e46 m that I autocross and I test drove the poo poo out of a C6Z06 and I agree with you on everything you've said. Wish I would have had the pocket change to pick up a z06. That was an awesome car. I keep wanting one but can't justify it, they're surprisingly great all around cars. Human Grand Prix posted:Keep 'em coming. Anything for you, baby.
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Jul 11, 2015 02:26
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Muffinpox posted:It is going out with a younger sibling only to find she has an older sibling that is better in every way, and is available. One that also keeps flirting with you and saying it could be. This has happened to me, and it is devastating. You're constantly seeing the one in the other's shadow.
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Jul 11, 2015 04:52
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1991 Acura NSX: Forget the rest of the engines, midengine is the best engine Do you even lift, bro? I do and it's not doing me a slight bit of good here, my long gangly arms lack the mechanical advantage to turn this unassisted steering rack as easily as I want. The front strays from my desired course as the grid worker points me to the starting line. I silently curse the God King Ayrton Senna and his smaller build. Let's get a few things out of the way first. Top four automotive designs: 1) Wedges 2) Phallic shaped cars 3) Phallic shaped cars with convertible tops 4) Boxy cars If you are a child of the 80s meeting your hero car will never let you down, because no matter how it drives, a wedge shaped car is always the best car ever. F40, Countach, Vector, MR2, Esprit, Stratos, the list goes on forever. When I was 17 I worked at an Acura Dealership and we had a bright yellow targa 2004 NSX. I was never able to drive it, but I sat in it and it was like a space ship. I owned a Legend GS at the time, the dash pod was intimately familiar. But the sloped back center console, the bare bones and fantastically finished interior, the two weird control nubs sticking off the steering wheel column behind the stalks; it was all the coolest thing in the world. I coveted that car, I barely ever see them. 11 years later I got to meet my hero, and my hero had pop up headlights. I bowed to this car as I entered and sat in the wonderful seats. Literally bowed though, Honda doesn't particularly make their sports car with people over 5'10" in mind. I cursed God King Senna again for his stature. I can fit in the car fine without a helmet, but they add quite a bit of height to your dome and mine was caressing the headliner. Unfortunately my helmet has no tactile sensation beyond "something hit my head", but if it did I imagine that it would not be the worst feeling place to have your head jammed against. Old Acura interiors really are great. I sit at the line waiting for the car infront of me to go. I am revving the motor because the raspy V6 sounds amazing, and the mechanical roar behind my head of the motor is intoxicating. I play the sitting still but powershifting game because the gearbox is absolutely the pinnacle of car gearboxes. The gearshifts feel like they are the width of a matchbox. They are crisp, clean, and I hate the rifle bolt analogy but it really fits. I would write this thing a Shakespearean sonnet to this gearbox and my next entry might actually be one. Yes. I watch the car round the corner onto the back runway, I will be released soon. It is not hard to watch him either, the hood does not exist looking out of this car. It is an uninterrupted widescreen view to the world in front of you. Three seconds, rev the motor up to 2000rpm. Two seconds, turn off Katy Perry. One second, hide erection. "Go" the starter says, go meet your hero. The power isn't bad, but not a blazingly fast car on par with most of todays offerings. This made 270hp stock and weighed in around 3000lbs. It has good torque across the 8000rpm range, and it shrieks all the way up to that redline. Into second, I will not be leaving second. Second hits 80mph. This is a very long gear. The first cone comes up and I get onto the very good brakes, then I miss my apex because my weak baby arms aren't used to turning a real mans steering rack and goddamnit why does this take so much effort to turn. Manual racks offer a lot of feedback but they have their little idiosyncrasies. Turning under braking becomes harder, turning on throttle becomes easier. Turning in general is just hard. I miss my hand holding. Slow through the next corner, I lack the confidence about how much effort is needed to turn, and then I enter the slalom and the magic of rear midengine appears to be like a Jesus with a beard growing out of his lower back. Let's talk about weight an handling. Weight makes you wait, and waiting is slow. A light front engined car that goes where you tell it usually has at best a 50/50 weight distribution, and how long it takes the front end to settle is how fast you can make it through slaloms. Midengined cars with the rear weight bias do not wait on the front end. You point the front end and the rear eventually comes along. Going through a slalom becomes a hilarious game of how fast can I turn the wheel. The entire car becomes a game of fast can I go before the rear wants to come along too much. My frail build was forcing me to build up to this, but midway through the slalom it clicked. Boss that front end. Get on that accelerator. Free your mind. I drop the hammer, Senna has touched me through the headliner. Midengine cars are capable, they are on a whole other realm of handling once you get into it. They rotate, they rotate, and they rotate. It's like going from being able to jump on skates to pulling triple salchow. And then you fail as spectacularly as missing a triple salchow. I hit a bump on a fast right hand sweeper in the back section. The rear is overdampened and I feel it heave up. I feel the chain of the anchor that are the rear tires break free. The rear rotates. It continues rotating. Oh boy it's rotating a lot. I instinctively turn into it, with instincts honed on power assist cars. Did I mention manual racks are hard to put steering input into? Ayrton certainly never had this problem, but he was used to midengined Hondas. I hit that point, the point you know there is no return. I have not put in enough steering lock fast enough; my grabbing hook clasps the stuffed bear and it slips away at the last second. Fortunately I have honed my art in an S2000 which constantly tried to murder me, through some black magic I keep the car from looping itself and only lose almost all of my speed. The run is blown, but it is still a fast time. Like the S2000, this is a car I would fear playing hard with on the street. And like the S2000, it's not much like anything else I've ever driven. It is a hero that lives up to all expectations. It is a good car, a pinnacle of the past. A relic of the days when sub 6s 0-60 was still supercar fast and you were at your own mercy. It is analogue, it is a wedge, and it is an everyday wedge. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 15:11 on Jul 16, 2015 |
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Jul 16, 2015 07:16
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If I was really, truly honest with myself, the Acura NSX is the car that I would have over basically any other car. Thanks for doing nothing whatsoever to diminish this feeling.
