> The problem with putting these cars in Stock are that they had special
> competition suspension options that are Street Prepared oriented;
adjustable
> front camber plates, special brake discs, Grupe N adjustable suspension.
As
> delivered standard they came with special trunk kits; baffled oil pan and
> dual oil pump pickup, adjustable rear spoiler, and front subframe
crossbrace.
> Installing trunk kit items automatically voids the warranty. Engines
were
> dyno'd & handpicked from std. assembly line, plus BMW specifically stated
> that theses vehicles were made for competition. Aluminum door skins,
stiffer
> suspension springs with 1" lower ride height, sound padding removed,
special
> seats, and a lower rear gear were also std.
>
> Hardly the type of vehicle to be classed in Stock.
Arguably, so is the Neon ACR. OK, so Dodge doesn't hand pick each engine.
But they do many of the same things that BMW does to the LTW. Before the
Neonites jump in, yes, I'm aware that the Neon R/T has most of the same
performance upgrades as the ACR. But the ACR came first, by several years.
The R/T is basically an ACR without the adjustable Konis and with all the
comfort items most people require in a daily driver that the ACR eliminates
for weight savings. And if memory serves (I'm sure someone will be quick to
correct me if I'm wrong), doesn't ACR stand for American Club Racing? If
that isn't "made for competition," I don't know what is.
Thanks for the extensive description of what differentiates an M3 LTW from a
"normal" M3. I've been wondering that myself. Compare that to what
differentiates a Neon ACR from a Neon Highline or a base model. Relatively
speaking, the basic grocery getter Neon gets an even more extensive makeover
to turn it into the class dominating performer it is than the M3, which is a
high performance car to begin with in its "basic" form. So are its non-M
siblings, if you want to trace its history back that far.
Again, I'm not suggesting that this is right or wrong, or that anything
needs to be changed. I don't have much of an opinion on the matter myself,
mostly because I don't compete against M3s or Neon ACRs. :) I just find
this comparison interesting.
- Justin
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