It's annoying to see videos posted online about some Hondas or Acuras beating Corvettes in the 1/4 mile or from 0-60. The other night I was returning home from a friend's house at about 11:30pm when a white Civic pulled up beside me and the passenger was motioning with a thumbs down to me. At first I didn't catch on what was happening but then I realized he had an anti-Corvette attitude. When the light changed green he screached off the line. I let him get a head start because I noticed he didn't appear to have significant mods done to his car other than the loud exhaust pipe (usually they tend to have lowered suspension, low profile tires, fancy paint jobs, and the occasional racing product sticker prominently displayed ala Grand Prix Racing). As he took off I unleashed my Vette and the sound of my Bassani filled the night air as I quickly dismissed this disrespectful Civic. It wasn't even close!

I've been told I was lucky that night because some Civics would have shredded me instantly. I believe it. But I just can't stand the thought of these little 4 bangers disrespecting the great American sports car! Grrrr, it boils my blood! [:@] Even after I slowed down to turn into my housing community the Civic passed me while still motioning with the thumbs down even after I had left him some considerable distance behind. Talk about stubborn [>:] Well, at least this was one Civic that fell prey to my 445hp V8!

By the way....I'm just venting here...there's no real point to my post other than to vent a little.......ok, I feel better now

 

Interesting comments, that somewhat mirror my thoughts, although have very conflicted thoughts and emotions about this suject.

On one hand, I find a lot of these small 4-banger Japanese "things" annoying. First, they sound ridculous, with what is often called a "fart muffler" making, at best, a sound like a mad hornet. Second, some have the most over the top aero kits and slots and scoop additions imaginable - hideous. Third, and most important, the owners are total a**holes.

But there is another side of me that admires any attempt to get power out on engine and appreciates the challenge getting a lot of horses out of a small diosplacement motor. I just love the Alfa Guilio Zagatos of the late 60s, with their 1600 cc two-cam fours and webers and 140 HP! A lot of these modified Japanese cars represent an attempt along this line, and I can respect that.

Still, most look hideous and the owners act like jerks.

 

GOOD KILL, PI$$ ON THOSE JERKS!!!I hate punks like that. I just laugh at those rice burners, I don't care how fast they are. USA HORSE POWER RULES!!! Win or loose, I'm a Vette Fan!!!

 

There is a Civic around here than can do in the 11s and one very mean Neon that did high 10s until it blew up. Neither is particularly a comfortable car to drive on the street, I imagine, more like our Camaro (a 9 sec street car) but still, from about 2 liters, that is pretty cool.

But I still prefer big V8s . . .

 

Chances are that they are jealous of a car that they can't afford to buy - a bad attitude, for sure. Very few ricers try to race me and the ones that do, get pummeled very quickly. For every fast ricer, there are three Corvettes that are MUCH faster. It just boils down to the law of physics: You can always extract more HP from a larger displacement "air pump". 400 HP from a 5.6 liter engine is almost always more reliable than the same HP from a 2 liter engine.

 

Yeah, i dont really like to race because of my status with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles... im not liked very well there. But when i had first gotten my car, i was headed to the Ocean Front here and a guy in a turbo Jetta that was kinda fixed up pulled up next to me at a stop light and i know its not a Japanese import, but its still a good story. The light turned green and i didnt know we were racing and i heard him revv really high and then blow off right before he shifted and at that point, i had just put the pedal to the floor. I got up to about 70 before the next light turned red and i caught up with him. By that time, i was ready to go... The light turned green, i nailed it, he nailed it. It seemed like it took almost no time to get up to 85 in a 45. I had him by about 2 car lengths and MY car was stock!! He wasnt a d**khead though. We pulled up to the next light and waved and said hello to each other and that was about the end of it. But my heart was racing faster than i was i think lol.

 

I have a customer who has a Neon SRT-4 with the Stage 3 performance enhancement on it. I guarantee it will give any 450hp V8 car a good run for the money as it is kicking out about 330 hp. Wicked little ride, even though it IS a Dodge [:-]. Not a fan of it, just throwing that in. When I get my 383 stroker built for my Camaro, he wants to race me. LOL

 

I can respect the Neons, but I don';t like racing against them. As I have said on other occasions here, I really don't like to run against those super-Neons on the street or track, not necessarily because they are fast (some are, but not that fast) but because I've had them jump nearly a lane sideways from torque steer combined with turbo kick in. that is scary (at least for me in the lane next to it).

 

I got a kick out of one magazine's article where they cruised a local street night-racing area with a new Z06. Ricers, old muscle- cars, you name it would challenge the Z, thinking they would out-accelerate the modern-day king of American speed. They ALL saw the Z's taillights. Let's face it, a 500 HP, 30 psi-blown ricer is probably not going to have Z06-size tires and traction (lack of, actually) will make or break an aspiring speed king.

 

Well, yes, but I will say that I respect the Mitsi and Suburus: Evo and STi. The four-wheel drive gives them an incredible advantage off the line and putting the power down in sharp turns, and it would be fun to play around with one -- I just don't have the time or place for one.

One big drawback to the 'vette is its two-wheel drive. It is really difficult to use more than about 450 HP (in a 3200 lb car) on only two wheels. My car is a kick to drive but it is no faster below 100, 110 than a 500 HP ZO6, or for that matter than it was with the stock engine and a Magnusen at 465ish RWHP, because its just all wheelspin.

I sincerely hope that, with the "C7" whenever GM gets around to it, they finally re-design the car and add full time four wheel drive. Porsche adds it to the 911 Carrera 4S for only about 180 lbs, and it's worth that much weightfor the traction and control you get.