I feel like Wyatt Earp. Own an S and you're suddenly, whether you like it or not, Honda's roaming ambassador to the fast car U.N.

On my sub-lightspeed jaunt back from Nashville to Daytona tonight, it seemed like every swinging dipstick with a coffee-canned Mitsu was trying to take a shot at me. They see the S, they go for guns. Happened at least thrice in 690 miles, and possibly a few more times, except that their cars were so lame it was hard to tell if it wasn't just a slow lane pass.

Submitted for your approval. 1920 hours, south of Jacksonville on I-295. Offender: lowered Eclipse with the faux-cool indiglo guages and tailpipe fatter than a Saturn V rocket. Joker pulls up alongside, matches velocity briefly, and totally guns it. As he accelerates past me, exhaust droning just like my buddy's '64 VW bug after his muffler rotted away like a Titanic rusticle, I wonder if he thinks I was racing him or something. He must've thought he killed me.

How do I let these kids know I'm not interested? What's the protocol for saying no to an interstate rally? Hell, how do you say yes? I just don't wanna get shot or anything.

At least not with my back to the door.

 

I like to look over, shake my head in displeasure, and continue on my slower-than-they-are-going way.

 

Why do you feel the need to let them know you're not interested? Just ignore them and be on your way. There's nothing to be gained by racing them anyways. If you win you were expected to; if you lose you're embarrassed, and all the while you risk getting nailed by the cops. Complete waste of time IMO.

 

If you're on the inside lane, stay there and don't change your speed. If you're in the middle or outside lane, move over to the inner lane. That tells them you don't want to race. On the other hand, if you want to tell them that you're willing to let your S2K beat the s**t out of them, then simply change from the inner lane to the middle, or from the middle to the outside lane.

Changing into a faster or slower lane really does convey a specific message to these coffee can speed jerks.

 

I subscribe to the "No Eye Contact Rule"

Works for me!

 

I grin and then I show them my tail-lights. A take no sh$t ettiquette. Latez!

 

Hey George

Great post, nicely written! Short answer - there's nothing you can do about it. I've had garbage trucks, busses, clapped out pick ups full of leaves and mowers, all heaving their noisome guts out trying to race the Stook. Take it in stride.

2x6spds

 

I think you will find alot of the Eclipse owners like to race. Since trading my Eclipse in on the S I miss the power of the Eclipse. It is a very easy and relatively inexpensive car to modify and make very fast when you start with a factory turbo. They like to race because they are generally younger and the turbo Eclipse when modified takes second place to few cars on the highway. I love my S more than any car I have ever owned but for highway racing it's nowhere near the car my Eclipse was. My guess is that he was just testing the waters to see if you wanted to race, you didn't so he left. If you don't feel like racing then don't, but don't underestimate Eclipses. I have embarrassed cars that thought they were much faster (C5's, 911 turbos, Vipers, etc.) with my Eclipse. Sure love the S though.

 

I usually just smile and nod or wave them on by, hoping a cop might be ahead. It so happens that on more than one occasion there has been a speed trap lurking ahead, giving me an oppoortunity to wave or nod yet again as I cruise by. The temptation is always there, but I try to avoid it.

 

Thanks for the replies guys.