!! Y'know, I just may do that! Then that opens up another can of worms for an amateur racer, speedshifting from a dead stop...I gotta practice.

 

Downshift to 3rd gear and run it to red. When it is all over with, you will be many car-lengths ahead. Trust me .

 

You could....

Buy a megaphone, bring it to you to work and when u see him yell, scream, and curse at him. Also, try to honk the horn rambunctiously (god i love that word) while you're at it.

or... You can shift it into 3rd and go 20 car lengths ahead of him, do a one-eighty, and then play chicken.

 

Put it in 3rd and if its a GS430 you still might not lose him. Motor Trend got a 13.9 1/4 mile time and 103mph trap speed.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by kumar75150
[B]Put it in 3rd and if its a GS430 you still might not lose him.

 

Since it's a GS430, you shouldn't have a problem. Drop it to 3rd, run it to the redline, and watch him fade away in your mirrors (just kidding. . .I had to say that see what RJ_S2K would say).

Depending on how good of a driver you are, it would be very close (V8 GSs are very quick) and not worth putting yourself, the other driver, or other motorists at risk. The smart thing to do is just to ignore the guy but of course we all do dumb things once in a while.

 

There isn't a lockout for 1st gear. At the recent Sac2KDays/Thunderhill event, I was talking with a guy who (on a different day) accidentally dropped it into 1st instead of 3rd at about 80mph. The guy said that the rev limiter kicked in, the back-end of the car swung out, and it took every last ounce of effort to get the car back in line.

As far as the GS400/430 goes, it would be an extremely close race. I own both an S2000 and a GS400, and I can confidently say that without an absolutely perfect launch, the GS will win in a drag race (a recent 1/4-mile race against my wife in the GS proved that--she got off the line quicker and maintained a lead all the way). The GS400/GS430 has the torque (315 lb-ft for the GS400 and 325 lb-ft for the GS430) to get off the line quicker. That torque also helps when passing on the freeway (just slam the accelerator to the floor and take off).

You also have to watch out for modified GS400/430s. There are aftermarket CAIs, exhausts, and superchargers. Swift Racing Technologies has a supercharged GS400 that did the 1/4-mile in 12.03 seconds! I've got the video that shows it.

 

Let me correct myself. The GS400 has 310 lb-ft of torque, not 315 lb-ft.

Anyway, here's a brief excerpt from a Motor Trend review on the GS430:

"The Lexus 4.0L V-8 was a strong yet silken powerplant, smoothly spinning out 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. The new 4.3's horsepower rating remains at 300, but torque has increased to 325 ULEV certified lb-ft at 3400 rpm. Its additional grunt is easily noticed when flooring the accelerator from, oh, say 40 mph. The electronically controlled five-speed transmission kicks down, the tail squats slightly, and you'd better have the vehicle pointed in the right direction. Hit the brake pedal and hope nobody's tailgating you: The GS 430 goes from 60 to parked in an amazing 108 ft, just a handful of feet more than a Corvette Z06."

 

The answer to your problem was given by one of the guys who posted suggesting auto cross.


Several advantages to an auto cross for you. You go a few times (lots of us unskilled amateurs there) and you'll learn quickly effectively how and when to shift, etc. Then, after you've got a bit of practice under your belt, challenge the guy. I'm betting that he won't even take you up on it.

Chances are that even if he is a good driver his car can't stay with a well-driven S2k in an auto cross situation. Yes, his low-end grunt will be a big help to him, but skillful use of your gears will reduce that advantage.

The very best thing about this course of action is that you'll be having fun!!!
Even if you eventually lose to him, it probably would not be by much and certainly would not be a humiliating experience. And of course, it is all perfectly legal.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pixsurguy
[B]The answer to your problem was given by one of the guys who posted suggesting auto cross.