EcoBrick Bob
SHO Member
I prefer RWD and R.W.D. (Republican With Dog)!!!!!!!
Shelby Cobra GT500
- Thread starter Retnavy
- Start date
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RonPorter
SHO Club of America
As Lamborghini has found, when you start getting into elevated HP levels, you can get BETTER handling while being able to use the power.
Now, my LGT wasn't "Lambo Power", but the handling was very good. Plus, being able to use more power on the street with wet, sandy, or uneven pavement.
Most frustrating thing I found getting back into the truck or the SHO.
I'd bet GT-R owners prefer kicking butt in all conditions 24x7! As an owner of a muscle car that overwhelms it's 12.4" wide drag radials in all but perfect conditions, I can see the advantage of AWD if implemented properly!
As for R.W.D. , who am I to judge? Still I prefer women!
As for R.W.D. , who am I to judge? Still I prefer women!
93rev2sev
SHO Member
bigjimsho ...
did you really say that the taurus chassis was "nothing special"?
Every unibody sedan built after 1986 was a copy of the taurus chassis. In 1991 or 92, GM executives were talking publicly about how they new buick would "out taurus the Taurus". That statement alone signifies something special.
The Taurus Chassis WAS something special...for 1986. It was so special that every human on the face of the planet that wanted to build a car in the 90s would have had one of them in their design studio for reference.
The Yamaha engine actually had a much lower impact on the direction of automotive design than the "nothing special" taurus chassis that literally redefined what people expected from their basic transportation.
did you really say that the taurus chassis was "nothing special"?
Every unibody sedan built after 1986 was a copy of the taurus chassis. In 1991 or 92, GM executives were talking publicly about how they new buick would "out taurus the Taurus". That statement alone signifies something special.
The Taurus Chassis WAS something special...for 1986. It was so special that every human on the face of the planet that wanted to build a car in the 90s would have had one of them in their design studio for reference.
The Yamaha engine actually had a much lower impact on the direction of automotive design than the "nothing special" taurus chassis that literally redefined what people expected from their basic transportation.
thebigjimsho
LSA = YUM
In the realm of the performance enthusiast, the chassis meant little to the overall cult following of the SHO. It was much more the Yamaha engine. If anyone wants to argue that, look at the Contour SVT...
thebigjimsho
LSA = YUM
If you want all out best numbers, go AWD. For the purely best handling, I'll take RWD...
If you "purely best" numbers that will only be seen in perfect conditions on a track somewhere by a professional driver, go RWD. For kicking azz in all conditions in the real world, I'll take AWD.
Unfortunately, finding an AWD car with big power (500+) which is not too heavy (-3800) and will stand up to abuse without breaking is very costly.
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thebigjimsho
LSA = YUM
You're obviously not getting it.
I'm talking about pure handling enjoyment. No numbers, no my-*****-is-bigger-than-yours arguments. Just take it out for a country drive for the heck of it enjoyment. That's it. I'm talking Miata, Lotus, 3 series, etc...
Having a different point of view is not the same as "not getting it". I've got a high powered RWD car and an AWD car. Each has it's benefits. So do the light weight 2-seaters you mentioned. For me personally, there is no substitute for big power. Once you harness that power with maximum traction it is priceless. To each his own.
thebigjimsho
LSA = YUM
Maximum traction is not the handling I'm talking about. I said before I'm not talking about raw numbers, but the way a chassis handles in real world conditions, not on a track.
If you want your car to be an extension and for bragging rights, have at it. I'm talking about a car that lives for the corners and translates that to the driver. If you don't understand that feeling, no problem.
If you want your car to be an extension and for bragging rights, have at it. I'm talking about a car that lives for the corners and translates that to the driver. If you don't understand that feeling, no problem.
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EcoBrick Bob
SHO Member
Handling "feeling" is often very personal... I get a bit freaked out when my GTO or G8's go from understeer/neutral to oversteer with too much throttle....but that's just me...
