I am amused by car zealots, I love you all.
The GuapoMobile:
If I had the money or any serious interest in fast cars, Iād rather drive something small and well built European than some American muscle car - taste varies.
Charles, Iāve been looking at the new Golf. Not the GTI - too expensive and too midlife crisis (which should be coming up, but I canāt afford midlife crisis either) - but the new with Stop & Go technology. Almost three times the mileage as my current bus.
Oh, and recently when my Xterra body work was being done, I had a 2009 Pontiac G6, if I had the cash, Iād buy one in a second, fast as all hell.
Charles, I didnāt mean to speak ill of your choice. Buying a new car is a fun and exciting experience. I just kind of laughed at something called a sports car looking like a compact wagon. Anyway, enjoy! Iām sure it will be fun.
I like sleepers. The other performance vehicle Iāll buy in 5-10 years is likely an Audi S4 (or RS4, if life goes well enough).
It may not have a giant spoiler and look like a Ferrari, but that doesnāt make it any less capable.
The 2009/10 WRX does 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.5. The GTI is considerably slower.
Sure, in a straight line. Once you throw curves in to the mix though, the WRX canāt keep up.
You donāt know much about cars, do you? The WRX is a fantastic car at cornering. Plus, come on man. I know you think the Golf is sweet, but comparing it to a Ferrari? Those cars are built for speed and handling, and most have V-12 engines. The crappiest in production Ferrari would destroy a VW GTI. Or did you mean an RS4? Either way.
Iām just going by actual car shows doing tests, not myself.
I didnāt compare the golf to a ferrari. Iām just letting you know thereās room for āsports carā before you get to spending 100k+ on a vehicle.
Sure there is. Like the Nissan 370Z, the Mazda RX-8, and the Audi TT. All sports cars. Anyway, call a sports car what you will. Itās your money.
I got a Ford Fusion Hybrid last week. Itās been very interesting learning how it all works.
Hang on, a road going WRC Rally car canāt keep up with a GTI on a few bends?
The WRX is faster round the Top Gear track than the GTI, R32 and even the Golf W12, which was basically some lunatic at VW having a giggle and shoehorning 650bhp of engine in a hatchback.
Iām sorry I offended your semantics. But like I said, itās not my moniker, so you are wasting time arguing with me.
They never tested the WRX on Top Gear, they only tested the STi. In case it wasnāt clear, I was talking about the base WRX in my original post, not the STi. Also, you realize that the car you buy in the showroom has very little in common with the actual vehicles used for rally?
edit: GTI is faster around Top Gearās test track than the Impreza WRX: Top Gear test track - Wikipedia Guess I was wrong about them not testing the base WRX.
The difference between an Impreza WRX and WRX STi on the Top Gear track when driven by the Stig is about 10 seconds. Yet I think you might consider both to be sports cars.
So where do you draw your line?
Iād be interested in seeing them take the MkVI around the track. The electronic diff apparently makes a pretty radical improvement in the handling of the GTI.
There is also much to be said about a driverās skill. Recall Sabine Schmitz passing Porsches and motorbikes on the nurnburgring to turn in a 10 minute lap in a Ford transit van.
That lap time beat a lot of weekend drivers in their so-called sports cars. Were I a passenger in her van, I very much doubt I would have said I had not received a real racing experience. And isnāt that what sports cars are meant to convey? The experience of racing?
Also worth mentioning is how the Audi RS4 (which was derided above) tops various lamborghinis and ferarris.
That was glorious. :D
Which show? The huge power advantage the WRX has more than offsets its slightly worse handling (example). Note the 09/10 WRX is quite a bit quicker than previous versions.