EVO magazines top 100 drivers cars

[scannon]

eh, I got a chance to drive a paddle shifting Aston Martin... didn't really do much for me. I get alot of satisfaction from nailing a heel-toe downshift

 

I drove a flappy paddle Ferrari 360 Modena. Other than the great down shifts I didn't like it. The owner sold it after about six months and bought another one with a 6 speed manual. Apparently he didn't much care for it either.

 

And like Mazda, I get great satisfaction every time I nail the heel/toe downshift.

[Alaskossie]

Hey Skip,

 

Remind me next time, that we should not be seen together in your blown yellow Miata....

 

Seriously, I'd have to second Skip's position that some Miatas (including his blown and race-suspended one) is no chick car -- unless the chick has hair on her chest, and cojones to match! Skip's Miata is all business, and then some.

 

And I'd suspect that Flying Miata's Chev v-8-engined Miata conversion would blow the "chick car" image into the weeds for good....

Alaskossie

[MoPho]

If it's good enough for World Rally drivers (my heroes) then it's good enough for me.

 

well they use it because the goal is to save time and win races, not because it is more fun. Additionally, the automated gearboxes are more reliable since the driver can't screw up

 

eh, I got a chance to drive a paddle shifting Aston Martin... didn't really do much for me. I get alot of satisfaction from nailing a heel-toe downshift

 

Proof

http://www.mjswebgallery.com/carz/images/AMV8_071.jpg

 

Agree, having driven quite a few cars with flappy paddles (ferrari's Lambo's, GTR, BMW's, etc) I personally feel like they dull the experience of the car.

 

Admittedly, the Ferrari's shifts were pretty friggen cool at first, they are lightening quick, somewhat violent, and the accompanied noise is amazing, but after a while I was longing for doing the shifting myself, even if it was slower.

 

 

 

I love the dual clutch, computer operated, paddle shifters in my '08 M3. They never miss a down shift and cut 1/2 second off the 1/4 mile time.

 

Why do you need to shave 1/2 a second off your 1/4 mile time? Can't see how that is worth giving up the pleasure of operating the gearbox yourself

 

 

Can we agree if you drive a miata with an automatic...... your gay;)

 

 

Well maybe not gay, but certainly lame :willy_nilly:

 

Worse is Porsche's with automatic transmissions, that should just be illegal.

[slngsht]

http://www.mjswebgallery.com/carz/images/AMV8_071.jpg

 

 

Heh. There it is! Thanks for the ride man. White color goes nicely with the white hair :seeya:

[Hank]

To clarify my original post I said a guy "looks gay" in a Miata. He could be the straightest guy on earth, the Dugger dad for instance fathering all 19-20-21 of those kids depending on what week we're in, but when he gets behind the wheel of the Miata he will definitely look gay. Once he gets out of the Miata the generalization is gone. Second to that is a Neon.

 

Ending the gay debate is *gasp* an article I found searching google for keywords like "what car makes me look gay". Seriously. Here's what I found: the Top 10 Most Researched Vehicles by Gay Men, 2nd Quarter 2009.

 

Back to topic: I almost had the pleasure of driving a Noble at the Carlisle kit car nationals a few years ago. I signed the waiver and just before I was going to drive it out of the barn it started to rain. The salesman promptly took the keys from me.

 

Top #5 for me:

1. 2009 Westfield Megabusa - it's different, power/weight, turns heads (own it now)

2. 2006 EVO IX RS - only 300 or so made, autox/track day potential (owned one 2008)

3. 2004 Mustang Cobra - dragstrip potential (owned one 2005-2007)

4. 2006 Ford GT - sat in and cranked one, OMG! Drool.

5. 1996 Porsche 911 Twin Turbo - fantasy car

[Alaskossie]

Hank,

 

What were the specs on the limited-edition 2006 EVO IX RS that you owned?

 

Just wondering how it compares on paper to my Eggenberger-modified 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth? (Assuming my Cossie was running, which it isn't at present!).

 

Alaskossie

[MoPho]

You have a Cossie Escort? A friend of mine has one here in LA

 

What does Eggenberger modified entail?

[Alaskossie]

Mondo,

 

If World Rally drivers are your heroes, I assume you have seen what IMHO is the most thrilling in-car video ever, the film "Climb Dance," showing Ari Vatanen in the Peugeot 405 T16 Group B rally car on Pikes Peak in 1988.

 

Talk about driving on the edge, on dirt -- literally as well as figuratively! I was there at Pikes Peak for the hillclimb in 1988. From the great vantage point of Devil's Playground at 13,000 ft. elevation, I witnessed those two 500 hp beasts at the hands of Vatanen and teammate Juho Kankunen rocket up the mountain. At least 20 hairpin turns are in view from Devil's Playground, and those two drivers attacked the road like they were downhill skiers. The most thrilling display of driving skill I've ever seen!

 

This 5-minute film give a good taste of it:

 

What Is Rally About - Climb Dance - Peugeot 405 T16 - Pikes Peak - Ari Vatanen

 

Alaskossie

[solder_guy]

Many young people have never learned to drive a manual transmission ..

 

My wife and I are teaching my 15 year old daughter to drive a stick .. she likes it!

 

I have suggested a new Miata for my wife's next car At least I can ride when she drives it!

 

Rob

[scannon]

 

Top #5 for me:

 

4. 2006 Ford GT - sat in and cranked one, OMG! Drool.

5. 1996 Porsche 911 Twin Turbo - fantasy car

A friend of mine has both of these cars in his fleet. Both are tracked and driven well and hard.

