Auto enthusiast was the term used - someone who is enthusiastic about autos in general.

Let me give you an example, I would take a 1990 Civic/CRX Si over a same year Mustang GT or Camaro Z28. The Mustang and Camaro will embarrass the Honda in a straight line, and perhaps even set a faster lap time around a typical race track, but in the twisties the Honda is vastly more entertaining and fun to drive. In fact, I'd take a Civic Si of that generation over just about any Mustang up to 1999, short of a Cobra.

Note - this is not to say Mustangs and Camaros are bad, but the Si offers some important things that they don't. There is a reason why cars like the Si, the old Mini, the VW GTI (the 1st and 2nd gen models), etc. were so popular. They weren't any cheaper than the V8 muscle cars, but they were very, very special in the overall package and performance they offered. Honda's dominance of the sport compact market didn't happen through clever marketing, it happened because people bought their cars, including the Civic, and (either pre or post purchase) realized that they had wonderful performance and were lots of fun.

UL

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ultimate lurker
[B]Hey now, no need to get nasty yet.