<edited to isolate his point>
> Could that be partly because your average non so called
> sports car is a much better and more capable vehicle now as compared
> days past? I am sometimes amazed at how close seemingly different cars
> can be in performance. In other words,
> have the average "grocery getter" cars in these classes gotten so much
> better overall that they now seem to be very close to each other?
That's an excellent point, and quite true, I think. Look at Saturns, for
example. The SC2 is a capable contender in ES, and has won on a national
level. Here's the kicker. Look at the SL2 - you know, one of the grocery
getter 4-door Saturns. Under the skin, it's just about identical to the
SC2! (Saturn fans, I know there are a few minor differences, so don't
bother correcting me - I'm keeping this simple.) The 4-door is slightly
heavier, but not much. With a few stock legal mods, I believe an SL2 in the
right hands could be just as competitive as an SC2, while retaining a
serious sleeper factor (handy for avoiding unwanted attention from cops and
robbers).
If I remember right, in the original design phases Saturn came up with a
nice fast car, then toned it down quite a bit so the average consumer would
buy it. Even then, some critics complained that the engines of the earlier
4-doors were a bit too loud. This betrayed its more sporting roots. It
wouldn't surprise me if other manufacturers design their cars that way as
well. That would explain why so many grocery getter cars are wolves in
sheeps' clothing these days.
- Justin
95 SC2 "Locutus" ST
83 320i "Igor"
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