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Jul 16, 2015 17:05
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If I got an AW11 or NSX, I would pretend it was an A-wing 100% of the time.
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Jul 16, 2015 20:34
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I wish I had NSX money, cause I'd buy one and not even think twice about it
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Jul 16, 2015 20:35
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kimbo305 posted:If I got an AW11 or NSX, I would pretend it was an A-wing 100% of the time. I did this with my AW11 sometimes 
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Jul 16, 2015 20:43
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Terrible Robot posted:If I was really, truly honest with myself, the Acura NSX is the car that I would have over basically any other car. Thanks for doing nothing whatsoever to diminish this feeling. the only way i will replace my sw20 is if i get a nsx because mid engine best engine
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Jul 17, 2015 06:14
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Terrible Robot posted:If I was really, truly honest with myself, the Acura NSX is the car that I would have over basically any other car. Thanks for doing nothing whatsoever to diminish this feeling. I was told buying an NSX is like this: 10 Look at NSX. Think "that is expensive" 20 Look at other, faster, cheaper, newer cars 30 Realize they are not an NSX 40 Go to 10 kimbo305 posted:If I got an AW11 or NSX, I would pretend it was an A-wing 100% of the time. Ditto SquirrelGrip posted:the only way i will replace my sw20 is if i get a nsx because mid engine best engine Rear engine is pretty cool too, they rotate even more than MR cars. The first time I rode in a 996 911 it proved it was a real 911 by going off into the grass rear first.
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Jul 17, 2015 16:57
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Every time I read about S2000's I start looking at local classified ads. I drive so few miles in a year that doing something monumentally stupid like buying one with a rebuilt title (assuming it was superficial damage with records) even looks appealing because they are such a drat good value right now. That interior, that redline, that transmission! I appreciate your writing, would read again.
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Jul 17, 2015 19:35
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Somewhat Heroic posted:Every time I read about S2000's I start looking at local classified ads. I drive so few miles in a year that doing something monumentally stupid like buying one with a rebuilt title (assuming it was superficial damage with records) even looks appealing because they are such a drat good value right now. That interior, that redline, that transmission! I appreciate your writing, would read again. I have a friend that got a rebuilt one for $5k. A+ deal, would buy myself. (I was going to but he swooped it out from under me)
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Jul 17, 2015 19:38
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I'm curious how something like a Cayman compares to an NSX. I'm guessing favorably simply because it's newer, but they're both small, (relatively) light, mid engined cars renowned for their handling and driving feel. I'm sure the Cayman doesn't offer the same feel as the NSX, being so low and having such a great greenhouse, but if you ever get the chance to drive one I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
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Jul 18, 2015 04:57
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Do an Elise?
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Jul 18, 2015 06:28
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Somewhat Heroic posted:Every time I read about S2000's I start looking at local classified ads. I drive so few miles in a year that doing something monumentally stupid like buying one with a rebuilt title (assuming it was superficial damage with records) even looks appealing because they are such a drat good value right now. That interior, that redline, that transmission! I appreciate your writing, would read again. Have you driven one? They're seriously fantastic cars and I was reading that 'review' just nodding my head. I feel that autocrossing an S is almost blasphemy as the car screams to be wrung out on twisty roads with you smashing up and down that gloriously slick gearbox and mashing your foot to the floor while the engine just revs up and up. They're available over here for like $7500~ which considering how much fun they are is just ridiculous.
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Jul 20, 2015 13:06
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Awesome thread!
