The latest performance cars
 

I thought I'd start a car discussion. (Yeah, I know.) I have been reading on some of the latest performance car releases and road tests. I was impressed and surprised to read all the positive reviews of the new Alfa sport sedan. In a comparison test, Car and Driver gave it first place over the M3, CTS-V and AMG C63 (car names from memory so I may be off a letter or number). Humorously, C&D warned that an electronic problem occurred and reoccurred with the Alfa during testing, so you may want to wait and see despite the great reviews.

Also featured recently is the new Camaro super car. At $67K it sounds pricey, but may be a performance bargain for those who need more than 600 hp.

Does anyone NEED more than 600 hp?

I don't know. Maybe.

It's an HP race, again. Heck, I rarely use the 240HP of the S2000.

All those high priced cars. You can have as much fun in a Civic Si, a WRX, an STI or even a Miata.

The fun is in the gearbox and getting as much from a small engine as possible.

Maybe. Seems like folks also have fun in high powered cars. Different fun.

My S2000 really lacks power at my elevation (5500 ft >). In order to achieve any type of performance it needs to be driven at 5500 rpm or higher, which seems abnormal and annoying. I would be much happier with my S2000 if it had abundant low end torque and at least 375HP. Yeah, Shifting is fun, but more power and less shifting is far more satisfying. At least for me.

Gary

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/...ies/iagree.gif I have lots of fun mashing my foot into 460 hp. You're right, Bill, it's a different kind of fun. Remember in the Avatar movie when the avatar guy jumped on the very big winged thing and said "When you're the baddest cat in the sky, you never have to look up." When I want to get around someone in traffic, I never have to worry about doing it.

I like both.

I guess so. All that power (and expense) seems lost on me

I have to admit that I've been drooling over the new E63S.
with naught to sixty in the low threes..... yeee hah


I do wish the financial considerations were different.
I'd love to add a ariel atom 3s to the stable. not 600 ponies, only half that but weighs almost nothing.

Ha ha
i like cheap thrills. My little S does it in the fours, so you are still within sight!! :lol:

How much does the E63S weigh? I thought it was around 4500 (Yikes!) pounds. I guess that would be solid German Engineering...

Might be a hoot, I guess, but it almost sound like they're just trying to use brute force to achieve their acceleration goals.

I agree. It's the old my car has more power than yours. But, can you drive it to it's limits. :LOL:

That's really easy at the track. And many people here do track their cars. We call the guy who brings his MB S Class four door to run with us - here comes the guy in 'the bus'. :LOL: Actually, no one boasts about the horse power of his/her sled....

So what new performance cars are the rest of you watching?

I love our S class and it does handle very well for it's size but I can't imagine trying to throw it around on a track.
as the say in the automags... that's a lot of avoirdupois.
does he burn through a set a tires per day?

Yep, he does! I'm not sure why he brings it to the track; he can't keep up with us in the Bus. However it does have 4Matic and traction control. He is a young Asian guy, who has a lot of money to spend on performance cars. He also has a Nissan GTR and a hot Z4. You can never know what he will be driving when he shows up.

As to Bill's last question, i keep drooling over the new Porsche 718 Cayman RS turbo four banger! Yeah, dream on! :LOL:

I like this C&D video of Ferrari 458 Spyder on Stelvio Pass. [may have posted already]. :D

None.

I saw the new Miata with the targa top yesterday. I think they call it a RF. It really looks cool and although not a performance car I liked the look of it.

Some of the most fun I've had in cars were in:

Honda Fit
Civic Si (8th gen)
Fiesta ST
Focus ST
S2000 (of course)
Mini Cooper S
Subaru WRX

Compare this owning a ~400whp Audi TTRS, I could have more fun in the other cars. The Audi was frustrating because I was only using a fraction of what it was capable of on public roads. The honda fit was the slowest, but wringing out that little engine and shifting the gear box on back roads was a blast, and it was completely stock. The Audi on the highway was stupid scary fast, and public roads are not designed for those types of speeds. There is much more usable horsepower in slower cars from day to day driving than much faster cars. I think in terms of acceleration, WRX or STI levels of acceleration is about as fast as I need on public roads, and I'd like to have my S up to that level of acceleration eventually. (which won't require much).

d

Ray, I think that depends on one's definition of "performance". I haven't seen the RF in person yet, just pictures. But what I've seen I really like.

I want to test drive a Camaro ZL1. Down here where most of the roads are pretty straight and fairly flat it would have more than enough suspension for me. And if I ever did get one over to NOLA Motorsports Park it would probably have enough for me there as well.

I agree that shifting is fun but more power and less shifting is far more satisfying. That's one of the reasons why I love my 2005 NSX. It's a joy to be able to get up to 70 mph in second gear.

BTW, next Wednesday there will be a new demo NSX at a fairly close Acura dealership. I plan on giving it a spin. I got to ride in one with driver Peter Cunningham back in 2015 after I won a raffle drawing. Never drove one before.

Are you thinking about buying one???

I sat in one at Glendale Acura yesterday, Patty. Pretty cool!

Not really. I'd rather buy a house in Fallbrook, California so it would be dumb to put that much money into a car. I really love my current NSX, anyway. I just thought it's an opportunity I shouldn't pass up.

Hmmm... Have I been driving my S wrong for 15 years now? They work at less than 5500 RPM? I never noticed.