 

I've had the privilege of driving the Turbo S on the track a number of times, a great experience. For those not familiar with the car, it is a limited production (135 units IIRC) Porsche, twin turbos and the last of the air cooled engines producing 435 HP and all wheel drive. Very easy car to get in and drive fast from the get go.

 

I've also driven the Ford GT on some back country roads. The car is even better than the Turbo S. At one point I thought I was doing 70 - 80 mph, looked over at the speedometer and saw I was actually doing 135 mph! He didn't even ask me to slow down. I've been promised a chance to drive it on the track next time we both hit a track day together.

 

He has a Corvette ZR-1 on order, should be showing up this month. I asked for a ride on the track. He said no, you will have to drive it yourself.

 

This same fellow owned the flappy paddle Ferrari I wrote about earlier. Nice to have friends like this that share their special cars with others. After he drove my Miata on the track, he was razzing all his Ferrari club buddies about this little Miata that could whup their Ferraris on the track.

[Alaskossie]

oPho,

 

So you have a friend in LA with an Escort Cossie 4X4?

 

There are only about 15 street-legal ones in the US, all imported by Sun International Racing in CA, ending in 1996 (production at Karmann in Germany ran from February 1992 through early January 1996, with a total of 7,145 made).

 

I bought my Cosssie new in 1995, but had it sent to Eggenberger Motor Sport in Lyss, Switzerland for engine and brake mods before shipping it to LA. Stock power for the 2-liter Ford Cosworth turbo engine was 220 hp. I had the engine stroked to 2.3 liters, a different engine-management system installed, etc. and it now dyno's at 377 hp at 5500 rpm, and 435 lb.ft. of torque at 3500 rpm. With studded tires on snow, it is a beast!

 

My son Scott and I drove it from LA to Anchorage in August of 1998 -- a great trip!

 

A few photos:

[MoPho]

Yup, it's a cossie 4x4

 

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v353/74/96/1467790488/n1467790488_30074497_5486.jpg

 

It's stock though, so a bit of a let down in terms of performance, great looking car though. Yours must be fun with the engine mods

 

Also know of a couple rally spec'd "scorts" too

 

 

There's one for sale in Oregon http://bringatrailer.com/2009/09/03/us-legal-1994-ford-escort-cosworth-rs/#more-2048

[Alaskossie]

MoPho,

 

Could you ask your Escort Cossie friend how he came by the small, non-stock Ford Oval on the narrow, non-stock front grille bar? A Cossie owner in UK saw a photo of this car, and has asked me how it was done. I have an idea, but would like to hear it "from the horse's mouth."

 

The red Escort Cossie for sale in Oregon is owned by a friend of mine, a PhD in physics who is currently working in UK as an aerodynamicist with the Brawn Formula 1 team (neat job!!). His father in Oregon also owns one.

[MoPho]

MoPho,

 

Could you ask your Escort Cossie friend how he came by the small, non-stock Ford Oval on the narrow, non-stock front grille bar? A Cossie owner in UK saw a photo of this car, and has asked me how it was done. I have an idea, but would like to hear it "from the horse's mouth."

 

The red Escort Cossie for sale in Oregon is owned by a friend of mine, a PhD in physics who is currently working in UK as an aerodynamicist with the Brawn Formula 1 team (neat job!!). His father in Oregon also owns one.

 

 

He said he just threw some random Ford badge on there that he found. The Custom grill was installed from Sun as they were not allowed to put the stock ones (with badges on the car)

[Alaskossie]

MoPho,

 

That's what I thought. (I took the custom grille bar that had no space for the Ford logo off, and replaced it eventually with the original stock Ford bar that I had found in a trash bin at Sun). When Sun brought these cars in, as a DOT-recognized manufacturer they had to register them as a "Rally Sport," and had to remove all external Ford logos and model names. For some reason, Sun was not required by Ford USA to replace or fill in the "Ford" name on the wheel covers, however.

[Kitcat]

MoPho:

 

I appreciate the slight advantage my super-speedy paddle shifts give me at the track, where I am usually trying to catch someone, or not be caught. I also put it in auto mode and let it shift itself at the track. Having one less thing to do seems to help me focus on braking points, turn in, check my mirrors, etc.

 

At my first track day recently, my M3 was the fastest car there. Am I a driving hero? Well, the second fastest was not the Ferrari, not the ZO6, it was the, er.., Miata. It was a race prepped well driven Miata, but, it was still a Miata.

 

I also like shifting tho. My 5 sp Caterham offers plenty of opportunities for that, both on and off the track.

 

Mike

Edited September 12, 2009 by Kitcat

[solder_guy]

Why does the Escort brand have a better reputation in the UK/Euro .. and the Escort has the reputation of a cheap small car in the USA?

[slngsht]

Why does the Escort brand have a better reputation in the UK/Euro .. and the Escort has the reputation of a cheap small car in the USA?

because the Escort brand haa a better car in the UK/Euro .. and the Escort is a cheap small car in the USA

[MoPho]

I want this kind of Cosworth Escort :driving:

 

http://www.mjswebgallery.com/killarney/images/DSC_8485.jpg

 

http://www.mjswebgallery.com/rally_2002-06/images/2006-28.jpg

 

http://www.mjswebgallery.com/rally_2002-06/images/2006-36.jpg

[Hank]

Hank,

What were the specs on the limited-edition 2006 EVO IX RS that you owned?

Alaskossie

 

286 HP

289 lb-ft torque

3018 lb (jack and spare removed, 1/4 tank gas)

 

RS (nicknamed "really stripped!" by me) gets no ABS, no radio, no sound deadening, no power door locks or windows, no cruise control, no rear wing or rear wiper, but it gets A/C. Both the Base Evo and RS get a 5 speed tranny. The MR edition had a 6 speed, but I was told they overheated and died on lapping day events.