Got beat by a WRX.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 204
From: Lincoln CA
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 20,715
Likes: 25
From: Sorrento Italy
Originally Posted by RagTop69
I was out driving my stock 427/390hp 69 shark on Sunday. I'd just got it back from my mechanic, who had finally gotten the secondaries to work on the Q-Jet. This guy in a black Subaru Impreza with all the emblems removed and no rear wing was getting rather snarky at a couple of stoplights. We finally came up alongside each other. We rolled off the line with the Subaru slightly ahead. As I accelerated he was just holding the lead. I finally nailed it in first gear and he did the same. Got me by a half a car in first and I just shut down because we were in town and I don't need a ticket. Besides, he had already proved he was quicker. It was, of course, a WRX. When I pulled into the lane behind him to make a right turn I could see the blacked out WRX emblem on the trunk lid. Nothing to be ashamed of, but I hate being beaten by a rice rocket.
Last edited by panic; Dec 4, 2006 at 11:33 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
My son had a WRX and with intake, exhaust, water injection and ECU re-program he dynoed at ~380 HP at the wheels. Those cars are very light to begin with so that car would just fly when you got into the boost.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
From: Lake Anna Virginia
Originally Posted by 72LS1Vette
My son had a WRX and with intake, exhaust, water injection and ECU re-program he dynoed at ~380 HP at the wheels. Those cars are very light to begin with so that car would just fly when you got into the boost.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: MA
Originally Posted by commando57
How do you dyno a 4wd car?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,038
Likes: 3
From: Clinton IL
I had a 12 second 1990 M6 Vette a number of years ago. It looked bone stock on the outside. I had a guy in a modified WRX try to give me some. I have to admit had I been a stock car he would have handed me my bumper. I was able to stay ahead of him by a door and a nose the whole time....but my foot was all the way through the floor!
These cars are nothing to laugh about performance wise.
Looks wise...long term value wise......well, that's another story.
The thing is, you could have 600 hp, but if you can't hook up that AWD monster is going to leave you behind. Engine mods have to be balanced with suspension mods and appropriate composite tires to stay competitive with these things.
These cars are nothing to laugh about performance wise.
Looks wise...long term value wise......well, that's another story.
The thing is, you could have 600 hp, but if you can't hook up that AWD monster is going to leave you behind. Engine mods have to be balanced with suspension mods and appropriate composite tires to stay competitive with these things.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,071
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
AWD = newb cannon
Race em from a 60mph roll and see how well he keeps up.
AWD = parasitic and heavy. Not mention that it's just that many more moving parts that can break and your 40 year old vette gets better gas mileage. 
STis get a whopping 12 - 15mpg (co-worker has one and he admits the gas mileage is ***) and Evos get the same. FFFFF that!
Race em from a 60mph roll and see how well he keeps up.
AWD = parasitic and heavy. Not mention that it's just that many more moving parts that can break and your 40 year old vette gets better gas mileage. STis get a whopping 12 - 15mpg (co-worker has one and he admits the gas mileage is ***) and Evos get the same. FFFFF that!
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 20,715
Likes: 25
From: Sorrento Italy
Originally Posted by 69Myway
...The thing is, you could have 600 hp, but if you can't hook up that AWD monster is going to leave you behind. Engine mods have to be balanced with suspension mods and appropriate composite tires to stay competitive with these things.
and that's is more difficult to achieve...after i did swap my poor and lonely L48 with a tenaceous and raw 570hp geezer i've concentrated to achieve a good handling on bends...but first thing you have to put the car on a serious diet, you'll never be able to compete with 500 lbs surplus weight on your shoulders against any serious contendant on a winding road...
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,909
Likes: 26
From: Clymer PA
your 40 year old vette gets better gas mileage. STis get a whopping 12 - 15mpg (co-worker has one and he admits the gas mileage is ***) and Evos get the same. FFFFF that!
. At any rate with some mild head work, a nice intake and camshaft with a good flowing exhaust the WRX is toast.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 4,101
Likes: 10
From: NorCal
The "regular" WRX is plenty potent, and the STi is just plain dangerous for us vette guys. We have an STi that runs with our roadrace club that regularly beats the normal C-5's, and can beat a badly driven C-5 Z06. Very impressive little car.
Hans
Hans
CF Community Team
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 19,366
Likes: 5,244
From: Cape Cod, Mass.
2025 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C8 Z06/7/E-Ray of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C8 of the Year Finalist Unmodified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C1 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2017 Corvette of the Year Finalist
2016 C2 of Year
2015 C3 of Year Finalist
A young friend of mine let me drive his new WRX STI recently. I don't think my 68 427/390 Auto will keep up with it but it sure makes a hell of alot more torque than the STI and is more fun to drive. You have to get way up in the RPM range with the Subaru to wake it up. But it's fast when you do. I like torque more than high revving rice rockets.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
Likes: 46
From: Huntersville NC
I used to have a modded twin turbo WRX that would run high 7s at 168 mph in the 1/4 mile. Would lose 1/2 my power when the front wheels got pulled off the ground! 
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(I made that last part up.... just the part after "I used to have... " )
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
(I made that last part up.... just the part after "I used to have... "
)
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 206
Likes: 0
From: Washington DC
I was between buying an Evo X, a WRX STI, and the c3 vette. I chose the vette because its cheaper, flashier, and doesn't have to pass emissions (more freedom). I also think RWD are more fun since i'm more of a road racing guy than the rally type. Simple fact is both of those cars a light, extremely well engineered, and have no-nonsense power trains and motors. I have seen Evo's built/tuned by AMS go up to 900+ hp on that 2.0 litre. 
besides that, you're talking about cars that have benefited from modern engineering and a better traction system. Also those cars are not cheap, new Evo X is somewhere under 40k, and an STI is somewhere around 35k. Also the fact that there was no rear spoiler makes me suspect it was a plain WRX originally, but who knows what he had done to it since then. those cars are VERY tunable.
besides that, you're talking about cars that have benefited from modern engineering and a better traction system. Also those cars are not cheap, new Evo X is somewhere under 40k, and an STI is somewhere around 35k. Also the fact that there was no rear spoiler makes me suspect it was a plain WRX originally, but who knows what he had done to it since then. those cars are VERY tunable.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 11,891
Likes: 3
From: Kansas City, MO ...I'd like to go fishing and catch a fishstick. That'd be convenient. - Mitch Hedberg
When it comes to the newer cars lots of people tend to go for blingy over the top body mods and simple bolt on engine mods, if any. The ones to be wary of are the cars that are really clean, ie removed emblems, subtle body mods with tons of underhood work.. Those are the sleepers of the Sport Compact world.
There is a WRX in the parking garage here at work that looks stock from the outside with the exception of the carbon fiber hood and trunk lid. I hear most of the mod money is in the drivetrain. That's a car you should likely not try and have a go with.
There is a WRX in the parking garage here at work that looks stock from the outside with the exception of the carbon fiber hood and trunk lid. I hear most of the mod money is in the drivetrain. That's a car you should likely not try and have a go with.