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Jul 20, 2015 16:24
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BlackMK4 posted:I have a friend that got a rebuilt one for $5k. A+ deal, would buy myself. (I was going to but he swooped it out from under me) I'd avoid them like the plague if they have even a whiff of frame/suspension damage. AP1s are very finicky about the rear suspension set up, even if it aligns right sitting on a rack it will drive like slamming your dick in a drawer if the suspension geometry is out of synch under rebound/compression. Disgruntled Bovine posted:I'm curious how something like a Cayman compares to an NSX. I'm guessing favorably simply because it's newer, but they're both small, (relatively) light, mid engined cars renowned for their handling and driving feel. I'm sure the Cayman doesn't offer the same feel as the NSX, being so low and having such a great greenhouse, but if you ever get the chance to drive one I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. I'll try to wrangle a drive, but most modern cars lack the feel compared to 90s stuff but also inspire a lot more confidence immediately. I had to feel the NSX out for a bit and even then the car was somewhat unruly. Compared to the C6 Z06 which is monumentally easy to drive even balls out in a downpour as long as you keep your throttle in check. blk posted:Do an Elise? I doubt I'll ever get to, I haven't seen one in at least two years. They're awesome though, they change direction like nobody's business. 88h88 posted:Have you driven one? They're seriously fantastic cars and I was reading that 'review' just nodding my head. I feel that autocrossing an S is almost blasphemy as the car screams to be wrung out on twisty roads with you smashing up and down that gloriously slick gearbox and mashing your foot to the floor while the engine just revs up and up. It's a good place to get used to them and their behaviour, but they definitely came out of the factory with backroads/tracks in mind. A lot of setup involves inducing understeer so the rear end is more manageable in autocross. PaintVagrant posted:Awesome thread! Thanks! I havent seen anyone review how cars feel at autocross so I figured I would try something different. I might try doing a in car video review at the next event. I'm also going to try and wrangle a 2.5rs with a 2004 STi drivetrain swap for the next event 
Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 20:15 on Jul 20, 2015 |
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Jul 20, 2015 20:09
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Gen2 MR2 requested. Turbo, if you can get your mitts on one.
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Jul 21, 2015 16:44
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E46 and E92 M3: Stuntin like my daddy HEY! HEY! WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN E46 M3 OWNER, AN E92 M3 OWNER, AND A PORCUPINE? THE PORCUPINE'S DAD DOESN'T OWN A DEALERSHIP. Some cars change over their model lives but not really, the recipe remains the same even though they make continual improvements. The Viper was an unrelenting gently caress you to owners from the first to the previous generation, until Dodge was finally forced to add traction control. Sure the car improved, it went from literally being built in a shed to only being a facsimile of a car built in a shed, but it still kept the same character of a big honking motor that felt like the world was exploding while you were trapped in a shed that was also exploding. The door sill was like playing a game of "the ground is lava" except it was actual lava that would burn the poo poo out of you. You didn't really need to read several reviews to understand that every generation was a car that hated you. And this is why I'm reviewing a bunch of different M3s at once. Despite my raging hate boner for the E36 M3, BMW basically ruined the sports sedan for the rest of the world. Back to back to back, the cars are like meeting Charles Windhouse Nettleton Sr, Charles Windhouse Nettleton Jr, and Charles Windhouse Nettleton the 3rd. They all work in finance and enjoy yachting. All of their favorite drinks are rum and cokes. They all share the same Golden Retriever. Their houses differ but they are all multistory sprawling waterfront property somewhere in CT. Charles Sr. likes swing music, Charles Jr. grew up with Phil Collins, and Charles the third takes molly every weekend and hangs out at EDM festivals in between posting to instagram and snapchatting doing lines of blow off of some girls rear end. The E92 is a friendlier car than the E46. I don't say this because it's easier to use, but because a little arm pivots forward to hand you the seatbelt when you get in. It's more modern, while the E46 is still very pleasent, the interior is a bit dated. They're both immediately BMW though, well laid out, nice leather, nice wood or metal trim pieces. The gauges are large and easily readable. The E92 has a chime to it that is annoying as poo poo but once it shuts up and you fire up the V8, the noises are much more pleasant. The E92 has the loud tick of modern direct injection while the E46 just has the low thrum of a BMW I6. Like their E36 brethren, the seats in both are great and the driving position is perfect. Both hoods drop off and offer excellent visibility through a wide view greenhouse. The E46 has a power bulge but the E92s plays a part in your view more like David Bowies Cod piece in Labryinth. It has it's own billing and make up trailer. Unlike its E36 father, the E92 M3 manual gearbox isn't the most terrible piece of poo poo in the world and is mostly just ok. It still has a weird rubbery shifter feel and a notchy engagement but I hate it much much less. I could live with it, maybe even learn to love it after some Stockholm syndrome. I pull up to the line and don't stall it once. The E46 