You know, that wouldn't happen if you bought one of those lesser powered "Zen" RWD cars designed by Buddha to make you "one" with the road!
Still, what would guys like us do without our "extensions"?
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RonPorter
SHO Club of America
But, those are light, lower-powered cars.
For pure handling enjoyment......AWD.
Until you have driven one with some power, you can't appreciate how much you have to dial back on a FWD or RWD car in less-than perfect conditions, be it an uneven road, dirty road, wet road, etc.
The power is SO much more usuable when you can use it much more of the time. I didn't realize how much I came to take the AWD for granted until I got back into a SHO as a daily driver. Even when stock, there are too many conditions I never worried about in the LGT.
And when you start talking serious power, four tires getting traction trumps two every time.
thebigjimsho
LSA = YUM
Anytime you have axles applied to your steering wheels, it robs feel. No way an STi or Evo feels as good tooling around on a mountain road like a Miata or Boxster or the upcoming BRZ...
vernonator
'12 SHO
I really don't see how you can be so definitive about that - feel is just that...a personal view of how the car is handling, what you may think "feels right" may be completly opposite of someone else. I for one LOVE the solid on-rails feel of a good AWD car with some guts behind it, they "feel" much more solid and controled (sp?) than a RWD car...but thats ME...
thebigjimsho
LSA = YUM
I've driven cars that have had lightweight 2 piece rotors and lightweight forged wheels replacing heavy stock rotors and wheels. It made a noticeable difference in steering feel, response and how the suspension handled dips and bumps. Sure, maybe a soccer mom wouldn't really care. But are you trying to tell me that you wouldn't? A heavy wheel with added vagueness in the steering is something you like?
And, in case you didn't notice from my above quotes, this all stems from what I have noticed in driving cars of all types and in what I like.
RonPorter
SHO Club of America
Getting sorta back to the topic......
Yesterday at lapeer there was a GT 500 running on street tires (Nitto Invo). He was running his buddy with a GT 5.0 (Coyote) automatic with a tune & DRs.
GT 500 obviously had launch issues (!!!), but he had a few 12.0x runs, then cranked off a coupla 11.8x runs. Every run I heard had a 125-129 trap speed.
The GT 5.0 would usually get him out of the hole (he ran a best of 13.28 @ 115 that I heard and a 14.67 @ 112 when he tried the stock tune), but the 2nd 1/8-mile reminded me of my runs in my LGT against The Don's Lightning truck.....pure freight train the in the 2nd 1/8!!
To be honest, I would just as soon have something like a Boss 302 for practical track and dragstrip use.
Yesterday at lapeer there was a GT 500 running on street tires (Nitto Invo). He was running his buddy with a GT 5.0 (Coyote) automatic with a tune & DRs.
GT 500 obviously had launch issues (!!!), but he had a few 12.0x runs, then cranked off a coupla 11.8x runs. Every run I heard had a 125-129 trap speed.
The GT 5.0 would usually get him out of the hole (he ran a best of 13.28 @ 115 that I heard and a 14.67 @ 112 when he tried the stock tune), but the 2nd 1/8-mile reminded me of my runs in my LGT against The Don's Lightning truck.....pure freight train the in the 2nd 1/8!!
To be honest, I would just as soon have something like a Boss 302 for practical track and dragstrip use.
Chris Benvie
Every so often
Just wait til the 2013 GT500 comes out...should quiet alot of people.
Hope you all are well! Been awhile
Hope you all are well! Been awhile
shobote
SHO Member
Well here is the showdown, and as expected, the Ford with live axle has too rough of a ride for the street versus Delphi's Magnetorheological tech. used with the ZLI. That is on CA roads too, which are far better than here in the rust belt. The Ford's brakes surprisingly give up after one lap. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1206_2012_chevrolet_camaro_zl1_vs_2013_shelby_gt500/
thebigjimsho
LSA = YUM
hmmm...
Not the first test I've seen that has these results, either...
Not the first test I've seen that has these results, either...
