HP increases in production cars compared to racers of a few years ago

SpeedTV had a special on about the Corvette Z06 and how it's built. 500+ horsepower, 198 mph top speed and 25mpg's???!!! It's the only high performance/high horsepower sports car sold in the U.S. that escapes the gas guzzler tax. Pretty amazing stuff, IMO.

BTW, what happened to the poster named TrumperZ06? Does anyone remember him or know what happened to him? He mainly posted on the NASCAR and GT & Sports car forums. I think he once mentioned having some heart problems and I just wondered how that turned out for him.

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Originally Posted by Jag_Warrior

SpeedTV had a special on about the Corvette Z06 and how it's built. 500+ horsepower, 198 mph top speed and 25mpg's???!!! It's the only high performance/high horsepower sports car sold in the U.S. that escapes the gas guzzler tax. Pretty amazing stuff, IMO.

BTW, what happened to the poster named TrumperZ06? Does anyone remember him or know what happened to him? He mainly posted on the NASCAR and GT & Sports car forums. I think he once mentioned having some heart problems and I just wondered how that turned out for him.

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There's a trumperz06 here -> http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/member.php?u=12314 last activity 4th July 2010

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Originally Posted by Daniel

not awd even....

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Is 4wd really necesary for a road car though? We have an impreza and I would honestly prefer it not to have 4wd.. as you say it kills mpg, ok its very stable and has great traction in the loose and snow but makes the handling really dull compared to a rwd.. or even my old fwd pug gti which had good enough traction for the snow/ice to get from A-B where I live.

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Originally Posted by Zico

Is 4wd really necesary for a road car though? We have an impreza and I would honestly prefer it not to have 4wd.. as you say it kills mpg, ok its very stable and has great traction in the loose and snow but makes the handling really dull compared to a rwd.. or even my old fwd pug gti which had good enough traction for the snow/ice to get from A-B where I live.

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Perhaps the handling isn't exciting. But modern FWD cars are nothing like 106 GTi's or 205 GTi's of olde anyway. I love the fact that unless it's snowy or icey I can put my foot as far down as I want in Caroline's car and I don't need to worry about torquesteer or wheelspin.

Since I had the front of Caroline's car polybushed and had alloy droplinks fitted to replace the ****ty plastic oem ones it's actually quite nice to drive and a lot flatter through the corners and pointier up front.
http://www.cdfracing.co.uk/images/KLC30.jpg

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Originally Posted by Daniel

There's a trumperz06 here -> http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/member.php?u=12314 last activity 4th July 2010

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I bet that's him! Thanks, Daniel!

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Originally Posted by Zico

Is 4wd really necesary for a road car though? We have an impreza and I would honestly prefer it not to have 4wd.. as you say it kills mpg, ok its very stable and has great traction in the loose and snow but makes the handling really dull compared to a rwd.. or even my old fwd pug gti which had good enough traction for the snow/ice to get from A-B where I live.

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I don't have to go back & forth to the airport in the winter as much as I used to. But where I live, AWD has meant the difference between me getting there safely and not even attempting it. My other alternative would be to have a 4wd SUV of some type. But when the snow gets that deep, I just borrow an SUV from a family member. I hate those things.

There's a World Challenge GT race from a few years ago that you should see. I don't remember the location (Lime Rock maybe), but in the rain an AWD Volvo S60(?) beat the Vipers, Vettes, Porsches and everything else out there like they were in a lower class. I think that's the only race the Volvo won in World Challenge. My handling was good before. But after I changed the suspension and lowered it a bit, it's now pretty fantastic (except for the suck tires I recently bought :( )

But true, not everybody needs AWD. And I wish that I could switch mine off when I want to. But after having this car for several years now, I love it as much today as the day I drove it off the lot. It's the first car that I've been able to say that about. From now on I'll always have an AWD sporty car... even if it's the only car that I own.

While engines have come a very long way, it's easy to forget that even the most efficient of engines are technically heaters. Only a third of the energy stored in the fuel is used to rotate the crankshaft (and that's in the most efficient of motors), while all the rest is wasted, mostly as heat.

There's a long way yet...

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Originally Posted by Daniel

Perhaps the handling isn't exciting. But modern FWD cars are nothing like 106 GTi's or 205 GTi's of olde anyway. I love the fact that unless it's snowy or icey I can put my foot as far down as I want in Caroline's car and I don't need to worry about torquesteer or wheelspin.

Since I had the front of Caroline's car polybushed and had alloy droplinks fitted to replace the ****ty plastic oem ones it's actually quite nice to drive and a lot flatter through the corners and pointier up front.
http://www.cdfracing.co.uk/images/KLC30.jpg

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Of course Caroline is bemused by all this...since she doesn't drive a like a maniac!!

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Originally Posted by Mark in Oshawa

Of course Caroline is bemused by all this...since she doesn't drive a like a maniac!!

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Yes :D I don't drive like a maniac either :p But at fairly pedestrian speeds you can still notice the difference :)

True Daniel, I am poking fun at you a little, because I know I would like to spend some money on my wife's car since the handling has deteroriated over time, but I can hear her already "why do you want to spend the money for that?"...and it is easier to have my car, drive it, and tell her she can do what she likes with hers.....after 10 years I have given up trying to educate my lady on the fine points of cars and maintenance.