has the much hated SMG. I've heard awful things about the SMG, mostly that it feels like someone first learning to drive stick and having no idea what to do when the car starts bucking. I've also heard it slams shifts home with more vigor than a submariner on his first night back from patrol docking in the port of a lady of negotiable affection. This sound bad but, it's still not that E36 gearbox so it's a loving saint to me. I get the go from the grid worker to pull up to the line, the SMG does it's duty normally. It is still a manual after all, drive it like a manual car and it will be smooth. No creeping along on the brakes at parking lot speeds. Three, two, one, go. For their power differences, the E92 doesn't feel much faster than the E46. They both have great amounts of power for street cars, they're solidly fast without the "oh poo poo I'm going really fast" realization that comes up very quickly with cars in the mid single digit power to weight figures. You can really enjoy the noise of the motors winding out. Mostly the E92, because the E46 I6 still sounds a bit tinny to me. While were at it, lets just talk about how amazing that V8 is. It sounds obscenely good, especially with an exhaust. Time for second gear. The E92 motor is really a wonder, the torque is completely flat for the entire powerband. It's also responds to inputs instantaneously. I had a problem being janky with gearshifts puttering around because it picks up and drops off revs so quickly, shifting with anything less than a 3000rpm gap or slamming the shifter into the next gear as fast as possible makes you miss your target RPM. No, this car is set up to be wrung out, and should be. All the time. I click the up paddle in the E46 and the stadium goes wild as big Pappi nails one out into Landsdowne street. It shifts hard in the most aggressive setting, which might get annoying in traffic but it's pretty awesome while racing. The feeling of fast is relative, smooth torque curves feel nice and serene and are easy to drive, but violent is more fun. I actually quite enjoyed the gearbox. You lose the satisfaction of a perfect shift, but being able to trail brake in with your left foot and let the car sorting out downshifts is undeniably faster. I tend to run in one gear at autocross because rarely is there a good spot to downshift into a better gear, but I would go into whatever gear I pleased in the E46. It's that moment where you hate something, but it proves you wrong, but you still hate it on principle. It's like listening to your grandparents unpolitically correct opinions, they're going to die soon so let them hold onto that belief for a little while longer. It was nice knowing you manual enthusiasts, but this is how the stickshift ends. Not with a whimper, but with an E46 SMG gearshift going BANG. The steering improved from the E36, which while communicative was also somehow vague. Maybe overboosted. I don't remember, I blocked it from my memory. The E46 has great steering weight and feel, while the E92 has good weight but you have to pay attention more to get the road feel. The handling doesn't really change from the E36. They both have that same characteristic M3 obedience to commands, they're sure footed with a bit of push at the limit to let you know you're at the edge. Like the E36, within the first two cones I was at maximum attack with a well defined limit. The cars do handle inputs a bit differently though, the E36 and E46 like smooth inputs and will wiggle around if you try to ham fist it. They wont bite you, but they also won't be that fast unless you're deliberate. The E92, on the other hand, has some devil magic in that diff because you can go absolutely buck wild on that car and it just does not give a gently caress. With TC off, you can do your best Irish river dancing impression on that gas or brake pedal and it is still scorchingly fast. The other difference is weight. The E36 and E46 are not really lightweight cars, but they don't feel heavy. The E92 has a bit heft to it, you can feel the mass of the car in transitions. It's a different feeling, and in a way that's what the M3s are all about. Since this is a bit of a comparo review; I liked the E92 the most. It feels the most complete out of the three, the final product of decades of prototyping. Cars evolve, the driving experience evolves, but these 3 M3s have the same principle at the core. They're a Mario video game; you're always going to be stomping Koopa, but it's up to you decide if you liked that the most on the NES, N64, or the Wii. Muffinpox fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Jul 24, 2015 |
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Jul 24, 2015 18:41
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Larrymer posted:Gen2 MR2 requested. Turbo, if you can get your mitts on one. I saw one at an event but I wasnt signed up so I could only ride in it, not drive it They said they'd be back though!
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Jul 24, 2015 19:19
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Great writeup on the M3's, man. Dig your sense of humor/ability to put it on a page. As someone who loved the E46 until I drove the E92, I completely agree with you - they're both amazing drives, but the V8 and the devil-magic diff make the E92 just something that much more incredible.
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Jul 24, 2015 19:45
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Muffinpox posted:NES, N64, or the Wii. You mean SNES, N64, or Wii. The E30 is the NES. 
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Jul 24, 2015 20:20
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What area are you in? I might be able to provide or find a REAL M3 for you to drive.
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Jul 25, 2015 02:46
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