Let the rest of the world catch up
 

Has anyone else notices, that it took the rest of the world almost ten years to catch up to the corvettes (1997) and ls1 f-body realm in terms of power and 1/4 mile times? Im talking about the run of the mill, not exotics. It wasnt until the newer model evos and sti's ( i mean early 2000s). We see the new chargers, the srt8s, the mustangs (minus the gt500s, the roushes, and whatever else is out there). It seems just recently that cars are equipped with 300 hp. But has it hit anyone else, with even the 425 hp hemis and what not, that they dont even break into the 12s? I've seen that they give all these new "muscle cars" so much horsepower, yet they make them so rediculously heavy that the added hp doesnt have much effect. I would say however, that the sky redline is quite a fast car. anyone?

The C5 was a cutting edge car!

EVOs and STIs are far more sophisticated and superior cars to the LS1 Camaro, and when available in the states, always have been. America is about the only country that thinks 1/4 mile times measure a car's worth.

I thought 1/4 mile was everything....lol :D

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

Sports cars are about handling, fun factor, looks, driving dynamics, and speed. Fast in the 1/4 mile does not make a good sports car.

Also most of the rest of the world pays $8+/gallon for fuel so big inch V8's are not really practical - 24mpg highway in Europe/Asia is bad gas mileage, not good!

Don't get me wrong, I love my '03 Z06, but you have to put it in perspective.

YellowZed

That's why the C5 is one of the best bangs for the buck out there. :thumbs:

I think he meant the ls1 cam/bird/vette as setting a benchmark for cars to work up to, as power.

:iagree: :thumbs:

Chuck

Thinking of a Camaro as a benchmark for the world's cars to strive for is why American cars are not taken seriously.

A half second in the quartermile doesn't mean a whole lot when the car runs straight lines through corners, door handle dragging on the ground as bits of the interior falls off.

that's where the corvette comes in- handling. America must build a few good cars to be able to be more powerful than lamborghini's and ferraris...

I think you miss his point, American cars need to be a bit more well rounded and do more things well rather than one thing very good.

Also, there's plenty of SRT8 cars in the 12's stock, you may be looking in the wrong places. Most of the "new" muscle cars are actually faster than the cars from the late 60's and early 70's. You can blame saftey and convenience for the extra weight; how much does a 8 way power adj heated leather seat weigh.

true but look at where american cars have been. cars back in the 50s and 60s didnt really have any regulations, and they were meant to just go, hence what brought about all the regulations we have today. Im not proud of where american cars are today, because they feel so cheap inside, and made cheaply. lol all i was tryin to say was it took the rest of the us (shouldnt have used world) to catch up to the technology and the power we saw in the ls1 cars. note that we didnt have the charger or challenger then, or the 300c or the dodge neon turbo

But you had 5.0L mustangs and GN kicking the crap out of a C4 until they put the LT1 in it so who really caught up?

Hell, the Toyota Camry is badder than most "muscle cars."

:bs: I've owned 4 Camaros (still own 2) and NONE of what you just wrote is true (unless you bought a lemon or something). And speaking of lemons... a friend of mine use to have a brand new 99' C5 that was a lemon: Exhaust fell off, steering collumn locked up and stranded him several times, and the heater core leaked into the interior, among other things.. So that can go for any car.

Fact of the matter is, that the F-Bodies were always the cheaper version of the Corvette in terms of cost. But they will always be known as the "best bang for the buck" in terms of performance. :cool:

c5s rule:thumbs:

Evo's and STi's are AWD rally cars...an offroad sport most Americans never much followed, much like pro soccer..

They could probably beat any other domestic car up and down a dirt fire road no doubt...but then the logical question arises...who cares?

The majority of people that buy these "technologically superior" AWD sh!tboxes want nothing more than to outrun an LSx car from a stoplight, and therein lies the beauty of it...they're buying the wrong tool for the job. :D

So yeah, for most of us, it is an America thing. You stand (drive) on your battleground, choose your weapon wisely.


:cheers:

one of the clowns (20 something) I work with brought his WRX in with a big hanging fart can on it and it sounds like my mtd tractor w/ a hole in it. Put that next to my 02 w/headers/ corsa ; open your ears then open your eyes :))))
Thats a compact (dont care how quick it is) a C5 is a car!
Sweet, sexy, sleek and quick.
When I get my GX53 this winter, cant wait to open my ears.............

Answer: Yes. :D

My experience with Camaros is limited to a testdrive years before I knew what "handling was" and a recent drive of a low mile LS1 Z28 automatic. Making that car go around corners was frightening. I'd say it felt slightly more likely to tilt over than my wife's Tundra.

I heard the SS is much better, but I haven't had the pleasure.